Did you get your first podcast by proper clicking and saving an MP3 earlier than utilizing a USB cable to switch it to your telephone? Or maybe you’re used to clicking play on Spotify and streaming it straight. Regardless of how lengthy you’ve been listening to podcasts, should you’re a fan of the medium, you most likely have opinions on what makes a ‘nice’ podcast.
With podcasting being such a broad and versatile format it’s onerous to select 50 out of the 5 million exhibits which were created through the years, however right here we go!
The next record is predicated on a number of elements together with reputation, longevity, affect, innovation and high quality. The record is introduced in chronological order moderately than a countdown and solely options these within the English language.
Filmspotting [2005 – Present]
Web sites like IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have endlessly modified how we find out about new movies, and simply as these aggregated evaluate platforms gave a voice to individuals around the globe to share their opinions alongside skilled critics, podcasts have given movie lovers the chance to voice their very own takes to a devoted viewers of fellow cinema devotees.
Hosted by Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen, Filmspotting is without doubt one of the longest-running weekly podcasts of any style. Every week, the 2 Chicago-based hosts focus on a current movie launch, in addition to counting down their High 5 motion pictures of a specific subject.
Episodes: 900+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Ricky Gervais Present [2005 – 2011]
It won’t maintain the title of the primary ever podcast, however The Ricky Gervais Present can definitely lay declare to being the primary record-breaking podcast with almost 8 million downloads of its first collection in 2005.
The podcast started as a radio present on London’s Xfm 104.9, with British comic Ricky Gervais and his writing companion Stephen Service provider joined by their producer Karl Pilkington. Though the present was designed to showcase Gervais and Service provider, contemporary off launching their hit collection The Workplace, Pilkington turned an unlikely star with tales of his childhood in Manchester, UK, his distinctive outlook on life and surreal options akin to ‘Rockbusters’ and ‘Karl in a Movie’.
It turned the primary main podcast to cost for downloads when it was distributed by Audible in 2006 and was later tailored by HBO into an animated collection. Though it by no means formally ended, the three haven’t collaborated on any tasks since 2014.
Episode Depend: 43
Official Web site
Kermode and Mayo’s Movie Assessment [2005 – 2022]
Beginning as a radio present on BBC’s 5 Reside station, the chemistry between the great medical doctors Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo was obvious from the very starting. Rapidly adopting the brand new know-how that was podcasting in 2005, the pair’s movie evaluations turned globally in style, bringing ‘wittertainment’ to the world.
Kermode is essentially the most well-known and revered movie critic within the UK and was paired with long-time BBC radio DJ Simon Mayo to fill a daily film evaluate slot that was an current a part of the station’s programming. No-one might have anticipated simply how in style the present would turn out to be, pushed by a mix of the inimitable bickering between the 2 hosts and clever and in-depth movie evaluations.
Being a part of a nationwide BBC radio station additionally meant attracting just about each main movie actor and director of the final 25 years, leading to distinctive interactions with cinema’s most interesting (hiya to Jason Isaacs!).
Though the pair left the BBC in 2022, the podcast lives on as Kermode and Mayo’s Take.
Episodes: 800+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Wrestling Observer Radio [2005 – Present]
When you thought that paid subscription fashions for podcasting have been a reasonably current improvement, then you definitely may be shocked to study that the Wrestling Observer Radio podcast hosted by journalists Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer has been providing paid exhibits since 2005!
Meltzer is essentially the most outstanding journalist on the earth {of professional} wrestling, having printed the Wrestling Observer publication since 1980. He and Alvarez started internet hosting a radio program within the late 90s, ultimately taking their present to Eyada.com, the primary Web-exclusive reside streaming radio station, earlier than beginning their very own podcast community.
Overlaying all issues pro-wrestling and combined martial arts, the 2 have a singular chemistry that’s usually unintentionally hilarious. Up till as lately as 2021, Meltzer nonetheless recorded the podcast by way of a landline telephone, giving it a singular sound harking back to an old-timey reporter calling on location.
Episodes: 2000+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Grammar Lady [2006 – Present]
You wouldn’t assume weekly recommendations on the right way to enhance your grammar could be that thrilling, however The Grammar Lady podcast (or to provide it its full title, “Grammar Lady’s Fast and Soiled Ideas for Higher Writing”) has been serving to listeners thoughts their Ps and Qs for the very best a part of 20 years, clocking up near 1000 episodes. A brief-form podcast, episodes final between 15 and 40 minutes and give attention to a specific subject associated to the right utilization of grammar.
The present is a five-time ‘Finest Training Podcast” award winner on the Podcast Awards and one of many longest-running female-hosted podcasts ever.
