Podcast popularity is exploding! In 2021 there were over 2 million podcasts streaming and that number is only going to continue to grow. Whether driving to work, walking the dog, or doing the dishes, any time is the right time to turn on a podcast.
But with so much to choose from how do you decide what to listen to? Whether you are into business, comedy, celebrity interviews, science, or food, there is a podcast for you! And to get you started here are 14 of the best podcasts of 2022 (in no particular order).
The Dropout
Genre: True Crime
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
The Dropout podcast (not to be confused with the Hulu series on the same subject with the same name) follows the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest female self-made billionaire, and Theranos, her tech startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing. But, instead of changing the world, Theranos fell apart under whistle-blowers, inaccurate results, and fraudulent claims. Season one of the podcast covers Holmes’ story and the fall of Theranos, with exclusive interviews with former employees, investors, and patients, and the never-before-aired deposition testimony of Elizabeth Holmes. Season two takes you inside the courtroom of Holmes’ trial.
Hidden Brain
Genre: Science, Documentary, & Educational
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Hosted by NPR’s Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain takes complex ideas and makes them accessible. Every week, with the help of psychologists, sociologists, and other experts, Vedantam explores the unconscious patterns that drive our behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships. Every episode offers a fresh perspective on life and covers topics like the psychology of self-doubt, why it’s so hard to apologize, how to rewrite your life’s narrative and so much more!
How I Built This
Genre: Careers, Business, & Stories
Average Episode Length: 60+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Have you ever wondered how some of the biggest companies in the world came to be? Or how certain entrepreneurs become so successful? Hosted by Guy Raz, in every episode of How I Built This, Raz interviews a different successful entrepreneur or founder. Featuring guests like Max Levchin of PayPal, and Milk Bar's Christina Tosi, Raz’s guests share the behind-the-scenes stories of what it was like to start their companies.
Why Won't You Date Me? With Nicole Byer
Genre: Relationships & Comedy
Average Episode Length: 60+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Hosted by comedian Nicole Byer, Why Won’t You Date Me? is Byer’s way of confronting her nearly lifelong title of “single.” On every episode, Byer and her guests, usually a friend, fellow comedian, or an ex, will talk, share stories, discuss various topics, and ultimately attempt to answer the question Byer is dying to know, “Why won’t you date me?” Guaranteed to be a hilarious time, Why Won’t You Date Me? does cover some adult topics, so make sure the kids aren’t in the car when you turn this one on.
Planet Money
Genre: Finance & Business
Average Episode Length: Under 30 minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Planet Money is a podcast that wants to explain the economy in a way that actually makes sense. Think about it like a conversation with a smart friend at the bar. Tackling anything economy, Planet Money covers everything from health care to income taxes and presents the information with entertaining, digestible, and relatable stories.
This Is Dating
Genre: Relationship & Self-help
Average Episode Length: Under 30 minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Do you want to listen in on a couple’s first date? This is Dating gives you a chance to do just that! For this podcast, four individuals have been set up on blind dates, and listeners are invited to listen in on the date as it progresses. This is Dating takes listeners along for the ride as these modern daters navigate these new encounters. Adding another layer to this voyeuristic, reality show-like experience, in between dates, dating coach and behavioral scientist Logan Ury provides the four singles with counseling.
The Trojan Horse Affair
Genre: Society, Culture, & Personal Stories
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Touching on education, religion, race, and culture, this eight-part mystery series follows Brian Reed and Hamza Syed, a former doctor turned journalist, as they investigate The Trojan Horse Affair. The Trojan Horse Affair explores a story that started in 2013 when an anonymous letter was delivered to a city official in Birmingham, England. That letter described an elaborate plan for Islamic extremists to infiltrate the Birmingham school system. The plan's code name - Operation Trojan Horse. The story soon exploded and what started as a local school board scandal, became an international news story and triggered tensions throughout a nation. Nearly a decade later the most basic question has yet to be answered - who wrote the letter?
Sweet Bobby
Genre: True Crime & Documentary
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Like catfishing stories? Then you need to listen to Sweet Bobby. This six-part series shares the heartbreaking real-life catfishing story of British radio host Kirat Assi. Hosted by Assi herself, she shares the story of her nearly decade-long long-distance relationship with who she believed was a good-looking doctor named Bobby, who turned out to be one of the world's most sophisticated catfishers.
Normal Gossip
Genre: Society, Culture & Comedy
Average Episode Length: 60+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
We all love drama and gossip, right? Celebrity gossip is constantly all over the media, from the magazines at the grocery store to our Instagram feeds. But what about everyday gossip? The kind of gossip shared between friends. Normal Gossip is a podcast about just that. In every episode host, Kelsey McKinney shares with that week’s guest, usually someone from McKinney’s own circle of media friends, a juicy piece of anonymous listener-submitted gossip.
The Superhero Complex
Genre: Society, True crime, & Culture
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, we’ve all heard stories and watched movies about superheroes, but what about real-life superheroes? Do superheroes exist? Yes. Yes they do (kind of) and that is exactly what The Superhero Complex is about. With The Superhero Complex, journalist David Weinberg profiles one of the most famous self-declared superheroes, Seatle's Phoenix Jones. And if you’ve never heard of Jones, Jones is an ex-MMA fighter turned vigilante and was the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a real-life group of self-proclaimed superheroes in Seattle.
Sounds Like a Cult
Genre: Documentary, Culture & Comedy
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Are there modern-day cults all around us? From SoulCycle to Elon Musk, the Royal Family, and Instagram, Sounds Like a Cult is a podcast that analyzes a different popular group every week to try and answer the question, “Is this a cult?” Hosted by Amanda Montell and Isabela Medina-Maté, the duo compares the framework of each week’s group to that of a cult.
Life Kit
Genre: Science, Culture & Health
Average Episode Length: Under 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Being an adult is hard. And there are a lot of things school just didn’t teach you. That’s where Life Kit comes in because sometimes we all could use some life hacks. Covering everything you need to know from everyday basics like car maintenance or how to take more meaningful photos to more complex topics like how to talk to your kids about radicalization, Life Kit interviews the experts to help you figure out everything you need to know to tackle everything life throws at you.
A Hotdog Is a Sandwich
Genre: Food & Comedy
Average Episode Length: 30+ minutes
Available on most streaming platforms
Is a hotdog a sandwich? No matter what side of the argument you fall on, if you are a food lover this is the podcast for you! Every week hosts (and chefs) Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati tackle some of the culinary world’s biggest debates. They discuss questions like “is American Cheese really cheese?” and “is In-N-Out overrated?”
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Genre: Celebrities & Comedy
Average Episode Length: 90+ minutes
Available only on Spotify
Hosted by Dax Shepard, Armchair Expert has something for everyone and is more than just your standard celebrity interview podcast. Yes, Shepard has his share of celebrity guests like Machine Gun Kelly, Josh Brolin, and Jimmy Fallon, but he also invites athletes, politicians, authors, and specialists like psychologists and scientists onto the show. Fascinated by the messiness of being human, Shepard encourages his guest to be vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings. Armchair Expert celebrates the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment.
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