Music on Substack
The top 100 Music writers on Substack's Bestsellers and Rising boards, with moves between my reads, follower counts, who's gaining recommendations and who recommends them. Boards read once a day.
Board read · moves compare with the read at Oct 31 19:47 UTC
- Writers on the two boards
- 170
- Median followers, Bestsellers
- 10,795
- Smallest on the board
- 494
- Trevor Hall, #35
- New recommendations, 30 days
- 254
- to writers whose main category this is
Rising in Music: new recommendations
Writers in this category who picked up the most new recommenders in the last 30 days. A new recommendation puts a writer in front of another publication's readers.
Ted Gioia
381k followers · #1 Music Bestsellers
Joel Gouveia
18k followers · #46 Music Bestsellers
POW MAG
6.8k followers · #21 Music Bestsellers
Lewis Porter
7.3k followers · #39 Music Bestsellers
Kimbra
26k followers · #98 Music Bestsellers
Mikal Gilmore
3.5k followers · #43 Music Bestsellers
Michael Daniels
2.4k followers · #70 Music RisingNew recommenders per week, last 12 weeks; the orange bar is this week to date. Same scale in every panel. Dated by Substack; only recommendations still live.
Bestsellers
Substack ranks Bestsellers by paid subscribers. Followers are my daily reading.
Climbed most since Oct 31: Roy Zimmerman / Melanie Harby #93 to #85, Tom McRae #88 to #82, Mikal Gilmore #45 to #43, Ryan J. Downey #72 to #70, Xana #75 to #73.
| # | Move | Writer | Followers | Recommended by | Paid | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |  Ted GioiaThe Honest Broker |
380,818 | 105 +18 | Thousands | |
| 2 | 0 |  Steven HydenEvil Speakers |
25,053 | 58 +2 | Thousands | |
| 3 | 0 |  Jeff Tweedy | Starship CasualStarship Casual |
193,063 | 77 +2 | Thousands | |
| 4 | 0 |  Patti Smith@pattismith |
398,074 | 88 +24 | Thousands | |
| 5 | 0 |  Madeline RubicamThe Lizard Review |
17,975 | 50 +1 | Thousands | |
| 6 | 0 |  Grace SpelmanGrace Spelman Music Project |
13,533 | 50 +2 | Thousands | |
| 7 | 0 |  Carrie NewcomerA Gathering of Spirits |
33,464 | 52 +4 | Thousands | |
| 8 | 0 |  Ray PadgettFlagging Down the Double E's |
25,279 | 59 +2 | Thousands | |
| 9 | 0 |  Neko CaseEntering The Lung |
51,842 | 65 +1 | Thousands | |
| 10 | 0 |  Laura MarlingPatterns in Repeat |
34,962 | 56 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 11 | 0 |  Shawn ReynaldoFirst Floor |
29,456 | 55 +2 | Thousands | |
| 12 | 0 |  ORANGE FADES TO GRAY@billycorgan |
8,675 | 48 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 13 | 0 |  Hippo CampusDemos III |
29,455 | 14 +2 | none shown | |
| 14 | 0 |  Jack BaruthAvoidable Contact Forever |
4,122 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 15 | 0 |  Colin MeloyColin Meloy's Machine Shop |
41,374 | 63 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 16 | 0 |  Davey HavokDavey Havok |
9,021 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 17 | 0 |  Katherine NeedlemanKatherine Needleman Oboist's Substack |
7,517 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 18 | 0 |  Philip SherburneFuturism Restated |
21,773 | 58 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 19 | 0 |  Marc Myers@marcmyers401052 |
766 | ? | none shown | |
| 20 | 0 |  Tegan and SaraI Think We're Alone Now |
28,913 | 55 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 21 | 0 |  POW MAG@powmag |
6,813 | 50 +7 | 100+ badge | |
| 22 | 0 |  Greil MarcusGreil Marcus / Letter in the Ether |
21,776 | 55 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 23 | 0 |  Jake MalooleyExpanding Dan |
9,667 | 53 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 24 | 0 |  Walter MartinWALTER MARTIN RADIO |
16,649 | 55 | 100+ badge | |
| 25 | 0 |  Clarion XClarion’s Substack |
17,039 | 46 +4 | 100+ badge | |
| 26 | 0 |  Nate ChinenThe Gig |
12,759 | 59 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 27 | 0 |  DawesTalk Back |
40,463 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 28 | 0 |  Andrew SacherUnhappy Place |
4,316 | 19 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 29 | 0 |  GabbieNew Bands for Old Heads |
26,771 | 57 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 30 | ▲1 |  alynda segarraResist Psychic Death |
10,795 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 31 | ▼1 |  PUPMORE BAD STUFF |
44,996 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 32 | 0 |  Niall DohertyThe New Cue |