Episodes: 900+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Hardcore Historical past [2006 – Present]
Even when Hardcore Historical past didn’t weave fascinating and brutal tales of essentially the most epic intervals of historical past, Dan Carlin’s gravelly narration is so compelling it would appeal to hundreds of thousands of listeners if he have been studying his procuring record or maybe the phrases and circumstances for a brand new dishwasher.
Though the present has been working since 2006, it has printed fewer than 100 episodes, which is much less of a shock when you think about the size can run to over 6 hours on a specific subject.
From the Persian Empire to the Atlantic Slave Commerce to World Battle II, the present featured on Slate’s 25 Finest Podcast Episodes Ever and has gained quite a few awards.
Episodes: 50+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
This American Life [2006 – Present]
Primarily a radio present, This American Life does have a official declare to be the primary ever podcast, given its distribution within the late 90s and early 2000s by way of a RealAudio stream on its web site and availability on Audible.com for paid downloads. Finally turning into a fully-fledged podcast in 2006, the present continues its distinctive association of solely making episodes out there for 7 days earlier than they’re faraway from the feed.
Describing This American Life in a nutshell isn’t any straightforward job, however basically every episode focuses on a specific theme which is explored by a number of completely different tales. Host Ira Glass introduces the subject and segments embrace authentic investigative reporting, interviews and archive audio.
It has been tailored as a TV present, produced reside excursions, led to spin-off exhibits together with Serial and S-City and a number of episodes have additionally been tailored into blockbuster motion pictures.
A winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, George Polk Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award, the present continues to be extremely in style and in addition extremely influential as each a radio present and a podcast.
Episodes: 800+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Bugle [2007 – Present]
Earlier than The Day by day Present and earlier than Final Week Tonight, the very best place to search out John Oliver’s scathing political satire was on The Bugle Podcast. Along with Andy Zaltzman, a grasp of absurdist comedy and tortuous wordplay, the 2 created an hilarious, but surgical takedown of the week’s information in politics and past.
Initially hosted as a part of the Occasions On-line, the web site related to the Rupert Murdoch-owned Occasions newspaper within the UK, the early years of the present have been joyful for simply how far the 2 have been keen to go in satirizing the whole lot together with The Occasions and Murdoch himself. This culminated in 2011 when in the course of the Information Worldwide phone-hacking scandal, Oliver and Zaltzman have been ruthless in exposing the wrong-doing perpetrated by their very own writer.
The present went impartial by the top of 2011 and continued till 2016 when Oliver was pressured to give up to give attention to his extremely profitable HBO present. The podcast continued with Zaltzman being joined by a rotating forged of co-hosts together with Wyatt Cenac, Alice Fraser and Nish Kumar.
This audio newspaper for a visible world continues to be a shining instance of absurdist British satire.
Episodes: 600+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Stuff You Ought to Know [2008 – Present]
Initially conceived by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant once they have been senior editors at HowStuffWorks.com, the present acts as an explainer for an enormous vary of matters together with science, politics, historical past and in style tradition. Stuff You Ought to Know gives listeners genuinely insightful info with a comedic bent and has attracted a devoted following within the hundreds of thousands, together with numerous sold-out reside exhibits.
The 2 hosts deliver an approachable and self-deprecating air making the generally complicated topics really feel accessible to everybody. The podcast was tailored right into a TV collection by the Science channel in 2013 which blended the unique format of the present with a fictional tackle the lifetime of the 2 hosts.
Episode Depend: 1500+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Moth [2008 – Present]
Initially a nationwide public radio present, The Moth podcast was born out of a long-running collection of storytelling occasions held all around the United States and overseas. The present options each outstanding literary figures and personalities, in addition to on a regular basis individuals with fascinating tales to inform.
Sometimes recorded in entrance of a reside viewers, The Moth provides a platform to one of the conventional types of human communication – oral storytelling. Downloaded over one million occasions a month, storytellers have included Salman Rushdie, Margaret Cho, George Plimpton and Padma Lakshmi. You could possibly even add your self to that illustrious record as The Moth accepts fascinating pitches from anybody with a narrative to inform.
Episodes: 500+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Joe Rogan Expertise [2009 – Present]
Love him or hate him, Joe Rogan is the host of the preferred English language podcast of all time. His present “The Joe Rogan Expertise” is a fixture on the prime of the Spotify Charts and would most likely be at or close to the highest of the others if he hadn’t signed a cope with Spotify in 2020 to hold his podcast solely on the platform.
Thousands and thousands of viewers tune in a number of occasions per week to listen to Rogan and his array of visitors focus on just about something. From politics to sports activities to UFOs and conspiracy theories, these prolonged conversations captivate listeners with their accessible and populist type. The present has had a real affect on politics with visitors like Bernie Sanders, Edward Snowden and Elon Musk making headlines with their appearances.
