The last few years have been the era of the podcast. We’ve seen everything from investigative journalism to tabletop roleplaying games made into these delicious audio treats. They make our morning commutes and our weekly chores that much more bearable. Also we can learn a thing or two, which is a nice bonus. Some of these podcasts have even become TV shows or at least tie-in to popular shows.
But while everyone has their podcast niche, there are a handful of undeniable greats. This list varies per person, of course, but here’s a collection of some of the best podcasts out there.
Films To Be Buried With With Brett Goldstein
Brett Goldstein is a prominent British comedian and has appeared in several television series, like Doctor Who, written and starred in his own film Superbob, and portrays the fan-favorite Ted Lasso character Roy Kent.
He also hosts the Films to be Buried With podcast where he interviews various celebrities and discusses films. The premise sounds simple, but the questions asked throughout, like explaining why a certain film means something to you and which film you would bring to the afterlife, prompts the guest to dig deep and give insightful answers making the podcast more about life, and death, in general than only about films. It’s a great listen for any film buff or anyone who’s a fan of the famous guests who have appeared on the podcast from Ricky Gervais to Edgar Wright.
Welcome To Night Vale
Welcome to Night Vale has been releasing episodes since 2012 and is still going strong releasing two episodes a month. The podcast is a fictional radio show that talks about the odd and supernatural occurrences in the terrifying town of Night Vale.
The podcast gives updates to its listeners about the community of the small desert town of Night Vale and although it’s fictional it’s an engaging listen for any viewer that wants to keep updated on the mysterious lights in the sky or hooded figures with indescribable powers.
Stuff You Should Know
The Stuff You Should Know podcast has been producing new episodes since its beginning in 2008 and fans continue to tune in to listen to hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant talk about things that the audience should know about in an educational yet hilarious and approachable way.
Each episode focuses on something different in such a wide variety from the history of the Rubik’s Cube to the gig economy to the use of the Insanity Defense that there’s something for everyone in this large catalog of podcast episodes.
How Did This Get Made?
How Did This Get Made? delves into the behind-the-scenes of how movies, regarded as particularly bad, were actually made, what happened, how were they made, and how is the movie perceived in the present.
Hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas they invite a guest on, either involved in the project or not, and discuss a movie. Since the hosts, and the guest, are typically on the comedic side it’s a hilarious and at times insightful podcast about the movie industry. Fans can even find new movies to watch that have turned into somewhat cult classics over the years.
My Favorite Murder
My Favorite Murder is hosted by comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and sees them both choose a story that focuses on a murder, a particular survivor story, or an historical event to share in an episode and discuss between the two.
The podcast has a good and unique balance between relaying true crime stories and a morbid comedic edge since both hosts are comedians themselves.
Critical Role
With Dungeon and Dragons’ recent popularity in mainstream culture, it only makes sense for us to include this iconic D&D sort-of-podcast. Critical Role is actually a web series and the audio is uploaded as a podcast, but we’re still counting it. Listening to professional voice actors play D&D is far more entertaining than it sounds, and Dungeon Master Matt Mercer does an amazing job weaving a story for his players.
The episodes can be a bit long though, so it can take a while to get through all of the episodes. The group is currently on their second campaign dubbed “The Mighty Nein.”
Hardcore History
Hardcore History is our pick for the best informational podcast. Listening to 5 hours of Dan Carlin talk in excruciating detail about a historical event might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but listeners are guaranteed to learn something new. This podcast started all the way back in 2006 and covers topics from the Bubonic Plague to the Asia-Pacific War.
Since the podcast is episodic, new listeners can pick a topic of their choosing or just start from any random episode. There are a few topics that are more than one episode long though, so people should just make sure they start at part 1 of a topic.
My Brother, My Brother And Me
This is our pick for the best nonsensical podcast. Described as a comedic advice podcast, it’s pretty much just three brothers spouting hilarity for an hour. The show started in 2010 and has since gained something a cult following. Notable fans include Lin-Manuel Miranda, who even snuck in a few My Brother, My Brother and Me references into his musical, Hamilton.
There are over 400 episodes out, so for people looking to get into a podcast that they can binge listen, this is a pretty good choice. Just don’t blame us if you start talking like the McElroy brothers. It can be a bit contagious.
Pod Save America
Our choice for best political podcast has exploded into something of a media empire. Originally started by a group of former Obama staffers in 2017, the group has since created Crooked Media. They now not only release articles and tour the country, but they’ve also launched several other podcasts, covering topics from pop culture to activism. The Pod Save America crew has figured out how to talk to frustrated millennials about politics in a way they understand.
But fair warning, as the name of the media company suggests, they’re not looking to explore all sides of the conversation. For listeners who aren’t interested in the liberal argument, this may be a podcast to avoid.
The Black Tapes
The Black Tapes falls into the interesting category of fictional podcasts. The creators edit the show to sound like an actual podcast with a host and interviews, but the events that occur are fabricated. The podcast follows host Alex Reagan who investigates supernatural cases with skeptic and paranormal investigator Dr. Richard Strand. The Black Tapes does a great job pulling the listener into this world of creepy occurrences and conspiracy.
Currently, there are 3 seasons of the show out, but there will be a fourth season coming out at some point. Also, just a pre-warning, the show can get a bit creepy, so we recommend not listening to this alone at night.
Lore
This podcast is also kind of creepy. As the name suggests, topics center around dark stories and mythology from our history. Each topic is highly researched and told in a somber tone with ominous music in the background. Listeners get to learn about the origins of monsters we see in movies, but also get a little scare in some episodes. (We recommend the episode “Unboxed” for the ultimate creepy vibes.)
Homecoming
Like The Black Tapes, Homecoming is fictional, but it plays as more of a radio drama than a podcast. Told through conversations, the story follows Heidi, who used to be a caseworker at a mysterious facility treating military veterans.
Serial
Serial is the investigative podcast that all investigative podcasts are modeled after. By telling one story episode-by-episode, the creators of the show did something entirely different with the medium. Listeners had to come back every week to find out what happened next, which was different from the usual episodic podcasts.
The first season aired back in 2014 and centered around the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee. This is arguably the most popular of the three seasons and fed into our love of true crime, but season 3 is definitely worth a listen as well. Host Sarah Koenig gets an inside look at the Cleveland courthouse and paints a vivid picture of how our judicial system works and the problems most of us don’t usually see.
The Teacher’s Pet
This Australian investigative true-crime podcast takes a look into the disappearance of Lynette Dawson back in 1982. It’s a fascinating listen because, throughout journalist Hedley Thomas’ investigation, everyone seems to know who’s responsible, but for over 30 years, no one has been arrested. The podcast uncovers new evidence and it’s easy to get frustrated and wonder why the police never investigated some of these leads.
The Teacher’s Pet is a well-made, well-researched, and incredibly interesting podcast. At the time it aired, things were happening in real-time, which gives it a sense of urgency, despite Lyn Dawson having disappeared over 30 years ago.
This American Life
The O.G. podcast. This American Life was the podcast before podcasts were even a thing, which is why it gets the number one spot. It’s an hour-long radio show that covers a theme generally told in three acts. Each act follows a different story, and all of them are captivating. It’s no surprise since the show has been going on since 1995; Ira Glass and co. have had plenty of time to perfect their craft.
Pretty much all of the 600+ episodes are worth a listen. A few of our favorites are “The Break-Up” and “The Feather Heist”, but honestly, new listeners should just look at the list and just go for an episode.
