The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown

Latest Episodes:

Episode 142: Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown 26 October 2025 Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Countdown is bursting at the seams — 22 songs thanks to two ties, seven debuts, seven returning favorites, and a brand-new #1! As it happens, the orderof the songs makes it seem like a 3 Act Play!

🪕 Show Highlights

Act 1 – Fresh Blood: Six of the seven debut tracks land right up front, bringing a wave of new energy to kick off the show.
Act 2 – The Comeback Crew: Familiar favorites return for another run up the chart.
Act 3 – The Power End: Three recent Number 1s plus a brand-new chart-topper finish the show in style.

🏆 New Number 1

Southern Legacy – “The Hills of Carter County”
I called it — and here it is at the top! Lead vocals by Josh Williams, written by Jeff Walter and Marc Rossi (Pinecastle Records).

🌟 Debuting This Week

Mountain Grass Unit – “Hey Mama”
Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker – “Cacklin’ Hen”
Kenny & Amanda Smith – “My Runaway”
Del McCoury Band – “Just Because”
Blue Highway – “Is Now the Time”
Rebekah Speer – “Needle in the Heart of West Virginia”
Shawn Camp – “New Cut Road”

🎧 Also featuring

Greg Blake – “Nora McNally” (IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year)
Wyatt Ellis – “Country Boy Rock & Roll”
Milan Miller – “Tony Rice Tattoo”
Shawn Camp – “Sis Draper” (last week’s #1)
Alison Krauss & Union Station – “Richmond on the James” (23 weeks on chart)
Plus Crandall Creek, Throwdown Thursday, and Daniel Grindstaff with Marty Stuart.
And a special bonus spin of Blue Highway’s “God Moves in a Windstorm” — tucked somewhere in the show for you to discover.

📻 Produced in Sydney, Australia by Mike Kear.
Heard worldwide on partner stations and as a podcast every weekend.
Visit BluegrassToday.com for the weekly chart.

Episode 141: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown 19 October 2025 Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown comes with a few surprises — a new number one, six brand-new debuts, and ten favourites returning to the chart, including a couple of ties that push us to 22 songs in total.

We’ll hear from rising stars like Mountain Grass Unit, East Nash Grass, and Daniel Grind-staff & The Uptown Troubadours, along with bluegrass heavyweights The Travelin’ McCourys, Junior Sisk, and Balsam Range.

And between the chart action, Mike shares one of his favourite true stories — about listener Tom “Gumby” Carlson, an IT engineer who once wintered over at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. With a handful of borrowed instruments, he taught his fellow scientists to play old-time tunes and led the first-ever square dance at the South Pole — where, of course, everyone stood on the north side of the square!

Music, stories, and a touch of history — all wrapped up in two hours of the best bluegrass anywhere.

Episode 140: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown 12/Oct/2025 Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Countdown celebrates a mix of long-running chart favourites and powerful new arrivals — with fresh stories, gospel inspiration, and even a trip to the South Pole.

🏆 Highlights

Alison Krauss & Union Station return after a 14-year break with “Richmond on the James.”
Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland dominate again — three songs in the Top 20, including the IBMA-decorated “Outrun the Rain.”
Shelby Means, Ashby Frank, and Volume Five all climb steadily.
Emotional debut for Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski with “Blue Heartache,” recorded as a tribute after Bobby’s passing.
Will Clark launches his solo career with “A Different Kind of Lonesome.”
Kevin Denney holds the #1 spot with “Gulf Shore Line,” featuring Andy Leftwich, Rob Ickes, Darrin Vincent & Jaelee Roberts.
Four-way tie on the Gospel Chart led by Eighteen Mile, High Road, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, and Kristy Cox, with Jerry Salley & The Oak Ridge Boys just behind — the Oaks’ final studio recording by their original lineup.
Runtime 104 minutes (68 minutes of music + features, stories & Countdown commentary).
🔗 Credits
Produced by Hawkesbury Radio with the cooperation of BluegrassToday.com.
All songs from the BluegrassToday Weekly Airplay Chart, used by permission.
Licensed for full-music podcasting under APRA Australia guidelines.

Episode 139: The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown 28 September 2025 Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

This week: a brand-new #1 that rocketed from #18 last week to the top, plus five debuts and five songs returning to the countdown. We spin all 20 songs in full, then take a quick look at the BluegrassToday Gospel chart to round things out. Along the way, watch for long-runners still holding strong and a few surprise collaborations making noise on radio.

Highlights

🔹 New #1: last week’s debut at #18 jumps straight to the summit
🔹 5 debuts and 5 returners on the main chart
🔹 All 20 tracks played in full (no snippets)
🔹 Spotlight check-in on the BluegrassToday Gospel Top 7
🔹 A 20-week run continues for Alison Krauss & Union Station—can it make the full six months?

Support the show

If you enjoy the countdown, please consider supporting us on Patreon—it helps with licensing, hosting, and keeping Studio 5A humming.
👉 [Patreon link]

Host: Mike Kear — Studio 5A, northwest Sydney, Australia
Powered by: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown

(Thanks for listening. See you next week with a fresh chart!)