Not with out controversy, Rogan has often courted criticism for his theories on the pandemic, vaccines and his political beliefs.
Episode Depend: 2000+
Official YouTube Channel
Official Web site
WTF with Marc Maron [2009 – Present]
One of many absolute stalwarts of podcasting, comic Marc Maron’s present has been working repeatedly for effectively over a decade mixing comedy with insightful interviews. Perennially in style, Maron has interviewed 100s of well-known visitors, notably chatting with Robin Williams about suicide years earlier than the actor took his personal life, with President Barack Obama about racism in America and actor Peter Dinklage in regards to the portrayal of little individuals in motion pictures like Snow White.
The episode that includes Robin Williams was chosen for preservation in the US Nationwide Recording Registry as being “culturally, traditionally, or aesthetically vital”, turning into the primary recording from the 2010s to be inducted.
Episodes: 1500+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Adam Carolla Present [2009 – Present]
One of the vital in style podcasts of the early 2010s, comic Adam Carolla’s every day comedy podcast has a declare to be essentially the most prolific podcast of all time with over 3000 episodes printed since its debut in 2009. The present usually contains a particular movie star visitor, usually different comedians like Rob Schneider, Larry Miller and Howie Mandel, but in addition Hollywood celebs like James Gunn, William Shatner and Sean Astin.
The present options Carolla’s rants towards no matter subject is bothering him that day (not all the time with out controversy), a raft of various options involving his sidekicks and an interview with the visitor.
Episodes: 3000+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Freakonomics [2010 – Present]
Freakonomics was one of many best-selling books of 2009, shifting over 4 million copies in its first yr worldwide. The success of the e book, which mixed popular culture with financial theories, led to the creation of a wider Freakonomics model that tapped into our thirst for bite-size, in style academia match for the web age.
The spin-off podcast started in 2010 and remains to be going sturdy. Hosted by Stephen Dubner, one of many co-authors of the unique e book, the present focuses on a selected theme every episode, together with fascinating and provocative matters akin to “Why is the U.S. so good at killing pedestrians?” and “The hazards of security”.
It has persistently ranked within the High 20 ‘Society and Tradition’ podcasts on Apple and Spotify over the previous decade.
Episodes: 500+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
How Did This Get Made? [2010 – Present]
Hosted by actor/comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason “Hey Nongman” Mantzoukas, How Did This Get Made tackles the worst that cinema has to supply with hilarious takedowns of unhealthy motion pictures. Within the spirit of exhibits like Thriller Science Theater 3000 and Better of the Worst, the podcast breaks down what makes unhealthy motion pictures unhealthy in a humorous and detailed vogue.
The present has gone on the highway, taking part in to packed reside exhibits throughout America and has gained a number of awards together with an Ambie award for Finest Comedy Podcast in 2022. Widespread episodes embrace ‘Hobbs & Shaw’, ‘Sucker Punch’, ‘Tango and Money’ and ‘88 Minutes’.
Episode Depend: 300+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Nerdist [2010 – 2018]
The Nerdist was a part of an early wave of digitally-native exhibits, tapping into geek tradition and utilizing new media to construct a massively profitable model. The unique podcast, hosted by Chris Hardwick, spun off into a complete community of exhibits that was ultimately offered to Legendary Leisure. Specializing in in style tradition, the present welcomed visitors together with Jon Hamm, Trey Parker and Mark Hamill.
Hardwick parted methods with Legendary Leisure in 2017 and reworked the unique Nerdist present into a brand new enterprise known as ID10T in early 2018. The brand new present was clouded by accusations of abuse by a former companion of Hardwick which then went into hiatus. As of 2023 its future is unclear.
Episodes: 800+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Comedy Bang Bang [2011 – Present]
Starting life as Comedy Dying-Ray Radio in 2009 and hosted by comic and actor Scott Aukerman, Comedy Bang Bang set the bar for comedy podcasts with its stream of improvised hilarity that includes recurring visitors like Paul F. Tompkins, Lauren Lapkus and Dink Dink Man Jason Mantzoukas.
Visitors will both take part character for your entire present, play a number of characters or simply seem as a model of themselves. The identical characters will usually seem over a number of episodes, some even having story arcs that span years like Paul F. Tompkins’ Cake Boss (Cake Boss!) character.
In addition to being hilarious in its personal proper, the present has impressed a universe of different podcasts together with R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?, Threedom and Womp it Up!