11,932 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 33 | 0 |  Tommy TomlinsonThe Writing Shed with Tommy Tomlinson |
10,058 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 34 | 0 |  Flow State@flowstate |
58,361 | 61 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 35 | 0 |  Trevor Hall@songsofarainbird |
494 | ? | none shown | |
| 36 | 0 |  Geoffrey RicklySolo Record |
3,129 | 18 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 37 | 0 |  Peter HimmelmanPeter Himmelman’s Morning Musings |
9,360 | 53 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 38 | ▲1 |  Josh TerryNo Expectations |
13,269 | 53 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 39 | ▼1 |  Lewis PorterPlayback with Lewis Porter! |
7,350 | 55 +6 | 100+ badge | |
| 40 | 0 |  Outer FrequenciesOuter Frequencies Radio |
12,722 | 13 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 41 | ▲1 |  Stuart StubbsLoud And Quiet |
8,549 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 42 | ▲1 |  A.C. NewmanBallad of a New Pornographer |
7,679 | 39 | 100+ badge | |
| 43 | ▲2 |  Mikal GilmoreNight Beat |
3,547 | 51 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 44 | ▼3 |  Yasi SalekFast & Loose |
9,854 | 55 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 45 | ▼1 |  Lloyd ColeLloyd Cole - Writing, etc |
7,432 | 28 | 100+ badge | |
| 46 | 0 |  Joel GouveiaThe Artist Economy |
17,681 | 52 +12 | 100+ badge | |
| 47 | 0 |  Andrew BirdAhem! with Andrew Bird |
75,581 | 50 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 48 | 0 |  Dan OzziZERO CRED |
11,465 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 49 | 0 |  Chuck ProphetThe Land That Time Forgot |
31,869 | 51 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 50 | 0 |  Rhett MillerTime & Temperature |
15,402 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 51 | ▲1 |  Dan ManganReality Shield |
19,256 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 52 | ▼1 |  as cities burn@ascitiesburn |
4,616 | 5 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 53 | ▲1 |  MC TaylorA Place Where No One Can Find Me |
8,144 | 42 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 54 | ▲1 |  Juliana HatfieldJuliana Hatfield: Harmonizing With Myself |
4,770 | 33 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 55 | ▼2 |  GUAP@guapmag |
43,917 | 39 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 56 | ▲1 |  Nicky Byrne@nickybyrne |
1,823 | 17 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 57 | ▼1 |  KLOF MagKLOF Mag Selects |
8,716 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 58 | 0 |  Piotr OrlovDada Strain |
4,309 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 59 | 0 |  Alan PaulLow Down and Dirty |
8,992 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 60 | 0 |  Will HermesWill Hermes: New Music + Old Music |
13,321 | 59 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 61 | 0 |  Michael GilbrideThe MAD Records Monologue |
5,742 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 62 | ▲1 |  Harmony HolidayBlack Music and Black Muses |
28,858 | 57 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 63 | ▼1 |  Joshua KosmanOn a Pacific Aisle |
4,820 | 27 | 100+ badge | |
| 64 | 0 |  The ShinsAural Apothecary |
31,385 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 65 | ▲1 |  Top Paddock/Mick Thomas@mickyjimthomas |
3,212 | 8 | 100+ badge | |
| 66 | ▼1 |  LOVE of Community Radio STLThe LOVE of Community Radio STL’s Substack |
2,714 | 17 | 100+ badge | |
| 67 | ▲1 |  brittany spanosBRIT POP |
4,176 | 50 +4 | 100+ badge | |
| 68 | ▼1 |  Hugh CanningOperalogue |
1,215 | 14 | 100+ badge | |
| 69 | 0 |  Evan ShinnersW.T.F. Bach? |
2,093 | 15 | 100+ badge | |
| 70 | ▲1 |  Ryan J. DowneyStream N' Destroy |
3,072 | 30 | 100+ badge | |
| 71 | ▲1 |  Bill PearisSound Bites |
1,633 | 15 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 72 | ▼2 |  Jacqui DevaneyDinner Music |
11,335 | 52 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 73 | ▲2 |  Xanathe blue room |
4,474 | 19 | 100+ badge | |
| 74 | 0 |  LeAnn Rimes CibrianLeAnn's Substack |
4,661 | 14 +1 | none shown | |
| 75 | ▼2 |  gunkGUNKYARD by GUNK |
4,919 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 76 | ▲1 |  Joe PerniceFour Track Substack |
4,499 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 77 | ▼1 |  Will FriedwaldSlouching Towards Birdland (Will Friedwald's SubStack) |
