Podcasts are something I’ve only started listening to in recent years. Before, I was opposed to the idea altogether; I mean, who wants to listen to people just talking? However, once I discovered that some podcasts are actually interesting, I found that I listen to them more than I listen to music. I’ve compiled my top five podcasts for those of you looking to switch up from your usual ones or those of you who want to give them a try.
- Heavyweight
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Whether it’s walking to class, cleaning up my room, making dinner or anything in between, most of the time you’ll find me listening to a podcast called Heavyweight. The best way to describe this podcast is to utilize their own explanation: “Maybe you’ve laid awake and imagined how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight.” The host, Jonathan Goldstein, speaks with people who’ve written in and need help. Whether that be helping to find a picture taken 20 years ago of you at a restaurant in Israel that you never got to see, vetting through your dad’s outrageous stories to discover if any of them are true, or finding proof of the fact that you broke your arm as a kid even though your family collectively says it never happened, Jonathan is willing to assist. The podcast is well-produced and the stories told are incredibly interesting. Each episode is vastly different, so it’s hard to get tired of listening. If you love a good story, this podcast is for you.
- “Armchair Anonymous”
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I’ll preface this one by saying I adore “Armchair Anonymous.” Part of the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, “Armchair Anonymous” is a segment that runs every Friday. The gist is that Monica and Dax ask a question every week and people submit their answers. After the submissions are vetted, they have a handful of people on the show to share their stories. Some of the most hilarious episodes have dealt with things like people accidentally sh*tting themselves on a date, the worst job interviews they’ve ever experienced, and horror stories from nurses. These episodes aren’t what I’d consider “family-friendly,” but they’re not super graphic either. This is my go-to podcast when I want to hear something unserious and need a laugh, I even listen to it when I go for runs. All in all, I can’t recommend “Armchair Anonymous” enough.
- Crime Junkie
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This is probably one you’ve heard of before. One of the top true crime podcasts on Spotify, Crime Junkie follows the stories of missing persons and murder victims. Some of the stories they share are recent, while others are decades old. Most of the cases are unsolved, so don’t get your hopes up expecting a happy ending. Unlike my previous two suggestions, the material shared on Crime Junkie is rather dark and can be unsettling. They do give content warnings during their episodes, but just in general be warned that there is a lot of discussion around sensitive subject matter. This podcast has become a staple of road trips in my family and definitely makes the hours fly by, so if you’re up for an intriguing, yet scary story, give it a listen.
- Hey Babe!
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Next on my list is Hey Babe!. Hosted by comedians Sal Vulcano and Chris Distefano, this podcast is lighthearted and easy to listen to. Each episode is unique in that it’s mostly just them sharing stories from their lives. Sometimes they have guests on the show, such as fellow comedians Sam Morril and Joe Gatto, but it’s usually just the two of them chatting back and forth. Each episode is roughly an hour long and they can honestly be all over the place. While I do have a soft spot for Hey Babe!, it can be hard to follow at times. My favorite time to listen to this podcast is when I go for a walk in Panther Hollow because I can just shut my brain off and listen, no hard thinking required.
- Not past it
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Relatively new to my podcast lineup, Not Past It is a show hosted by Simone Polanen. Each episode, she picks a moment from that same week in history and shares how it’s affected our lives today. These episodes are shorter than any of the aforementioned podcasts, running roughly a half hour each. The moments she chooses are often in the 1900s, sometimes in the early 2000s, and occasionally further back a couple hundred years. The stories she tells are interesting and come from moments in history you don’t often hear about. This podcast is good if you want an interesting story, just told in a shorter timeframe.
Even if you think podcasts won’t be for you, I say at least give them a try. I went from a skeptic to an avid listener, and honestly, I’m excited to find even more podcasts to add to my favorites. I guarantee they’ll make your walk to class feel shorter and make cleaning up your room something you dread less. There are so many more than just the five that I listed, and I encourage you to join me in the wide world of podcasts.