Episodes: 800+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Final Podcast on the Left [2011 – Present]
Launched in 2011, Final Podcast on the Left offers with the darkest, dirtiest, scariest tales in human historical past, together with serial killers, evil regimes and the occult. Initially hosted by Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski and Ben Kissel, allegations of abuse by a number of girls noticed Kissel go away the present in October 2023.
The present gives a surreal and darkly humorous perception into occasions surrounding crimes dedicated by infamous killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson and Ed Gein in addition to extra historic acts akin to warfare crimes, fascist governments and 9/11.
The present has constructed a passionate fan base with over 200k individuals signed as much as its two subreddits on Reddit.com, carried out a number of reside exhibits and launched a spin-off e book that reached quantity 3 within the New York Occasions Bestseller Checklist.
Episodes: 900+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Welcome to Evening Vale [2012 to Present]
Reminiscent of radio dramas of yesteryear, Welcome to Evening Vale is without doubt one of the most long-running and acclaimed fictional podcasts of all time. Launched in 2012 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the vanity of the podcast is a radio present emanating from Evening Vale, a fictional desert city within the Southwestern United States, residence to the paranormal and supernatural. Narrated by actor Cecil Baldwin taking part in ‘Cecil Palmer’ the present contains a forged of dozens and recurrently rotating visitor writers.
Though every episode is standalone, longer narratives are advised throughout dozens of episodes culminating in climactic seasons finales. Perennially in style, the present has attracted 100,000s of listeners during the last decade and spun off three novels.
Episode Depend: 200+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Yo, Is This Racist? [2012 – Present]
Hosted by Andrew Ti and Tawny Newsome, ‘Yo, Is This Racist?’, solutions questions from listeners as as to if sure conditions, in style tradition, habits or anything might be thought of racist. Regardless of the intense sounding nature of the format, the present is a comedy podcast and acts as a method for the hosts, visitors and listeners to vent their frustrations with ongoing systemic racism, tradition appropriation and normalization of maximum views.
The present displays a rising want to debate issues of race and intersectionality within the 2010s and 2020s, in addition to acknowledging the discomfort and awkwardness that these conversations can deliver. Total the present is ready to steadiness vital debate with humorous takes and supply listeners with educating and entertaining chat.
Episodes: 1200+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
The Reality [2012 – 2023]
An anthology fiction present that spotlights extraordinary tales that exemplify the very best of audio storytelling. Created by producer Jonathan Mitchell the thought behind the present is to straddle the road between fiction and actuality, taking actual tales and exploring them with the spirit of conventional radio dramas. Every episode contains a group of actors who’re given the license to improvise and discover the story in a collaborative method.
A a number of Mark Time Award winner the present has lined matters as various because the moon touchdown, mall Santas, Dungeons and Dragons and MMA. The present resulted in 2023 on account of funding causes.
Episodes: 150
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Serial [2014 – 2018]
Serial was not simply one of many greatest podcasts of 2014, however one of many greatest popular culture sensations of the 2010s. The present noticed journalist Sarah Koenig examine an historic homicide case involving two American youngsters and a possible miscarriage of justice. The cliffhanger ‘serial’ nature of the present had listeners pining for brand new episodes and helped drive an enormous surge in curiosity within the medium.
Vastly influential to at the present time, it spawned tons of of imitators in addition to parodies on exhibits like Saturday Evening Reside and BoJack Horseman, in addition to inspiring the favored Hulu collection Solely Murders within the Constructing.
The second and third collection couldn’t recreate the magic of the unique and in addition deviated from the true crime, homicide thriller theme of the primary collection. Nevertheless, this Peabody Award profitable podcast is without doubt one of the hottest of all time, with specific episodes reaching over 350 million downloads.
Episode Depend: 33
Apple Podcasts
Official Web site
The Tim Ferriss Present [2014 – Present]
Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, investor and writer who’s greatest recognized for writing the bestselling e book ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’. His podcast “The Tim Ferriss Present” speaks to all kinds of visitors from the world of sports activities, investing, enterprise, science, comedy and others. The present goals to unlock the secrets and techniques behind among the world’s most profitable individuals and perceive what mixture of onerous work, talent and luck has acquired them to the place they’re.
Tapping right into a 2010s/2020s thirst for self-help, self-improvement and productiveness suggestions, Ferriss has constructed one of the in style exhibits round. His personal web site claims it has been downloaded over 900 million occasions.
Episodes: 700+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Doughboys [2015 – Present]
In 2015 the podcast comedy panorama was in flux. The format itself had matured past the novelty of its early years, however had not but skilled the gold-rush of funding that may create an promoting and expertise bubble that may pop in 2023. Into this interregnum interval got here two associates, comedy author Nick Wiger and actor/comic Mike “Mitch” Mitchell. They launched a brand new podcast about chain eating places that rapidly developed a cult following.
