Skip to main content

My Favorite Podcasts of 2020

It's my favorite part of a brand new year!

Talking about all the things you loved from the previous year.

I know the go-to line about culture in 2020 was that it was as awful as every other year, but in many ways, that's not true.

We got tons of great books, television shows, and yes, movies.

But I'm starting with podcasts.

I'm not going to take the chicken way out and not rank all the lists, but I'm not going to rank the podcasts, because some are perennial favorites and some are new, and they're all very different, so I'm just going to pick my Top Ten in no particular order.

A couple of things I should mention--

- I listen to podcasts at 1.75, which is INSANE, but hey, life moves at you fast. It's possible some podcasts don't sound as good at that speed, probably all of them, but whatever, I make no apologies. When the world goes back to normal, I'll go back to 1.25, but never to 1.

- The Daily has some done amazing work this year, but, like all things New York Times, they've also done some elephant pandering that I'm not here for, and Michael Barbaro and I have a love-hate relationship that prevents me from acknowledging him in any way. Plus, the whole point of the podcast is supposed to be that it's a short burst of news, and it's gotten longer and longer, which is why I always go to Up First and What a Day before I do The Daily, even though I always do The Daily.

- I really want to love Noble Blood and Unholier Than Thou more, but one of the host's voices is too soothing and causes me to zone out and the other's voice gets me too revved up and I can't focus, and I'll let you guess which is which.

- RadioLab, I hate telling people to stay in their lane, but there are a million podcasts dedicated to current events and social issues, and you were always my favorite science podcast, so can you please do more of that and less of trying to mimic This American Life? I still love you though. Love, so much love. The Robert farewell episode?  Tears.

- I refuse to pick a favorite of the year, but if I had to, I'd go with Still Processing, which I truly believe is the podcast everybody should be talking about all the time, even though, yes, it's also under The New York Times.

- I didn't post Winds of Change on here, but it was great, I just didn't love it, and that probably says more about me than the podcast.

- And while I did listen to a TON of True Crime podcasts, I won't be putting any of them on here, because most of them are either exploitative (Will that stop me from listening? Absolutely not.) or they're trying to stretch out a podcast over way too many episodes. Ever since Serial spent a whole episode on a broken security camera, every podcast detective thinks they can string me along for twelve episodes with what should have been a three-off, and it has to stop, because I will keep listening.

- You'll notice My Favorite Murder isn't on here, and truthfully, I haven't listened in awhile, not for the reasons I mentioned, but because, while I didn't hate the banter, the episodes were growing to two hours apiece, and dear lord, who has the time. No podcast on earth should be longer than an hour. You can see I gave a pass to The Read, but I wouldn't complain if it shortened a bit. I have so many of you to get through and so little time.

- Also, find a day besides Tuesdays to release your podcast. Please. Please, please, please.

Okay, now here's the list--

My Favorite Podcasts of 2020

10 Things That Scare Me

The A24 Podcast

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

Asian Enough

The Bald and The Beautiful with Trixie and Katya

Canary

Cautionary Tales

Come Through with Rebecca Carroll

Dead Eyes

Decoder Ring

Floodlines

Home Cooking

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

It's The Pictures That Got Small

Lolita Podcast and My Year in Mensa

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People

The Michelle Obama Podcast

Missing America

Mobituaries

Nice White Parents

No Compromise

No Such Thing as a Fish

Rabbit Hole

Radio Rental

The Read

The Renner Files

Rough Translation

Short Wave

Sincerely, X

Slow Burn

Scam Goddess

Staying In with Emily & Kumail

Still Processing

Sugar Calling

Sway

Tell Them, I Am

This American Life

This Is Not A Drake Podcast

Uncivil

Welcome to L.A.

We're Having a Moment

What A Day

Where Should We Begin?

Who? Weekly

You and Me Both

You Must Remember This

You're Dead to Me

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A List of People Who Can Go to Hell Now That I Can't Have Elizabeth Warren

So today was a rough day for everybody who isn't a @#$%-ing #$%hole. Let's just start there. If that upsets you, by all means, go straight to hell. This entire rant is going to be exactly what it sounds like. I am mad and I am going to exercise my right to BLOG ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S 1995, SO BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP. I really don't even know where to start, so let's just jump right in with the first person who comes to mind. Bloomberg, go to hell.  You really didn't have anything specific to do with today, but you can just go to hell for spending an ungodly amount of money on literally nothing.  I mean, you could have lit millions of dollars on fire and at least warmed the hands of the homeless, but instead, you made tv stations across the country that are already owned by Conservatives rich, so kudos to you and go to hell. Amy Klobuchar, I STUCK UP FOR YOU AMY.  I got into FIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA while DEFENDING your sorry, self-interested ass.  You know
42 comments
Read more

Theater and the Outbreak

After last week's interview, a representative from a theater that recently experienced the results of opening too soon reached out to speak with me. I want to thank this person for coming forward in the hopes that it'll change some minds about what's safe and what isn't when it comes to the performing arts. Here's the interview: ME:  So this wasn't a full production or-- THEM:  No. It was us trying to do a little something for friends and donors. ME:  Who is 'us?' THEM:  The board of _____. ME:  And how long have you been on the board? THEM:  Three years. ME:  What was this going to be? THEM:  There's a, uh, beautiful park here in town, and we wanted to do an outdoor performance of a Shakespeare as a benefit, because, as you know, theaters are having a hard time right now paying the bills. We checked with the local government and the health department for the state to make sure we were doing everything the way we needed to in order to keep everyone s
7 comments
Read more

People You Know Are More Important Than People You Don't Know

This post is in response to arguing with people--straight and gay alike--about a certain celebrity, whether or not she's an ally, if she's pandering, if pandering matters, and whether or not I'm an asshole. The last part is probably an enthusiastic "Yes" but let's reflect on this for a bit anyway without actually giving more time to an argument about a person none of us know, which is a crucial part of what I want to talk about. People you know are more important than people you don't know. I realize it's tricky in an age where we've never been closer or more engaged to our celebrities to keep in mind that we do not know them, they are not our friends, and while we may love them and stan and feel like we're attacked when they're attacked-- That is not true. That is not real. They are in no tangible way connected to us. Now, as someone who is obsessed with pop culture, I get that it's a little hypocritical for me to be making
Post a Comment
Read more