The coronavirus crisis has people isolated at home and — in many cases — looking for ways to entertain themselves. What better time to check out a new podcast?
If you’ve never listened to podcasts, or even if you’re a devoted fan of the format, we’ve put together a guide to 35 great podcasts we think are worth listening to.
The guide includes some of the best podcasts out there, sorted into 10 categories: News, Sports, Entertainment, Comedy, Storytelling, Topic-Specific, Politics, Fiction, True Crime and Education, Science and Technology.
Up First
Hoping to stay on top of the news but don’t have a lot of time to spare? NPR News posts its “Up First” podcast daily, pulling together the day’s biggest headlines into quickly consumable 15-minute segments. Topics are guided by interviews with NPR reporters and experts around the world.
The Daily
The New York Times shares its biggest stories every morning in 30-minute “The Daily” episodes, hosted by political journalist Michael Barbaro. The popular podcast, downloaded millions of times, is a go-to source for the biggest news in the world.
Today, Explained
Vox provides “Today, Explained,” a news podcast, every afternoon to cap off the day’s biggest events and stories. The series is hosted by Sean Rameswaram, and regularly features interviews with other Vox reporters.
Pardon My Take
Part comedy, and part sports analysis, “Pardon My Take” features Barstool Sports reporters Dan Katz, aka Big Cat, and Eric Sollenberger in the role of PFT Commenter. The two bring on regular guests and discuss various topics in meandering, whacky episodes that stretch one to two hours long, that are released three times a week.
30 for 30
ESPN’s “30 for 30” podcast series appeals to sports fans and general interest fans alike, with episodes that focus on unique, human stories behind athletes, stadiums and historic moments in the sports world.
Song Exploder
Indie artists explain their songwriting process in “Song Exploder” by featuring just one song — dipping into the inspiration, lyric writing and composition behind it. Hrishikesh Hirway hosts the podcast, but all episodes in 2019 were hosted by Thao Nguyen, the lead singer of indie-rock band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.
Rolling Stone Music Now
The top stories from Rolling Stone magazine are discussed by the writers who put them together in “Music Now,” often providing more insight and background into headlines in the music industry. Plus, listen to recorded interviews with some of the world’s biggest artists on special episodes.
Listen to “Rolling Stone Music Now”
Office Ladies
Best friends Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who portray Pam and Angela in hit US show “The Office,” provide background about each show, details about the actors they worked with and small tales from behind the scenes in “Office Ladies.” Each episode of the podcast focuses on one episode of the show.
Dissect
For hardcore music fans that want to really get into a singular album, “Dissect” is the place to do that. Each season looks at a different album, and each episode of the season looks at a track from the album over the course of an hour. So far, “Dissect” has looked at iconic hip-hop releases, including Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” and Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” and “To Pimp A Butterfly.”
WTF with Marc Maron
Comedian Marc Maron hosts “WTF with Marc Maron podcast,” where he interviews every kind of celebrity — including Robin Williams, Terry Crews and President Barack Obama — about … whatever. Conversations go in often unexpected directions with Maron as the host. (Also, Maron’s life and podcast-making are portrayed in “Maron,” an IFC series that depicts a fictional version of his day-to-day life.)
Welcome To Night Vale
Enter the bizarro world of Night Vale in the “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast — a satirical show taking place in a fictional, mystical desert town in the United States. Every episode of “Welcome to Night Vale” is structured like a news broadcast, but features reports of strange, impossible things happening in the town. The podcast’s popularity has spawned several books.
Listen to “Welcome To Night Vale”
My Brother, My Brother & Me
Get advice from brothers Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy on “My Brother, My Brother and Me.” The weekly show answers questions both from listeners and random Yahoo! Answers users. Plus, expect plenty of recurring segments about haunted dolls, riddles, celebrities and more.
Listen to “My Brother, My Brother & Me”
How Did This Get Made
Some movies are so bad, you have to wonder how it got created in the first place — and there’s a podcast dedicated to that discussion. “How Did This Get Made” digs into some of the worst movies and, sometimes, defends them. Episodes shine a spotlight on films like “Spiderman 3,” “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” “Masters of the Universe” and plenty more.
Listen to “How Did This Get Made”
The Moth
“The Moth” consists of spectacular, true stories from peoples’ own lives. Organized thematically, podcast episodes collect the best tales shared at critically acclaimed “The Moth” storytelling events all over the world. Be ready to laugh, cry and feel any other kind of emotion through peoples’ tales.
This American Life
Hosted by Ira Glass for more than two decades, “This American Life” is one of the longest-running podcasts out there. The show, also a production on Chicago radio station WBEZ, explores a different theme each week, often with first-person narratives provided by unique interviewees.
Listen to “This American Life”
Mortified
“Mortified” is half honest storytelling, and half cringe-inducing comedy from peoples’ most awkward years. The concept brings storytellers on a stage to read an excerpt from their childhood diaries to a live audience. The result reveals all the insane stories that kids have to share, and also all the angst and humor in teen and childhood psyches.
American Scandal
“American Scandal” looks at how scandals come about — for businesses, politicians, celebrities and more. The podcast analyzes various cases involving Enron, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the Hare Krishna Murders and more in detailed episodes, hosted by Lindsay Graham.
