Our All-Time Favorite Podcasts

Our Top Podcast Recommendations

We’ve got nearly 50 podcasts recommended below, so we’ve broken them into categories to help you peruse them. Some defy or cross categories, but we did our best to put them in these groups:

• Must Listen Podcasts (the classics!)
• True Crime Podcasts
• Longform Investigation Podcasts
• Current Event Podcasts
• Science & Self-Help Podcasts
• Business & Money Podcasts
• History Podcasts
• Personal Story Podcasts
• Fun & Games Podcasts

The Must-Listen Podcasts

These are the quintessential shows that practically define the podcast medium. Many were gateways for our listening habit (back in the mid-2010s), and their styles have inspired hundreds of copycats. We highly recommend these for anyone getting started with podcasts.

S. Town

This 7-episode podcast was the first spinoff series from Serial, but isn’t a traditional true crime story. Instead, S. Town starts as a murder investigation, but turns into a complex portrayal of its eccentric main character and his rural Alabama town (which he called “s*** town”). It received wide acclaim for its storytelling and proved that a story doesn’t have to be salacious to be captivating.

Reply All

Reply All called itself a “podcast about the Internet,” but that sells short the breadth & depth of its topics and tone. Eye-opening investigations. Funny personal experiments. Helpful explainers about memes and online subcultures. It ran from 2014 – 2022 and was probably the first weekly podcast we subscribed to. I’d say the most memorable episodes were #103 and #104 where the hosts track down a professional spam caller to his home in India.

True Crime Podcasts

True crime is known as one of the most popular and bingeable podcast genres. There’s also no shortage of them to choose from, so here are some that had us gripped from the first episode.

Scamanda

Scamanda reports how a blogger named Amanda Riley faked a cancer diagnosis to scam her friends and followers out of thousands of dollars. It’s a captivating and maddening intersection of influencing, motherhood, religion, and mental health. We only listened to the original 8 podcast episodes (there are several bonus and follow-ups from her trial), but it also got turned into a Hulu docuseries.

The Clearing

This podcast follows a woman named April who suspects her dad was the culprit in a decades-old double murder. Across its 8 episodes, The Clearing takes us along as April investigates possible connections to other cold cases, connects with her dad’s victims, and comes to terms with growing up with a secret serial killer.

Camp Swamp Road

This 6-episode series follows a 2023 road rage incident that put South Carolina’s “Stand Your Ground” laws to the test. It includes a remarkable amount of original audio, and really makes you wonder who was the real victim that night on Camp Swamp Road. We still both think about this podcast often!

Southern Nightmare

We were glued to Southern Nightmare because it took place in our former city of Richmond, Virginia. It chronicles the 1980s investigation into the “South Side Strangler” murders, which was the first case to use forensic DNA profiling to get a conviction.

Cold

Season 1 of Cold investigates the disappearance of Utah mother Susan Powell. The main suspect is her husband, Josh, after he takes the family on a suspicious, late-night camping trip into freezing conditions. But Susan remains missing, and the case is still unsolved, making this podcast a fascinating (but ultimately frustrating) listen. We haven’t listened to the 2 other seasons, which follow other cases.

Valley of Shadows

Instead of the frigid Utah mountains, Valley of Shadows takes you to the hot California desert where a police deputy goes missing while out for a long-distance run. Does it point to corruption and cover-ups in his department? Or a run-in with the local drug trade? This twisty mystery feels almost like a real-life Breaking Bad.

Criminal

Unlike the podcasts above, Criminal is an ongoing series that tells a different crime story every episode (not always murder). That makes it a good option if you want a start-to-finish true crime story in less than an hour. So unlike the others above, which we often binge on a road trip, Criminal is something we dip into when we don’t want to commit to a long series.

Longform Investigation Podcasts

While true crime got us hooked on podcasts (thanks to Serial), probably our most-loved genre of show is multi-episode investigative news stories. These can be great if you still want a bingeable series that educates you about a current event, social issue, or topic you’ve never expected to be fascinated by.

The Dropout

ABC News’s The Dropout is a 5-episode series about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, who faked her way to becoming the youngest, self-made female billionaire before her lies caught up with her. Her confidence and ability to con others is truly mind-boggling. The podcast was turned into a Hulu series starring Amanda Seyfried.