5,898 | 47 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 78 | 0 |  Emma HarnerGuitar-ing |
5,688 | 39 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 79 | ▲1 |  STLNDRMSSTLNDRMS is a nerd. |
18,109 | 50 | none shown | |
| 80 | ▼1 |  Damon KrukowskiDada Drummer Almanach |
11,419 | 57 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 81 | 0 |  Rickie Lee JonesFish Sticks |
19,085 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 82 | ▲3 |  Tom McRaeMcRaetheism |
8,516 | 11 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 83 | ▼1 |  Kevin MorbyKevin Morby's Fam Club |
15,479 | 55 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 84 | ▼1 |  Jeff MiersMiers on Music |
3,401 | 36 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 85 | ▲7 |  Roy Zimmerman / Melanie HarbyA Mighty Little Song |
19,173 | 51 +2 | none shown | |
| 86 | ▼2 |  Eugene S. RobinsonLook What You Made Me Do |
6,984 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 87 | ▲1 |  Hipersónica@hipersonica |
4,109 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 88 | ▼2 |  Vinnie SperrazzaChronicles |
5,234 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 89 | ▼2 |  THE LOCAL TIME IS ALWAYS NOWyasiin bey presents: The Local Time is Always Now |
4,382 | 14 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 90 | ▼1 |  Yoni WolfYoni Wolf’s Wet Paint |
32,757 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 91 | 0 |  India ArieIndia Arie The Soulbird Perch |
35,303 | 51 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 92 | ▲1 |  Jon ClearyThe Good, The Bad & The Funky |
3,920 | 21 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 93 | ▲1 |  Dan EpsteinJagged Time Lapse |
5,846 | 58 | 100+ badge | |
| 94 | ▼4 |  Gabriel KahaneGabriel Kahane: Words & Music |
6,398 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 95 | ▲1 |  Chris Dalla RivaCan't Get Much Higher |
19,698 | 58 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 96 | ▼1 |  Tift MerrittNightcap with Tift Merritt |
13,263 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 97 | 0 |  Dust-to-Digital@dusttodigital |
35,685 | 53 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 98 | 0 |  KimbraKimbra’s Substack |
25,522 | 53 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 99 | 0 |  Stephan Kunzezensounds 禅の音 |
11,604 | 55 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 100 | 0 |  Matthew CampbellWedding MusicLetter |
6,727 | 38 | 100+ badge |
The top 20 on every read
Rank on each read of the Bestsellers board. Darker is higher. A gap means the writer was outside the top 100 on that read.
| Writer | Oct 3107:00 | Oct 3113:00 | Oct 3119:47 | Nov 621:50 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Gioia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steven Hyden | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Jeff Tweedy | Starship Casual | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Patti Smith | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Madeline Rubicam | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Grace Spelman | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Carrie Newcomer | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Ray Padgett | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Neko Case | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Laura Marling | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Shawn Reynaldo | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| ORANGE FADES TO GRAY | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Hippo Campus | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Jack Baruth | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Colin Meloy | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Davey Havok | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Katherine Needleman | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Philip Sherburne | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Marc Myers | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| Tegan and Sara | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
History starts on Oct 31, 2026. Each day adds a column.
Who recommends Music writers
Publications with the most live recommendations pointing at writers whose main category is Music. If you write in this category, these are the readers' lists worth being on.