Constructing a neighborhood round in-jokes, recurring visitors and a way of togetherness that may solely come from an intimate format like podcasting, they proved to be an unlikely hit and impressed a slew of comparable exhibits. They, together with podcasts like The Sloppy Boys and Podcast: The Journey, have developed loyal followings who’re keen to pay for bonus content material, journey to reside exhibits and purchase spin-off merchandise. Regardless of the intense well being implications of eating at American quick meals eating places a number of occasions per week, the 2 hosts are nonetheless going sturdy almost a decade in.
This entry on the 50 Best Podcasts of All Time. Doughboys.
Episodes: 400+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
My Dad Wrote a Porno [2015 – 2022]
A present that struggled for distribution at first due its title and subject material, My Dad Wrote a Porno went on to be downloaded over 250 million occasions. It’s additionally a present that exemplifies what might be achieved with the podcasting format when it comes to pushing boundaries and creating content material that might not have existed in conventional media.
Hosted by British comedians Jamie Morton, James Cooper and Alice Levine, it particulars a journey by the writing of a collection of erotic novels, authored by Morton’s dad underneath the pen-name Rocky Flintstone. Every present reads by a unique chapter and information Cooper and Levine’s instantaneous response to what they’re listening to.
The present has gained a boatload of awards and was additionally tailored right into a HBO particular, recorded on the Roundhouse theater in London.
Episode Depend: 100+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Lore [2015 – Present]
A macabre documentary collection that focuses on the darker aspect of human nature, Lore takes listeners by completely different legends, historic occasions and folklore. Host Aaron Mahnke’s narration, set to haunting piano, is a fascinating soundtrack to an informative and entertaining podcast that mixes in-depth analysis with impeccable narratives.
Tailored right into a tv present in 2017 on Amazon Video, the present has gained a number of awards, together with Finest Historical past Podcast on the iHeartRadio Awards and the Academy of Podcasters.
Episodes: 200+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Responsible Feminist [2015 – Present]
Every episode of The Responsible Feminist presents a frank however humorous dialogue on what it means to be a feminist, normally by particular matters like intervals, courting, magnificence merchandise, music and psychological well being. Comic and writer Deborah Frances-White hosts the present, which was co-hosted by Sofie Hagen till 2016. She has been joined by visitors akin to Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Bridget Christie and Shappi Khorsandi.
The present exists to acknowledge the problem in reconciling being a “true” feminist with the urge to embrace societal expectations and your personal wishes. The present has gained a number of comedy podcast awards, featured on numerous ‘Finest Podcasts of the Yr’ lists and has been downloaded over 100 million occasions since 2015.
Episodes: 400+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Invoice Simmons Podcast [2015 – Present]
Invoice Simmons has an extended and illustrious historical past creating sports-themed content material that takes benefit of latest mediums to construct loyal audiences. Beginning with the ‘Sports activities Man’ web site in 1997 which turned a well-liked publication, he landed a job as a columnist for ESPN in 2001 which ultimately led to a 2007 podcast known as ‘Eye of the Sportsguy’ and later ‘The B.S. Report’.
Averaging 2 million downloads a month, it was an early smash hit for podcasting and finally led to Simmons founding The Ringer Community in 2015. The Invoice Simmons Present is the flagship podcast of a media model that now options over 75 completely different exhibits. Importing a number of episodes per week, the subject of dialog is the newest goings on in American sports activities, whereas generally diverting into skilled wrestling, soccer and in style tradition.
Episodes: 1200+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
You’re Welcome [2015 – Present]
Do you want cringe-inducing conversations with bizarre and pretentious individuals? No? Then keep away from this podcast, as a result of nothing is off-limits when Zoe Nightingale interviews individuals from all around the world, together with a “human Ken Doll”, social gathering promoter/assassin Michael Alig and a Supermodel Warrior of Reality.
Not a present for the faint-hearted it covers the wicked, the unlawful and the controversial, as Nightingale, a comic, a author and full-time clown delves into essentially the most bizarre and disgusting traits, individuals and locations.
Bringing gonzo journalism to podcasting, the present demonstrates the flexibleness and resilience of a format that permits for self-creation, self-publishing and self-expression with out the editorial and industrial limits of conventional media.
Episodes: 200+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Bodega Boys [2015 – 2021]
The model is powerful! A minimum of it was till the acrimonious parting of the ways in which noticed comedy duo Desus and Mero break up in 2022. Their Viceland present was a defining a part of late 2010s tradition, with their stripped again tackle late night time speak exhibits bringing a contemporary and irreverent voice that was a lot wanted within the aftermath of the 2016 election.