The Good Whale

Remember Free Willy? The Good Whale is a podcast from Serial Productions that tells the true story of Keiko, the orca who portrayed the titular whale. You’ll learn how, under public pressure after the film’s success, experts confront the challenges of releasing Keiko into the wild. But how? Keiko had never hunted for food, swam long distances, or lived amongst a pod. Maybe one of the saddest podcasts on this list, and the music from Episode 5 still makes us teary.

Missing Richard Simmons

Missing Richard Simmons is an unusual investigation into why the larger-than-life fitness guru suddenly disappeared from public life in 2014 (he died in 2024, several years after this podcast came out). The show explores his life, his fans, and the conspiracies around whether or not his isolation was voluntary.

Embedded

NPR’s Embedded is like a bunch of news mini-series living on the same feed. They dive into a different topic, event, or issue across 4-ish short episodes, making it a great middle-ground between daily news podcasts and a longer investigative series. Some of our favorites have been “Tested,” which looks into elite female runners who no longer qualify as biological women in their sport, and “Supermajority,” about some conservative mothers activated after a school shooting.

The Retrievals

Another Serial Productions podcast, the first season of The Retrievals explores why so many women were experiencing excruciating pain during treatments at a Yale fertility clinic. The reason is shocking enough, but the repeated dismissals by staff and the patient’s efforts to be believed make this investigation into a larger discussion about healthcare.

This Blew Up

As elder Millennial bloggers, this behind-the-curtain look at Gen Z TikTok influencers was *head exploding emoji*. This Blew Up talks about the peaks and pitfalls of seeking Internet virality through the lens of young influencers who seek friends, fame, and fortune by moving into a “content house.” Very fascinating. Very humbling. Made us feel *grandma emoji*.

News & Current Event Podcasts

In addition to the deep dive podcasts listed above, some of my most regular listens are daily or weekly news shows. These are the ones you’ll find me listening to nearly every day after school drop-off or while walking the dog.

Up First

NPR’s daily news podcast, Up First, catches you up on three important news stories in 15 minutes or less. It’s quick and straightforward (like you might expect from NPR) but also gives you enough context to feel informed, not overwhelmed. It releases by 6:30 am EST every weekday and was the only news show nominated in the first-ever “Best Podcast” category at this year’s Golden Globes.

The Daily

Most mornings I pair the “briefing” I get from Up First with The Daily from the New York Times. Each episode is about 30 minutes and takes a deeper dive into one news story. You get to hear more experts, more interviews, and more analysis on both headline news and topics you haven’t yet heard about.

Consider This

Consider This from NPR is a good alternative if The Daily is too long for your liking. Episodes are released every weekday afternoon, and each one breaks down a headline in less than 10 minutes. I don’t listen to this as routinely as Up First and The Daily, but because it comes out later in the day, it’s a good bite-size news update if we’re running kids to an after-school activity.

Today, Explained

This daily news explainer from Vox is a little more laid-back and skews more pop-culture than those above, bouncing between episodes about politics and wars to TV trends and Internet scandals. The variety is part of the fun, while still getting interviews and expert analysis that make you feel informed about topics ranging from smart glasses and gas prices to “why can’t I remember being a baby?”

Science & Self Help Podcasts

Call us nerds, but we’ve got a few go-to “science” podcasts that scratch our itch to learn something in a fun or engaging way. We don’t listen to these shows religiously, but we never have trouble finding a topic that catches our eye on their feeds.

Science Versus

Science Vs is a cheeky podcast that pits buzzy topics (think peptides, daylight saving time, microplastics) against what science says about them. They basically sift through scientific studies for you to find out what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what’s still TBD. The topics are always fascinating, and the hosts make them fun & easy to understand.

Maintenance Phase

Maintenance Phase is similar to Science Vs, with a focus on wellness and weight loss fads. The hosts are funny and bring a mix of science and cultural commentary to help you think more critically about topics like 10,000 steps and wellness influencers themselves.

Life Kit

Life Kit from NPR is a collection of life hacks and life skills presented in 15-30 minutes. You’ll find everything from financial advice and cooking tips to stress management and even “5 tips to help you poop better.” It’s a quick way to get some self-help, learn a new skill, or dispel some mystery around an everyday topic.

