The Modern Day "Radio Show"?

In the 1920s commercial radio broadcasting began overtaking living rooms across the country. Music, comedy, mystery, celebrities- listening to a favorite program was a way to gather and entertain the family.
 
Are podcasts the new, modern day radio show? According to www.convinceandconvert.com in 2019, 70 percent of Americans have heard of podcasts and 51 percent have listened to one. About one-quarter of Americans listen on a weekly basis. Many use podcasts to pass the time spent in the car during rush hour/road trip, power through a workout, or even put themselves to sleep. There is probably a podcast for almost any subject you can think of… even some you might never dream existed (see "How to Rob a Bank" here)!
 
Here is a shortlist of staff favorites:
 
Terrible, Thanks for Asking- “You know how when someone asks ‘How are you?’ you just say ‘Fine,’ even if you’re totally dying inside, so everyone can go about their day? Terrible, Thanks For Asking is the opposite of that. Nora McInerny asks real people to share their complicated and honest feelings about how they really are. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often both. TTFA was named one of the best podcasts three years in a row by The Atlantic. The New York Times calls it ‘a gift to be able to listen.’”
 
WTF with Marc Maron- “For over twenty years, Marc Maron has been writing and performing raw, honest and thought-provoking comedy. In September 2009, Marc changed the podcast landscape when he started WTF with Marc Maron, featuring Marc's revelatory conversations with iconic personalities such as Conan O’Brien, Terry Gross, Robin Williams, Keith Richards, Ben Stiller, Lorne Michaels and President Barack Obama. It became a worldwide phenomenon, with more than six-million downloads each month and 250 million lifetime downloads within its first 6 years.“
 
Life in Commune- “with a decade of partnership, entrepreneurship, a few laps around the world, two yoga studios, and a dog under their belt (oh yeah, and a baby on the way), Patrick and Carling share their insight, successes, and failures with listeners each week. Episodes explore inside takes on the Yoga & Wellness industry, resources for yoga teachers, practitioners, and business owners, relationship perspectives, deep dives into mindfulness, industry guest interviews (and maybe a little pop culture thrown in) to see what it means to truly live a Life in Commune.”
 
The Clearing- “When April Balascio was 40 years old, something she’d feared for decades was finally proven true. Her father, Edward Wayne Edwards, really was a murderer. The Clearing is about what came after April called a detective in 2009 to tell him about her suspicions — a call that led to her father’s arrest and eventual conviction on multiple murders — and tracks the emotional journey as she and host Josh Dean dig back into her childhood, unravel the truth of her father’s life, and overturn a viral online narrative that had turned Edward Wayne Edwards into a kind of serial killer caricature.”
 
Sidedoor: A Podcast from the Smithsonian- “More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults, but where public view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers, and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through Smithsonian’s side door to search for stories that can’t be found anywhere else. Follow us at @SidedoorPod for updates and bonus content.”
 
In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt- “We are now in the early stages of something we’ve never seen before: a global pandemic. In addition to our health, social isolation and economic uncertainty have left us scrambling to understand our new normal and wondering what the future holds. From his own bubble, health care leader, turnaround expert and #stayhome architect Andy Slavitt is making it his mission to give Americans critical information in real-time but also hope for a path forward. He reminds us of what we can achieve and the deep sense of solidarity that we need during these trying times. Andy is joined each week by leading scientists, cultural icons, and political leaders—together, they will help us process, understand, and adjust to the changes around us.”

Comment with your favorite podcasts... or, even some of the weird ones you can find. We're always looking for something new to listen to.