The codecs of the podcasts and subsequent TV exhibits have been open, messy and hilarious, speaking all features of tradition, however referring to politics with appearances by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, in addition to Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama (however no Trumpito).
Episodes: 253
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Limetown [2015 – 2018]
A scripted podcast created by Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie and Dave Yim, Limetown was one in every of Vulture’s High 10 Podcasts of 2015, in addition to making quite a few different ‘better of’ lists. The present offers with the disappearance of 300 individuals at a neuroscience analysis facility known as Limetown, investigated by American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock.
Described as mixing The X-Information with Serial the present was an enormous hit on launch and set a regular for narrative primarily based podcasts. It was tailored right into a TV present in 2019 starring Jessical Biel and Stanley Tucci.
Episodes: 11
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Invisibilia [2015 – 2023]
Produced by NPR, Invisibilia was a considerate and fascinating present that examined how the issues we are able to’t see – ideas, concepts, beliefs, feelings – form our world and the way a lot (or how little) we really perceive them. Initially hosted by Alix Spiegel and Lulu Miller and later by Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse, the present mixed refined storytelling with wonderful scientific reporting to tell listeners whereas holding them engaged all through.
Sadly canceled in 2023 on account of cutbacks at NPR, this Peabody Award nominated present is the epitome of what nice podcasting can sound like, telling well-researched and fascinating audio tales that aspire to have a long-lasting influence on individuals’s lives.
Episodes: 62
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
The West Wing Weekly [2016 – 2020]
You’d be onerous pressed to discover a in style (and even not that in style…) TV present that doesn’t have its personal watchalong podcast from Gilmore Ladies to Saved by the Bell to Eerie Indiana. The West Wing Weekly, hosted by Hrish Hirway and Josh Malina was one of many first to not solely study every episode of a long-running present in forensic element, but in addition deliver within the creators and stars of the present so as to add their very own retrospective commentary.
The podcast ran for 4 years and 186 episodes masking every episode of the TV present, together with some particular episodes. In addition to host Josh Malina, who starred as Will Bailey on The West Wing, the present additionally hosted visitors together with Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Rob Lowe, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney and Dulé Hill.
Satirically the present’s run coincides with everything of the Trump administration, offering a pointy distinction between Sorkin’s idealistic, some would say rose-tinted, view of Washington politics towards a tumultuous period in The White Home.
Episodes: 186
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
My Favourite Homicide [2016 – Present]
Tapping into the unwavering reputation of true crime podcasts, My Favourite Homicide takes a darkly humorous strategy to actual life homicide circumstances. The chemistry between the 2 hosts, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, mixed with the intrigue into the real-life circumstances ends in an hilarious present that additionally acts like a remedy group for listeners coping with nervousness in regards to the nature of the crimes.
Kilgariff and Hardstark met in 2014 and bonded over their shared macabre curiosity in true crime tales. Launching the podcast two years later they’ve constructed a podcasting empire that features reside exhibits, e book offers and a premium fan membership.
In 2019, Forbes estimated that the present generated $15million a yr in income, making it the 2nd most profitable podcast of that yr behind Joe Rogan.
Episodes: 400+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Las Culturistas [2016 – Present]
What was the tradition that made you say tradition was for you? That’s the query Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers pose to visitors on Las Culturistas, delving into individuals’s experiences with in style tradition, their likes and dislikes and the influential moments that made them who they’re.
What makes the present particular is each the breadth and specificity of the conversations about tradition. It may well vary from being terrified by the Wizard of Oz as a baby to particular moments like Britney Spears’ iconic dance with a snake on the VMAs.
The present culminates with a phase known as ‘I Don’t Assume So Honey’, the place the 2 hosts and visitors are every given 60 seconds to rail towards a specific side or development of in style tradition that infuriates them. The phase has been spun-off into reside exhibits that includes dozens of comedians and the hosts even take viewers requests for topics, akin to when Matt spent a full minute going off on Princess Di (the Folks’s Princess) at a reside present in London.
Episodes: 400+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Heavyweight [2016 – 2023]
All of us carry round burdens from our previous, emotional scars that lengthy outlive the second that created them. The Heavyweight Podcast by Jonathan Goldstein units out to assist individuals attempt to discover closure for these ‘heavyweight’ moments. Not all the time snug listening, Goldstein speaks to 1 visitor every week, delving into their trauma and reuniting them with individuals from their previous.
Bullying, misplaced love, despair, the subject material is heavy, however undercut with a dry humorousness that stops the present from getting too maudlin or too saccharine. The present was named Finest Podcast of the Yr by The Atlantic and The Economist.
It was canceled by Spotify as a part of its 2023 cuts to podcast funding, abandoning a catalog of distinctive episodes.