Episode 138: The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown 21 September 2025 Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

This week’s BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is packed with chart action and award news!

🎶 Highlights:

A brand-new #1: — 16 weeks on the chart and their 4th time at the very top.
4 debuts including songs from Downriver Collective, Authentic Unlimited, Alison Brown & Steve Martin, and Zeb Snyder.
8 returning songs proving their staying power on bluegrass radio.
Special mentions of the IBMA Award winners from last week — tying the chart to the biggest night in bluegrass.

Mike Kear brings you the top 20 songs from the BluegrassToday airplay chart, along with backstories, industry news, and a few witty asides. Recorded in Studio 5A in Sydney, Australia, and heard worldwide.

🕒 Total show length: 104 minutes.

📌 About the Countdown:
The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown reflects what’s happening on bluegrass radio around the world. Updated weekly, it’s the most accurate snapshot of today’s bluegrass scene.

Episode 137: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown 7 Sept 2025 Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

A brand-new #1, three debuts, nine returns, and even two ties — twenty-two songs in the Top 20! Bluegrass legends and rising stars all here in this week’s BluegrassToday Countdown.
This week’s BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is packed with stories and surprises. We welcome three brand-new debuts, nine strong returnees, and even a couple of ties — which means twenty-two songs in the Top 20! At the top, there’s a brand-new number one from bluegrass legend Larry Sparks, proving there’s still plenty of room for the masters alongside the rising stars.

Along the way you’ll hear Ashby Frank, Williamson Branch, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Appalachian Road Show, Wyatt Ellis, and many more. As always, Mike Kear brings you the latest chart direct from Sydney, Australia, with backstories, playful asides, and the best bluegrass in the world.

Don’t miss this week’s countdown — the official chart from BluegrassToday, played in full and shared with stations around the globe.

Episode 136: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown 31/August/2025 Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Countdown has it all — comebacks, debuts, big moves, and a brand-new #1 from Zeb Snyder with “Dollar Bill Blues.” Hear every song in full, plus an interview about MountainGrass, Australia’s premier bluegrass event.

This week’s BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is packed with action on the chart:

Zeb Snyder rockets from #14 all the way to #1 with his stunning take on Dollar Bill Blues.
Appalachian Road Show return to the Top 3 with Della Jane’s Heart, a song that’s already been #1 four times.
Benson keep the pressure on with Lover of the Road, holding strong near the top.
We’ve also got debuts from Darin & Brooke Aldridge and a second appearance this week by Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, this time featuring Jim Lauderdale.

There’s even more packed in:

An interview about MountainGrass, the premier bluegrass event in Australia.
Fresh stories and insights behind the songs and artists.
And a few surprises along the way.

As always, you’ll hear every song in full, so settle in and enjoy the very best of today’s bluegrass.

Episode 135: The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown 24 August 2025 Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown with Mike Kear — direct from Windsor, Australia. This week’s chart plus Bluegrass on the Rise, five fast-rising tracks rocketing toward the Top 20.

We count down the 20 most played songs in bluegrass radio, direct from the BluegrassToday airplay chart — plus we spotlight five fast-rising tracks in our Bluegrass on the Rise segment, songs that are rocketing up the chart and could be Top 20 before long.

Featured this week:

Vickie Vaughn Band – Leavin’
Billy Strings – Leaning on a Travelin’ Song
Tony Trischka (feat. Vince Gill) – Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Chris Davis – Gold Rush Town
Kody Norris Show – Tennessee

You’ll also hear news, backstories, and a full 108 minutes of bluegrass radio — with every song played in full.

Whether you’re tuning in from the U.S., Australia, or anywhere else in the world, you’ll get the very best of today’s bluegrass music, straight from the source.

Episode 134: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown 24/Aug/2025 Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Featured this week:

Vickie Vaughn Band – Leavin’
Billy Strings – Leaning on a Travelin’ Song
Tony Trischka (feat. Vince Gill) – Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Chris Davis – Gold Rush Town
Kody Norris Show – Tennessee

You’ll also hear news, backstories, and a full 108 minutes of bluegrass radio — with every song played in full.

Whether you’re tuning in from the U.S., Australia, or anywhere else in the world, you’ll get the very best of today’s bluegrass music, straight from the source.

Episode 133: Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown 10/Aug/2025 Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

This week’s Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown is packed with great music — including a brand-new #1 from Ashby Frank, multiple debuts, and a few big returners climbing back toward the top. We’ve also got a listener request from Tasmania featuring the Bray Brothers & Red Cravens, plus new singles from Wyatt Ellis, Alison Brown & Steve Martin, and more.

Along the way, I share stories behind the songs and artists, a snippet of the original version of an Alison Krauss & Union Station track for comparison, and some deep cuts from my own library to round out the hour.

Highlights include:

Highest debut of the week: Junior Sisk with The Devil’s Train
Former #1s making another run
Listener request: Blue Eyed Darling (1961)
Extended cut: AJ Lee & Blue Summit’s Glendale Train

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