This year I unashamedly hopped on the podcast bandwagon. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood for music, and don’t have the time to settle down for a show, but podcasts provide a perfect in between, allowing me the entertainment of a story while still being able to move around. Long drives? Podcast. Changing my sheets? Podcast. Gym time? Podcast.
So, if you’re trying to become a podcast person (or already are!), check out the ones below!
Serial
This was the first podcast I ever listened to, it was a great one to start with. Developed by This American Life and hosted by Sarah Koenig, this podcast looks at the murder of 18- year-old Hae Min Lee, whose ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested and later convicted of the crime. As Koenig filters through the evidence of the case and interviews those involved, including Syed himself, you are whiplashed between being convinced of Syed’s innocence, to his guilt, and then back again. At the end you’ll be screaming the question, what really happened that snowy day in January?
Bad With Money
What’s so scary about adulting? I’ll tell you — money. I mean, how do you build a good credit score? What even is a credit score? Host Gaby Dunn asks herself all the same questions and more in her podcast, where she explores her own bad financial habits, how she got them, and what to do about it. Money is complicated and sometimes terrifying, and Dunn is the first to let us know that we’re not alone in our uncertainty.
S•Town
Brought to us again by Serial and This American Life, this is an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Brian Reed. A wealthy family, an alleged murder that never took place, a suicide, a feud, a treasure hunt, all in one small town in the deep South? Get ready for a wild ride.
Sound Opinions
This radio series is a shout out to all the music lovers out there. Every Friday night on Chicago Public Radio (shout out to my city!), longtime critics/hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk all things rock — listeners can expect anything from new music and reviews to performances and interviews. Don’t have access to the radio? Don’t fret, all episodes can be found online on their website.
And That’s Why We Drink
Love your boxed wine with side of true crime, or your milkshakes mixed with the paranormal? If so, grab that drink of choice and settle in with longtime friends Em and Christine as they take you through some truly terrifying tales. Once I was listening to this podcast while working on a printmaking project, and some poor classmate made the mistake of accidently startling me. Long story short I ended up with ink all over myself, a ruined project, and a very awkward next day in class. I apologize again, Sir.
99% Invisible
Look down. What are you sitting on right now? A beanbag, a park bench, your roommate’s bed? Any idea how it was made? Probably not. In fact, we probably don’t know how most of the items everyday in our life are made. Join host Roman Mars as he tries to combat that ignorance by exposing a different aspect of design, architecture, or activity in the world each week. Wonder no more.
My Favorite Murder
Hosted by comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, this weekly podcast combines comedy with murder (respectfully), and trust me, it works. After a few episodes, you’ll be ending every conversation with the parting line, stay sexy, don’t get murdered.
Slow Burn
In 2019, we’re no strangers to batsh*t crazy politics. This podcast is here to remind us that the American political system has a long history of scandal and deceit, rich with hidden subplots and forgotten figures. Join host Leon Neyfakh as he takes you through the Watergate scandal in season one and the Impeachment of Bill Clinton is season two. Pick your poison.
Dirty John
What if the man you married wasn’t who you thought he was? This is just one of the many questions Debra Newell finds herself asking when her whirlwind romance with “Dr.” John Meehan turns sour, the conman’s manipulations and violence wreaking havoc on Debra’s entire family. Hosted originally by Christopher Goffard for the LA Times, you can now watch this podcast as a Bravo series as well, starring the queen herself, Connie Britton.
The Moth
Tune in each week as everyday people tell their own life stories, live and emotionally raw. What they have to say will make you laugh, sob, curse, and everything in between. Some of the stories were published together in a book titled The Moth: 50 True Stories in 2013, and it reached reached #22 on the NY Times Best-Seller List. Yes, these stories are just that good.
No Sleep Podcast
If you’re of the opinion that campfires aren’t complete without a good ghost story, give this podcast a listen. Short horror fictions from the NoSleep subreddit are read aloud and put to sound effects, giving you the feeling of campfire stories on the go. Haunted houses? The paranormal? Murder on the farm? Check, check, and check. As a Midwesterner, I can confirm that cornfields are not to be f*cked with after dark, but if you don’t believe me, this podcast will change your mind.
Revisionist History
This is the podcast to listen to in you want to question everything. Host Malcolm Gladwell takes you through events, people, and ideas in history that have been misrepresented and misunderstood, and you begin to realize that perhaps nothing is as it seems. Want an episode that hits a little closer to home? Try season one, episode five “Food Fight” for a closer look at how Bowdoin and Vassar compete for their students.
Go forth and listen!