Folk Music Charts: The Top Ten Songs of the Week

Looking for a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in folk music? Check out our weekly folk music charts! Here you’ll find the top ten songs of the week, as voted on by our listeners. So whether you’re a folk music fan or just looking to discover some new music, be sure to tune in each week to see what’s hot on the folk music scene!

The top ten songs of the week according to Billboard’s Folk Music Charts for the week of

1. ” Tennesse Waltz” – Sam Cooke
2. “Bonnie Ship the Diamond” – Stan Rogers
3. “The Streets of Philadelphia” – Bruce Springsteen
4. “The Weight” – The Band
5. “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” – The Soggy Bottom Boys
6. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” – Bob Dylan
7. “Blowin’ in the Wind” – Peter, Paul, and Mary
8. “City of New Orleans” – Arlo Guthrie
9. “Freight Train” – Elizabeth Cotten
10. “This Land Is Your Land” – Woody Guthrie

“The Weight” by The Band

“The Weight” is a song by Canadian-American group the Band that was originally released as a single in 1968 and later appeared on the group’s debut album Music from Big Pink. Written by Robbie Robertson, the song is about a traveler’s experiences staying with friends and encountering various people along the way. The lyrics have been interpreted as being about allegorical characters representing disparate groups in society.

The song was ranked as number 41 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2004, and is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Numerous artists have covered “The Weight”, including Jackie DeShannon, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Richie Havens, the Staple Singers, Shirley Caesar, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm, Trisha Yearwood, Sandy Denny, dropkick murphys Kate & Anna McGarrigle, levon helm Peter Gabriel, Arcade Fire and Elvis Presley.

“The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Bob Dylan

“The Times They Are A-Changin'” is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his 1964 album of the same name. The song reflects the social changes taking place at the time, and has been described as a call for generational change. It has been covered by a number of artists, including Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen.

“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds

The Byrds achieved commercial success with their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1965 and also served as the title track to their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man (1965). The single wasacey followed by Dylan’s “All I Really Want to Do” (which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100), Roger McGuinn’s “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better”, and Gene Clark’s “I Won’t Feel Bad”. The Byrds then released four more singles (“Turn! Turn! Turn!”, ” Eight Miles High”, “Fifth Dimension”, and “Wild Mountain Thyme”) before releasing their second album, Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965).

“I’ll Fly Away” by Alison Krauss and Union Station

“I’ll Fly Away” is a traditional gospel song written by Albert E. Brumley in 1929. The song was first recorded by theJefferson Avenue Quartet on March 14, 1929. The song became a hit in the late 1950s after it was recorded by Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys band. The song has been recorded by many other artists, including Alison Krauss and Union Station, who topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with their version in 2002.

Other notable recordings of “I’ll Fly Away” include those by Bill Monroe, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. In 2008, the Library of Congress added the Krauss recording to the National Recording Registry.

“The Wanderer” by Dion

“The Wanderer” is a song written by Ernie Maresca and originally recorded by Dion. It was released in February 1962 as a single (using the alternate spelling “Wanderer”) and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in May 1962. The song has been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Status Quo.

The wanderer/Lost my way/I wandered off/Far from home/The path I trod/Was not my own/In search of something/I could not find/The answer to the question/That’s been on my mind

All these years I’ve been wandering/All these years I’ve been looking for something/All these years I’ve been searching for something/And I still don’t know what it is

I’m a wanderer/I’m a nomad/I’m a drifter constantly moving on

I’m drawn by the firelight /In every village /To every woman /And every man

The wanderer /The searcher / The quest never ends

All these years I’ve been wandering /All these years I’ve been looking for something /All these years I’ve been searching for something /And I still don’t know what it is

“The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals

“The House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song, thought to have originated in the southern United States, and become widely known through its rendition by The Animals. The song is about a life of sin and hard times in New Orleans.

The Animals’ version, an electric blues arrangement by Alan Price, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, and is the group’s best-known song. It became popular in folk music circles when it was recorded by Bob Dylan in 1962, and has been recorded by many other artists including Nina Simone, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Eric Burdon & The Animals re-recorded the song for their 1966 album Winds of Change.

The original title of the song was “Rising Sun Blues”, and it was first recorded by African American singer Gwen Foster in 1933. The lyrics tell of a life of misfortune in New Orleans: “I got one foot on the platform / The other foot on the train / I’m goin’ back to New Orleans / To wear that ball and chain”.

“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Peter, Paul, and Mary

“Blowin’ in the Wind” is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962 and released as a single by Peter, Paul, and Mary in 1963. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and the Cash Box chart for three weeks. It became a standard of the American protest folk music genre and an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. The song has been recorded more than 500 times.

“The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Joan Baez

1. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Joan Baez – This song is a cover of Bob Dylan’s original, and it reached the top spot on the Folk Music Charts this week. It’s a beautiful rendition of a classic song, and it features Joan Baez’s trademarkvocals.

2. “The Wayfaring Stranger” by Odetta – This traditional folk song has been covered by many artists over the years, but Odetta’s version is one of the most beautiful and haunting renditions out there. It reached the number two spot on the charts this week.

3. ” wild Mountain Thyme” by Tim O’Brien – This traditional Scottish ballad was originally written in the 1800s, but Tim O’Brien’s version is a modern take on the classic song. It hit the number three spot on the Folk Music Charts this week.

4. “I’ll Fly Away” by Alison Krauss – This traditional gospel song has been covered by many artists over the years, but Alison Krauss’ version is one of the most beautiful renditions out there. It hit the number four spot on the Folk Music Charts this week.

5. “Barbara Allen” by Emmylou Harris – This traditional folk song has been covered by many artists over the years, but Emmylou Harris’ version is one of the most beautiful renditions out there. It hit the number five spot on the Folk Music Charts this week.

6. “Down in Mississippi” by Mavis Staples – This Mavis Staples original was written about her experiences growing up in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. It hit the number six spot on the Folk Music Charts this week.

7. “500 Miles” by Peter, Paul and Mary – This traditional folk song has been covered by many artists over the years, but Peter, Paul and Mary’s version is one of The most popular and well-known renditions out there. It hit The number seven spot on The Folk Music Charts this weekStaples 8 “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” The Carter Family 9 “In The Pines” Lead Belly 10 “This Land Is Your Land” Woody Guthrie

“We Shall Overcome” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

This song rose to the top of the folk music charts in 1963 after Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The stirring words of the Civil Rights leader, combined with the simple yet powerful melody, helped to unite a nation during a time of great turmoil. “We Shall Overcome” quickly became an anthem of the Civil Rights movement, and has since been adopted by social justice movements around the world.