9 of the Best Podcasts to Listen to On the Go
May 11, 2015
Your playlists are all played out, your plan of conquering the entirety of Game of Thrones on audiobook will take about 12,457 more hours, and radio’s ratio of tunes-to-ads is far from ideal. How then to entertain yourself (safely) while on the road? Smartphones at the ready: It’s time to delve into some of the best podcasts out there.
RADIOLAB: A good helping of storytelling, a dash of philosophical musing, a pinch of engaging banter between hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, and a serious dose of dizzying sound effects: the formula for Radiolab is utterly unique. Its topics range from meditations on randomness to discussions on the flawed nature of memory, and it never gets dull for a second.
Image courtesy of Radiolab
Image courtesy of Radiolab
PITCH: For a podcast that's all about music, there isn't actually a ton of music in Pitch. But that's okay: The show digs into all kinds of musical experiences, cobbling together contemporary interviews, historical anecdotes, and clips to discuss subjects ranging from the cult appeal of karaoke to the pre-revolutionary pop of Iran. Way, way better than zoning out to Top 40 tunes.
Image courtesy of Pitch
Image courtesy of Pitch
THIS AMERICAN LIFE: You can't talk about the best podcasts without mentioning This American Life. Most weeks, the NPR show also happens to be the most popular podcast in the country, and its distinctively voiced host Ira Glass has his own legions of fans. Considering it's the big brother to smash hit Serial, you can bet it spins some compelling yarns.
Image courtesy of Adrianne Mathiowetz
Image courtesy of Adrianne Mathiowetz
STARTALK RADIO: We don't know about you, but Neil deGrasse Tyson is definitely our favorite celebrity astrophysicist – which is why we can't get enough of his podcast, StarTalk Radio. Alongside guests and co-hosts ranging from Christopher Nolan to Elon Musk to Bill Nye, he covers everything from movie special effects to gravity. High school physics was never this entertaining.
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Simons
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Simons
STRANGERS: Love Humans of New York? Then you'll definitely want to check out Strangers, a podcast that collects bite-sized stories from people all over the world. From poignant stories of love won and lost to tales of family separation and reconciliation, it offers heart-tugging meditations on the human experience – and some laughs, too.
Image courtesy of Strangers
Image courtesy of Strangers
MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER AND ME: One of the funniest podcasts out there, MBMBaM (as it's known by fans) is ostensibly an advice show...and it's true that hosts Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy do answer reader questions and queries sourced from Yahoo Answers. But the real magic is in their comedy chemistry, which sees the hosts goof on subjects ranging from '90s pop culture to haunted dolls.
Image courtesy of Kenneth Lecky
Image courtesy of Kenneth Lecky
HERE BE MONSTERS: Something of a scary movie junkie? Here Be Monsters, with its spooky stories and intricate audio effects, is just the thing to get you feeling those goosebumps. Host Jeff Emtman founded the podcast in 2012 as a way to chronicle things that he's afraid of, and stories about phenomena like crow funerals and Ouija board séances are sure to unsettle.
Image courtesy of Here Be Monsters
Image courtesy of Here Be Monsters
THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR: Originally founded as a rollicking stage-production voiced by multiple actors – like an old timey radio show – Thrilling Adventure Hour is these days one of the best podcasts out there. Episodes follow the story of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars, an Earthman who travels across the solar system on comic-book-style adventures.
Image courtesy of Mindy Tucker
Image courtesy of Mindy Tucker
OH NO, ROSS AND CARRIE!: Ever wondered what it'd be like to join a cult? Luckily, you don't have to try it yourself, because the hosts of Oh No, Ross and Carrie! are there to do it for you. Follow their hilarious – and sometimes seriously creepy – misadventures as they examine the paranormal, take on fringe science...and even try out some weight loss scams.
Image courtesy of Oh No, Ross and Carrie!
Image courtesy of Oh No, Ross and Carrie!
RADIOLAB: A good helping of storytelling, a dash of philosophical musing, a pinch of engaging banter between hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, and a serious dose of dizzying sound effects: the formula for Radiolab is utterly unique. Its topics range from meditations on randomness to discussions on the flawed nature of memory, and it never gets dull for a second.
Image courtesy of Radiolab
Image courtesy of Radiolab
PITCH: For a podcast that's all about music, there isn't actually a ton of music in Pitch. But that's okay: The show digs into all kinds of musical experiences, cobbling together contemporary interviews, historical anecdotes, and clips to discuss subjects ranging from the cult appeal of karaoke to the pre-revolutionary pop of Iran. Way, way better than zoning out to Top 40 tunes.
Image courtesy of Pitch
Image courtesy of Pitch
THIS AMERICAN LIFE: You can't talk about the best podcasts without mentioning This American Life. Most weeks, the NPR show also happens to be the most popular podcast in the country, and its distinctively voiced host Ira Glass has his own legions of fans. Considering it's the big brother to smash hit Serial, you can bet it spins some compelling yarns.
Image courtesy of Adrianne Mathiowetz
Image courtesy of Adrianne Mathiowetz
STARTALK RADIO: We don't know about you, but Neil deGrasse Tyson is definitely our favorite celebrity astrophysicist – which is why we can't get enough of his podcast, StarTalk Radio. Alongside guests and co-hosts ranging from Christopher Nolan to Elon Musk to Bill Nye, he covers everything from movie special effects to gravity. High school physics was never this entertaining.
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Simons
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Simons
STRANGERS: Love Humans of New York? Then you'll definitely want to check out Strangers, a podcast that collects bite-sized stories from people all over the world. From poignant stories of love won and lost to tales of family separation and reconciliation, it offers heart-tugging meditations on the human experience – and some laughs, too.
Image courtesy of Strangers
Image courtesy of Strangers
MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER AND ME: One of the funniest podcasts out there, MBMBaM (as it's known by fans) is ostensibly an advice show...and it's true that hosts Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy do answer reader questions and queries sourced from Yahoo Answers. But the real magic is in their comedy chemistry, which sees the hosts goof on subjects ranging from '90s pop culture to haunted dolls.
Image courtesy of Kenneth Lecky
Image courtesy of Kenneth Lecky
HERE BE MONSTERS: Something of a scary movie junkie? Here Be Monsters, with its spooky stories and intricate audio effects, is just the thing to get you feeling those goosebumps. Host Jeff Emtman founded the podcast in 2012 as a way to chronicle things that he's afraid of, and stories about phenomena like crow funerals and Ouija board séances are sure to unsettle.
Image courtesy of Here Be Monsters
Image courtesy of Here Be Monsters
THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR: Originally founded as a rollicking stage-production voiced by multiple actors – like an old timey radio show – Thrilling Adventure Hour is these days one of the best podcasts out there. Episodes follow the story of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars, an Earthman who travels across the solar system on comic-book-style adventures.
Image courtesy of Mindy Tucker
Image courtesy of Mindy Tucker
OH NO, ROSS AND CARRIE!: Ever wondered what it'd be like to join a cult? Luckily, you don't have to try it yourself, because the hosts of Oh No, Ross and Carrie! are there to do it for you. Follow their hilarious – and sometimes seriously creepy – misadventures as they examine the paranormal, take on fringe science...and even try out some weight loss scams.
Image courtesy of Oh No, Ross and Carrie!
Image courtesy of Oh No, Ross and Carrie!