Episodes: 50+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Why Will not You Date Me? [2017 – Present]
Hosted by American comic Nicole Byer, Why Gained’t You Date Me? explores the trendy courting scene by Nicole’s experiences with intercourse, relationships and love. Beginning with the query of why Nicole is seemingly all the time single, the present will get into very emotional, but hilarious discussions about what it means to be weak and open your self as much as different individuals.
Every episode contains a particular visitor who reveals their very own historical past and ideas on love. Notable visitors have included Abbi Jacobson, Patti Harrison and Keke Palmer.
The present gained Finest Comedy Podcast on the 2023 Ambies and is produced by Crew Coco.
Episode Depend: 300+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Pod Save America [2017 – Present]
Pod Save America represented a shift in political podcasting as former Barack Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor and Daniel Pfeiffer joined collectively to host a podcast that regarded to supply a voice for progressive politics within the US. The present provides each an insider have a look at Washington politics from 4 males that have been in “the room the place it occurs”, in addition to offering an alternative choice to conventional political commentary.
With visitors together with Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg, they don’t have any scarcity of entry to main gamers in The White Home and past. With greater than 1.5 million listeners per episode the present has turn out to be an enormous affect on a specific a part of the American political panorama.
Episode Depend: 600+
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Day by day [2017 – Present]
Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise and launched each weekday, The Day by day was born out of a increase of political podcasts from giant media organizations in the course of the Obama and Trump administrations. Produced by the New York Occasions it covers US and international information tales in a 20 – 30 minute format that’s preferrred for listeners on the lookout for detailed, however simply digestible protection of the every day information.
Attracting hundreds of thousands of downloads per episode and profitable the 2020 Webby Voice of the Yr award, The Day by day is one in every of many information podcasts which have turn out to be a fixture in our podcasting apps during the last decade, bringing perception and evaluation on-demand.
Episodes: 1500+
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Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Ear Hustle [2017 – Present]
Ear Hustle may be essentially the most particular and in addition essentially the most unlikely present to make into this record. Created by Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, the 2 have been each inmates in California’s San Quentin State Jail once they gained a podcast competitors organized by Radiotopia.
Co-hosted by Woods and Nigel Poor, who ran images courses on the jail, the present gives fascinating glimpses into life inside a most safety jail. “Ear hustling” is jail slang for eavesdropping and is an apt title for a podcast that provides a ‘from the horse’s mouth’ perception into what it’s prefer to spend a 30 yr sentence behind bars.
The present’s affect stretched to the highest of American politics when in 2018 Woods had his sentence commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown. He has continued to work on the present since his launch, co-authoring a e book “That is Ear Hustle” and being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting.
Episodes: 100+
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Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Lacking Richard Simmons [2017]
One of the vital culturally impactful podcasts of 2017, Lacking Richard Simmons was hosted and produced by journalist Dan Taberski. Simmons is an American health persona, who was a TV common within the Eighties and 90s, showing on quite a few speak exhibits and internet hosting a few of his personal.
The premise of the podcast was an investigation into Simmons’ sudden disappearance from public life and what was behind it. Though the podcast was a smash hit, it additionally induced controversy, producing criticism from a number of media retailers and Simmons’ supervisor Michael Catalano. They thought of the podcast an invasion of privateness and it raised debate about what proper the general public has to analyze the lifetime of a reclusive non-public citizen, irrespective of how well-known they’re.
Episodes: 6
Official Web site
Official YouTube Channel
Soiled John [2017]
A real crime story that captivated audiences in 2017, it tells the story of John Meehan, an abusive swindler who turns into concerned with a girl known as Debra Newell by an internet courting website. Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Christopher Goffard tells the tragic story of how the connection unfolded.
Labeled “the very best true crime podcast since Serial” by NME.com the present was an instantaneous hit, spending 3 weeks on the prime of the iTunes charts and being downloaded over 10 million occasions within the first 6 weeks of launch.
The podcast was tailored by Bravo right into a TV collection starring Eric Bana, Juno Temple and Connie Britton and obtained a number of Golden Globe and Critics’ Selection Award nominations.
Episodes: 6
Apple Podcasts
S-City [2017]
Created by the producers of Serial, S-City began out on the identical investigative true-crime path as its predecessor earlier than rapidly turning into a personality research of a captivating particular person known as John B. McLemore. McLemore had reached out to the present’s host Brian Reed a few supposed homicide in his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, nevertheless it rapidly transpires not all is because it appears.
The present did appeal to criticism, with varied commentators calling out the voyeuristic nature of the podcast and a few even labeling it as exploitative of somebody who clearly had psychological well being points. Nevertheless, it definitely gives a compelling portrait of a tragic determine, with sufficient twists, turns and cliffhangers to please these on the lookout for a follow-up to Serial.