TED Radio Hour / TED Talks Daily

If you’re a fan of TED Talks, here are two great podcasts for consuming them. TED Talks Daily releases one unedited talk each weekday, making it an easy way to hear an expert’s insights in less than 20 minutes. TED Radio Hour is a 50-minute compilation podcast from NPR that combines clips from multiple talks that share a similar subject or theme.

Ologies

Another fun comedy-meets-science show is Ologies. In each episode, the host speaks with an expert “-ologoist” to dive into a science you may not have known existed. For example, there’s sciuridology (the study of squirrels), culcitology (the study of quilts), and tempestology (the study of hurricanes), along with episodes about your health, ancestry, and more.

Wow In The World

Wow in The World is a science podcast for kids that our son was really into for a while, mostly between ages 7-10. It incorporates a lot of goofy characters, sound effects, and real kids calling in to make science fun and approachable. It’s a great option for a family road trip or to put on while kids are crafting or relaxing at home.

Business & Money Podcasts

We’ve also found ourselves surprisingly fascinated by podcasts about entrepreneurship, money management, and the world of business. They’re not nearly as stiff as they sound, and can lead to a lot more understanding about certain topics that we might not fully get (or get at all) when we press play.

The Economics of Everyday Things

In 15-20 minutes, The Economics of Everyday Things peels back the curtain on industries you might not think of as intricate, fine-tuned businesses – things like self-checkout machines, car colors, cemeteries, and houseplants. You’ll hear from an expert and gain a much better appreciation for the hidden decisions that go into creating everyday items.

How I Built This

How I Built This tells the origin stories of popular brands like Built-A-Bear, Scrub Daddy, Crumbl cookie, and hundreds more. You get to hear about their entrepreneurial beginnings, early struggles, and the keys to their eventual success – all from the founders themselves. It can be fun to hear backstories on companies you hadn’t thought much about, and even glean some business tips along the way.

The Journal

We almost put The Journal in the “News” category because this daily podcast from The Wall Street Journal follows a similar format. But the topics do tend to have a business- or financial-slant, like “How Weight Loss Drugs Are Gobbling Up Small Town Budgets” or “The Big Business of Holding Back Eighth-Graders.” The hosts are also friendly, relatable, and make complex topics easy to understand.

Planet Money

Planet Money from NPR is probably the OG economics podcast. They joyfully and nerdily show how everything ties back to the economy and how that shapes our lives. They do a mix of explainers, experiments, and investigations. Recent episodes range from “What makes a toy go viral” to “The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes,” making it a fun smorgasbord of topics big and small.

What We Spend

What We Spend is a voyeuristic podcast where you get to peek into someone else’s finances. Each episode, an average person talks through what they make, what they spend it on, and what factors impact their finances. Beyond just breaching this taboo topic, you also get to learn about different careers (Broadway actress, long haul trucker, etc) and what it takes to make it in those jobs.

Money For Couples

Money For Couples takes the What We Spend concept up several notches. Not only do you get the nitty-gritty details of someone’s finances, you basically get to sit in on a marriage counseling session. Real-life couples lay out their money troubles – overspending, mounting debt, meager savings, etc – in exchange for practical advice without any sugarcoating.

History Podcasts

Don’t scroll past this category! These podcasts aren’t like your high school history class. Instead, they tell dramatic stories, give fresh perspectives, or recontextualize facts you thought you knew.

Slow Burn

We haven’t listened to all 11 seasons of Slow Burn, but we can vouch for the first few as a fascinating retelling of events that may have been glossed over in your history class. Season 1 is a captivating retelling of the Watergate scandal, while Season 2 goes into Bill Clinton’s impeachment. From there it bounces to topics like Tupac & Biggie and Roe v. Wade.

Revisionist History

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History is a great podcast for fans of his books (Outliers, Tipping Point, etc). He reexamines events (both recent and past) through his one-of-a-kind lens, finding unique trends and drawing fascinating conclusions. It’s less of a history lesson and more of a cultural commentary.

Dolly Parton’s America

Dolly Parton’s America is a 9-part series that is part Dolly Parton biography, part reflection on history, feminism, culture wars, and more. We listened to this shortly after it was released in 2019, but have relistened to bits since Dolly’s death this year. It gives you a greater appreciation for her upbringing, her talent, and her ability to stay so beloved in divisive, controversial times. She was a national treasure.