Serial
If you’re going to listen to podcasts, a good place to start is with “Serial.” The investigative series, created by Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times, contributing to the surge in popularity for the podcast format. Each season of “Serial” focuses on a different subject and story. The first season digs into a 1999 murder of a Baltimore high school student. The second season looked at an American Army soldier who was charged with desertion after being held for five years by the Taliban. The third season changed gears and headed to Cleveland (yes, Cleveland) to look at the operation of the criminal justice system and the stories that popped up within it.
Kicking and Screaming
Jenna and Bodhi Elfman talk about being married — and all the fun and arguments that come with it — in their podcast “Kicking and Screaming.” Be prepared for some R-rated content, as the two discuss all aspects of their shared life together.
Listen to “Kicking and Screaming”
The Paceline
Bicycling of every kind is explored in “The Paceline,” a podcast that looks at biking lifestyles. Expect gear reviews and stories from bicycling trips on each episode, hosted by Selene Yeager and Patrick Brady.
Pod Save America
Hosted by former Barack Obama staff members, “Pod Save America” offers insight into the political news of the week, with two episodes every week. Expect plenty of guests on the show to provide their takes on current events, too.
FiveThirtyEight’s Politics Podcast
FiveThirtyEight uses data analysis to inform much of its reporting, and the same can be said for its politics podcast. Published every couple of days, the podcast updates with new looks at current political trends and patterns.
Listen to FiveThirtyEight’s “Politics Podcast”
Slow Burn
So far, Slate’s “Slow Burn” has been around for three seasons with three different topics. In 2017, the podcast explored the Watergate scandal. In 2018, it took a look at the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Last year, the podcast shifted direction slightly and looked back at the 1990s rivalry between The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.
Caliphate
New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi covered the 2014 fall of Mosul and the Islamic State in the masterful interactive podcast series “Caliphate.” Told in 10 chapters, 45 minutes long each, Callimachi explores what it’s like to cover terrorism, and interviews people affected by and involved in ISIS.
LimeTown
In the fictional podcast LimeTown, you follow along on the perilous journey of journalist Lia Haddock, who’s reporting on the disappearance of hundreds of neuroscientists in a research facility. Action ramps up quickly, and Haddock realizes she’s in danger of discovering secrets she’s not meant to learn. (The podcast became so popular that Facebook produced a “Limetown” series last year.)
Alice Isn’t Dead
A woman takes on the job of a long haul truck driver to try to find her missing wife, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, in “Alice Isn’t Dead.” Along the way, she encounters threatening monsters and conspiracies that might involve her missing wife — aka, Alice. The podcast was published under “Welcome To Night Vale’s” parent podcast company, “Night Vale Presents,” from 2016-2019.
Homecoming
Experimental thriller “Homecoming” follows a social worker who helps soldiers handle post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and return to normal life in a center called Homecoming. When memory gaps pop up for both the social worker and the veterans, suspicions arise. (The podcast was adapted into an Amazon Prime series of the same name in 2018.)
My Favorite Murder
For listeners obsessed with serial killer history, there’s a community for you in the form of “My Favorite Murder,” a popular podcast that looks at a different serial killer in each episode and delves into their murder cases. The podcast, hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, even has dedicated fans called “Murderinos.”
Listen to “My Favorite Murder”
Dr. Death
“Dr. Death” follows the story of neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who maimed and killed several patients, and who colleagues claimed had sociopathic traits. Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in 2017; the 10-episode podcast “Dr. Death” arrived in 2018.
Disgraceland
Celebrities can get away with anything — that’s the basis for the podcast “Disgraceland,” which digs into crimes committed by rock stars and pop musicians. The episodes include features on true crimes committed by Jay Z, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Tupac Shakur and Amy Winehouse.
Reply All
“Reply All” calls itself “a podcast about the internet,” but it manages to be a podcast about most things in human life. Episode topics range from viral dance moves, to social media platforms, to the Alabama Democratic party, to the New York City police department — and much more.
TED Radio Hour
Radiotopia presents the TED Radio Hour, a podcast that draws on inventive TED Talks from over the years. TED (which stands for Technology, Entertainment Design) conference events have presented Talks since the 1990s, presenting ideas, inventions and performances from people all over the world. TED Radio Hour chooses a specific educational theme, and groups together several presentations in each episode of the podcast. Host Guy Raz strings it all together.
Revisionist History
Author and essayist Malcolm Gladwell explores various events and topics in “Revisionist History,” often delving into the psychological decisions and missteps that people make. The podcast series was produced by Panoply in its first three seasons, and Gladwell’s own podcast company, Pushkin, in its fourth season.
Listen to “Revisionist History”
Ologies
Science correspondent Alie Ward hosts “Ologies,” a comedic podcast that looks at various types of scientific studies — including various forms of psychology, biology, genealogy and more — in each episode.
Freakonomics
Topics like politics, psychology, crime and more are viewed through an economic lens in “Freakonomics,” a podcast hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, a co-author of the popular “Freakonomics” books. The podcast is aired on NPR, and has been going strong since 2010.