Episodes: 7
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Behind the Bastards [2018 – Present]
Hosted by journalist Robert Evans, Behind the Bastards supplies a captivating perception into the lives of among the worst people to ever reside. Joined by a unique visitor every episode, Evans particulars the crimes of a specific particular person in addition to how their lives and actions formed our world within the long-term.
From dictators to mass-murderers, the present has progressively branched out to much less evil, however worthy ‘bastards’ like Dilbert creator Scott Adams, WWE promoter Vince McMahon and steroid-fan The Liver King.
Typically spanning a number of episodes, the present takes a deep-dive into its topics, with thorough analysis and considerate conclusions on how and why these individuals got here to do the issues they did, giving listeners an entertaining however extremely informative present.
Episodes: 800+
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Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
The Dream [2018 – Present]
Wish to get wealthy fast? Thousands and thousands of Individuals and others around the globe do and it’s why scams like multi-level advertising and different fads proceed to revenue with doubtful claims and unscrupulous techniques. The Dream podcast, hosted by Jane Marie, investigates the reality behind the ‘dream’ that these industries promote to their usually weak targets.
Over the course of three seasons (to this point) the present covers pyramid schemes, the world of wellness and life coaches, diving deep into every world with lived experiences of the tradition and guarantees of every. The result’s a deeply private however informative exposé of how the scams work, who the scammers are, why individuals are drawn in and the way they get away with it.
Episodes: 40+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
The Lead [2019 – Present]
Eschewing the standard ‘preview/evaluate of the weekend’s motion’ format or the ‘panel of ex-professional gamers have phony arguments for social media’ format, The Lead podcast takes listeners on a bi-weekly deep dive into particular sports activities matters, sharing in-depth explanations and evaluation of various sports activities.
Hosted by Tiffany Oshinsky and Anders Kelto, the present covers the whole lot from the main US sports activities leagues to the English Premier League, Components 1, Grand Slam tennis and extra. They’re simply as at residence masking severe matters just like the kidnapping of Liverpool FC star Luis Diaz’s father as pure sports activities matters.
The present is a two-time Ambie award winner and Webby award winner for Finest Sports activities podcast.
Episodes: 900+
Official Web site
Apple Podcasts
Workplace Girls [2019 – Present]
What occurs when the most important and most-rewatched sitcom of the 2000s will get its personal watchalong present hosted by two of the unique forged members? You get Workplace Girls hosted by Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesley) and Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin) successful podcast that recaps every episode of The Workplace with behind-the-scenes data and particular visitors together with Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, show-runner Greg Daniels, authentic co-creator of The Workplace Stephen Service provider and Ellie Kemper.
The present was spun-off right into a 10-part animated collection on Comedy Central’s YouTube Channel and has gained quite a few awards together with iHeartRadio Podcast Awards for Finest Podcast in 2021.
Episodes: 200+
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Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Upkeep Part [2020 – Present]
As the quantity of knowledge out there to us has exponentially elevated, so has the quantity of absolute nonsense, misinformation and hokum. As such podcasts that stand for skepticism and debunking have performed a essential function in separating truth from fiction.
Upkeep Part is without doubt one of the greatest examples of the style. Hosted by writer and activist Aubrey Gordon and journalist Michael Hobbes, it tackles well being and wellness matters like BMI, fad diets, consuming problems and office well being.
Every episode takes an insightful and thoroughly-researched journey into the historical past of the subject and offers listeners takeaways on what they’ll and may’t imagine.
Episodes: 50+
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Official YouTube Channel
Apple Podcasts
Speaking Sopranos [2020 – 2021]
The Sopranos is without doubt one of the most acclaimed and beloved TV exhibits of all time, representing the height of the 2000s ‘Golden Age of Tv’. So when launching a watchalong podcast to accompany the present, who higher to host than two of the present’s most outstanding stars? Michael Imperioli who performed Christopher Moltisanti and Steve Schirripa who performed Bobby ‘Bacala’ Baccalieri hosted the present and went episode by episode recounting their reminiscences of the manufacturing and their ideas on the present wanting again.
The very best factor a few watchalong present hosted by individuals concerned is, after all, entry to different stars and creators. Apart from the dearly departed James Gandolfini, the 2 have been in a position to interview just about each main actor and the principle inventive forces behind the present together with David Chase, Edie Falco, Terence Winter and Lorraine Bracco.
With hundreds of thousands of listeners, Speaking Sopranos is the definitive podcast account of one of many biggest TV exhibits of all time.
Episode Depend: 91
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Apple Podcasts