1619

1619 is the podcast portion of the New York Times’ award winning 1619 Project, which marked the 400th anniversary of enslaved Africans arriving in the New World. The immersive podcast gives an eye-opening look at how slavery shaped America and still echos through modern institutions.

The Preamble

Sharon McMahon (also known as “America’s Government Teacher”) hosts this podcast, called The Preamble, which has interviews and news updates. Some of our favorite parts are the niche deep dives into stories and people your history class didn’t cover. It makes you feel smarter and more clear-headed about today’s political environment.

Decoder Ring

I think of Decoder Ring as my pop-culture history podcast because it often scratches my Millennial brain with nostalgic deep dives into topics like McGruff the crime dog, the 90s swing craze, and Captain Planet (along with stories from other eras too). It takes you on a brief and entertaining history, while giving context for why it matters today.

Sleepy History

This is a weird one, but did you know there’s a whole category of podcasts designed to help you fall asleep? We tried several a while back, and a favorite was Sleepy History. It slowly narrates real stories from history, so it hits that sweet spot of occupying your brain more than white noise does, while still boring you to sleep. I can’t say I’ve ever finished an episode!

Interviews & Personal Story Podcasts

There’s probably a better name for this category, but we don’t listen to that many interview or roundtable-style podcasts (despite it being a VERY popular podcast format). But here are the ones that are always a delight to see in our feed.

Good Hang With Amy Poehler

As longtime Amy Poehler fans, her weekly celebrity interviews on Good Hang are a bright spot in our podcast feed. They’re funny, uplifting, and just plain enjoyable to hear people having a good time and being nice to one another. Even though it’s fairly new, it won the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast.

Heavyweight

Heavyweight is a quirky show where host Jonathan Goldstein guides someone through some reconciliation with their past. The events aren’t always that deep and his hand can be clunky and awkward, but the storytelling is poignant, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. I highly recommend episode #45 as a starting point. It involves a Vietnam Vet, his daughter, and Billy Ray Cyrus’s butt.

Wild Card With Rachel Martin

Wild Card is an interview where “cards control the conversation,” because guests blindly pick their next question from a deck of cards. It leads to some surprising depth and vulnerability from her guests, including everyone from Weird Al to Oprah. Questions often include emotional zingers like “Are you comfortable being forgotten?” and “What quality are you drawn to that you don’t possess?“

A Beautiful Mess Podcast

We’re friends with the hilarious sisters who host this (Elsie & Emma of A Beautiful Mess), so listening to their podcast each Monday feels like hanging out with them – but tons of strangers also love to tune in for their banter. They cover topics you might find on their blog – like crafting and style – but also love everything from ghost stories to life hacks and lots of goal setting. They’ve got regular segments with book recs, listener hot takes, and charming meditations and jokes from Elsie’s oldest daughter.

Fun & Games Podcasts

This is a little bit of a smorgasbord of a category, but these are podcasts we turn to when we need something light and often laugh-out-loud funny.

Ask Me Another

Probably the podcast I miss the most, Ask Me Another was a recorded-live game show full of pop culture trivia, wordplay, and celebrity cameos. It was nerdy, funny, and entertaining to play along with, making it almost as interactive as a podcast can get. There’s a large back catalog to enjoy!

Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote As Kids

Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote As Kids is exactly what it says. Recorded at live events, this podcast features real people reading their hilarious childhood writings (think embarrassing diary entries, weird letters, and awkward school essays). It’s funny and relatable and, also, sadly no longer releases new episodes. But at least the old episodes are still there to enjoy.

Laugh Lines

Laugh Lines is the podcast from Penn & Kim Holderness – the viral, song-making, Amazing Race-winning couple who have fun & frank conversations about parenting, marriage, aging, perimenopause, ADHD, and more. There’s a mix of expert interviews, personal updates, and good clean fun.

Story Pirates

Story Pirates is another kids’ podcast that our children adored from ages 5-10ish – we even own several of their books and even saw a live show once many years ago! The show takes writings and story ideas submitted by kids and turns them into sketches, musicals, and songs. It’s well done, funny, and heartwarming to hear real kids get their ideas brought to life.

Last But Not Least…