Best Podcasts of 2023

NAVIGATING THE GENRES

There are many things to dislike about spotify (their underpaying of musicians, their overpaying of Joe Rogan etc). But the one thing that I despise personally is the way they categorize podcasts. It’s a black hole for trying to find anything of relevance. To hopefully make your life easier, I’ve broken up the recommendations into specific niche genres to help you locate what you’re most interested in.

CORRUPTION (government, police etc)

DREAMTOWN: THE STORY OF ADELANTO

This is a tale about a Californian town in the Mojave desert on the brink of bankruptcy when local government gets the wild idea of getting into the weed industry. Listen to: Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto.

THE SET

The NYPD in the 90s was ripe with crooked cops who robbed drug dealers and resold their wares. Here’s the story of how the thin blue line was infiltrated, exposed, and held to account for their excessive failures at doing their job of protecting the citizens of New York City. Listen to: The Set.

SLOW BURN: BECOMING JUSTICE THOMAS

Season 8 dives into the story of Justice Clarence Thomas’ journey to the supreme court and how a man who has benefited from affirmative action is now pulling the ladder up behind him. Listen to Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas.

TODAY IN FOCUS: THE COST OF THE CROWN

With the ascension of Charles from prince to king, the Guardian investigates how much he inherited from Queen Elizabeth after her passing and whether or not the royal family should continue to be subsidized by the British public. Listen to: The Guardian’s Today in Focus: The Cost of the Crown (a 5 part series).

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

THE RETRIEVALS

THE 13TH STEP

TERRORISM & WAR

LONG SHADOW: RISE OF THE AMERICAN FAR RIGHT

Season 2 of Long Shadow explores the throughline of events from Waco to the January 6th insurrection that have led to the rise of the extreme far right in America. Listen to Long Shadow: The Rise of the American Right

NEXT YEAR IN MOSCOW

CRIME INVESTIGATIONS

BAD SEEDS

THE GIRLFRIENDS

An eligible bachelor moves to Las Vegas and as he’s a doctor that speaks multiple languages and can fly planes, he’s a real catch. Several women from the community date him only to discover his bad temper and questionable history back in New York. His first wife disappeared under unusual circumstances in 1985 and was never found.  The podcast was created and hosted by one of his former girlfriends. This story is eerily similar to Kathie McCormack Durst’s suspicious disappearance in 1982 most likely at the hands of her then husband Robert Durst. Listen to: The Girlfriends.

SUSPICION: THE BILLIONAIRE MURDERS

As much as I could give a shit about billionaires who suffer a tragic end, this was an interesting story. If we’re honest with ourselves, I believe we can all agree that being an ethical + empathetic person and being a billionaire are in fact mutually exclusive. The Sherman’s had one of the largest generic drug companies in Canada. In 2017 they were mysteriously murdered in their home North York. The case is still unsolved but the reporter uncovers clues and possible suspects. Listen to: The Billionaire Murders.

THE NO GOOD, TERRIBLY KIND, WONDERFUL LIVES & TRAGIC DEATHS OF BARRY & HONEY SHERMAN

FINANCIAL CRIMES

COMMONS: MONOPOLY

CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN

A man is travelling across Canada defrauding women out of their savings and identities but no law enforcement seems to have jurisdiction to arrest him. Fraud is rampant and undercharged, Stats Canada reported in 2019 that 17% of the population reported to have been defrauded at least once in the previous 5 years totalling $16 billion. These two reporters attempt to track down this man who has eluded justice for years. Listen to: Catch Him if You Can.

THE NAKED EMPEROR

Crypto bro falls from grace treating normal peoples crypto wallets like monopoly money. Or in other words, a look at the demise of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried. Has anyone pointed out how ironic it is that is last name is Bank Man Fried? Feels a little on the nose. Listen to: The Naked Emperor.

HISTORICAL DEEP DIVE

WILDER

Admittedly, when I was a child in the 90s I didn’t make it past Little House in the Big Woods. I was seduced by the physical copy of the book more so than the story itself; the worn soft pages, illustrations, and the intoxicating smell of an old book. Growing up in the prairies I had very little interest in reading anything that reflected my reality but as an adult, I’m endlessly curious about the lives of others. This series explores the history of the author Laura Ingalls Wilder and the cultural impact of her books over the years. Reading her books is not a prerequisite for this podcast. Listen to: Wilder.

SVETLANA! SVETLANA!

This is the story of Joseph Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1967 with her secret memoir. At one point she ends up living at an architectural commune in the Arizona desert founded by Frank Lloyd Wright – yes, Taliesin West makes an appearance. This story is a prime example that truth is stranger than fiction. Listen to: Svetlana! Svetlana!

MAIN ACCOUNTS: THE STORY OF MYSPACE

To anyone curious about the days before Facebook, Instagram, TikTok et al, or anyone wondering how MySpace fell so hard from grace, this podcast is for you. As a MySpace user in the early 2000s, I’ve always been curious why it lost to Facebook in such a profound and devastating way. This podcast reveals it all. Listen to: Main Accounts – The Story of MySpace.

FUN LOW STAKE STORIES

NORMAL GOSSIP

SOCIAL & CULTURE COMMENTARY

ICYMI

In Case You Missed It is a must listen. Twice a week they drop episodes covering what’s trending in culture. From the bad art friend to the possibility of an influencer union.  Never miss a timely internet news nugget ever again. Listen to: In Case You Missed It.

YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT

I mentioned this podcast in my Go Ask Alice post – they did a deep dive on the “memoir” and the true author. I especially enjoy their deep dives on topics like the war on drugs, the satanic panic, and beanie babies to name a few. Each episode deconstructs the common misconceptions of the topic at hand. The host, Sarah Marshall, is insightful and amusing.  Listen to: You’re Wrong About.

CELEBRITY / BRAVO UNIVERSE COMMENTARY

EVERYTHING ICONIC WITH DANNY PELLEGRINO

Danny Pellegrino is an earth angel and Everything Iconic is one of the few Bravo TV breakdown podcasts I genuinely like. Other shows covering the topic use him as a blueprint, copying his phrasing and vernacular to a lesser effect. Where other shows fall short by being varying degrees of misogynistic, Danny stands out as a champion of Queen Icon Legends. When he expresses his distaste for a current villain, it’s done so in a funny but not over-the-top mean way like many other podcasts tend to do. Also his book, is an absolute must read. Listen to: Everything Iconic.

BEYOND THE BLINDS

Each week pop culture aficionados Troy and Kelli pick a celeb, read blind items about them and discuss. Straightforward brain candy for those who are interested in the dissection and demystification of the cult of celebrity. Listen to: Beyond the Blinds.

NEWS / CURRENT EVENTS

CANADALAND

Most news podcasts focus on American events which is fine but I prefer listening to things that actually affect my everyday life. Canadaland is the antidote to that. Though in the past they failed to pay adequate attention to provinces west of them (unless something astonishing happens), I still appreciate their investigative journalism that is critical of both the media and power structures within Canada. Listen to: Canadaland.

FRONT BURNER

Another Canadian news podcast with an excellent host, Jayme Poisson (who is currently on mat leave). Prior to this podcast she was an investigative journalist for the Toronto Star. The topics she covers are timely and relevant. Whenever a guest is sugar coating or explaining away something, she will often be asking critical follow up questions that I too am curious about. The episodes are insightful and never outrageously long in length. Listen to: Front Burner.

TODAY, EXPLAINED

Today Explained is one of the few American news podcasts that I will listen to. The stories they cover are interesting and the episodes are bite sized without sacrificing substance. Listen to: Today Explained.