The Top 40 folk albums chart for January

Top 40

Today, the Official Charts Company in partnership with English Folk Expo reveal the Top 40 best-selling and most streamed folk albums released in the January reporting period.

Six new releases have entered the Top 40 chart, all being brand new recordings.

January’s chart has a decidedly Scottish focus reflecting both Burns Night and Celtic Connections, Glasgow’s annual folk, roots and world music festival.  Celtic Connections was delivered digitally for the first time, but its impact was felt across the chart, both from programmed artists entering for the first time, or artists such as Karine Polwart whose performance possibly accounted for her 2019 release, jumping 8 places reversing the downward trend. Similarly, Skerryvore’s July 2020 release re-entered the chart at No. 18.

But first, Bristol-based a capella folk band, The Longest Johns have found themselves at the forefront of a 2021 sea shanty revival.  A sing-along to their version of the 19th century whaling song, ‘Wellerman’ and a subsequent rendition from a Scottish postie attracted millions of views on TikTok, sparking a worldwide sea shanty trend. ‘Wellerman’, originally released in 2018, sailed into the mainstream Singles Chart at No.37, with Spotify reporting a 7,000% increase in streams.  Meanwhile, The Longest John’s Cures What Ails Ya (Longest Johns Records), released in June 2020, leaped back up the chart to No. 6 from last month’s 26 position.  Renowned for their irreverent, rousing sea songs, the album’s jaunty melodies, rich harmonising vocals and hearty choruses are the perfect antidote for the Covid lockdown.

Position Title Artist
1 Song For Our Daughter Laura Marling
2 NEW Live at Parr Street Studios Jamie Webster
3 Hand Me Down Kate Rusby
4 We Get By Jamie Webster
5 Off Off On This Is the Kit
6 Cures What Ails Ya The Longest Johns
7 Peace Levellers
8 Live from Union Chapel Laura Marling
9 NEW Live at Barrowlands 2020 Peat & Diesel
10 Glastonbury 92 Levellers
11 The BBC Sessions 1984 – 1986 Pogues
12 Home Recordings Martin Simpson
13 Old Wow Sam Lee
14 Fame And Glory Fairport Convention
15 The Livelong Day Lankum
16 Heart’s Ease Shirley Collins
17 One Legend – Two Concerts – Live Runrig
18 Live Across Scotland Skerryvore
19 Karine Polwart’s Scottish Songbook Karine Polwart
20 Where The World Is Thin Kris Drever

The full Top 40 list can be VIEWED HERE

We all give our spare time to run folking.com. Our aim has always been to keep folking a free service for our visitors, artists, PR agencies and tour promoters. If you wish help out and donate something (running costs currently funded by Paul Miles), please click the PayPal link below to send us a small one off payment or a monthly contribution.