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The Best Podcasts: What You Should Be Listening To In 2013

Posted: 01/08/2013 12:32 pm

We here at HuffPost Canada love podcasts. We listen to them during our commutes, download them while we're at our desks and try to squeeze a few more in while we're making dinner or before we head to bed.

If you're still looking for a New Year's resolution may we suggest adding podcasts to that list. It's an easy way to add great stories to your life and maybe learn something new.

So what are we listening to? We rounded up the podcasts that we loved in 2012 (including a pick by our resident running guru) in the list below. We hope you put some of these in your rotation in 2013.

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  • This American Life

    If you're not sure where to get started, you can't go wrong with <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/">radio's quintessential show</a>. Host Ira Glass — yes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass">The Ira Glass</a> — will guide you through investigations into deeply personal stories, some of which will resonate with you for years to come. These are stories unheard anywhere else, and their high journalistic standards ensure you're never stuck listening to a half-baked idea. And, since TAL is on its 18th season this year you have hours (and hours and hours) of amazing stories to choose from. What are you waiting for? — <em>Devon Murphy, Blog Editor, The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • Radiolab

    WNYC's Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich host <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/">this amazingly creative and unique podcast about science and ideas. </a> <P>Recent episodes have included an exploration on finding the perfect snowflake, saving the very endangered whooping crane and how beloved animation voice Mel Blanc recovered from a massive car crash. <P>Dig through the archives and listen to the moving episode on <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2007/oct/22/">Carl Sagan told by his widow</a> or the <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2011/jan/25/finding-emilie/">segment with artist Emilie Gossiaux</a>, a piece of radio which left me crying while making dinner one night. <em>— Ron Nurwisah, Community Manager, The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • The Memory Palace

    You might think you don't like history. But after a couple episodes of Nate DiMeo's <a href="http://thememorypalace.us/">The Memory Palace podcast</a> and you might change your mind. <P>DiMeo crafts beautiful 10-15 minute stories about people, places and moments in history. — RN

  • Freakonomics The Podcast

    If you liked the books, <a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/tag/freakonomics-podcast/">you'll love the podcast</a>. <em>— Michael Bolen, Politics Editor, The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • 99% Invisible

    Host Roman Mars <a href="http://99percentinvisible.org/">describes his passion project</a> as "A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world." These are stories about many little things not otherwise considered — like the history of the cul-de-sac — and they are told beautifully. After an <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1748303376/99-invisible-season-3">amazing Kickstarter campaign</a>, Mars rocketed to radio stardom, but his obvious love of the subject matter keeps his show grounded. Finally, Mars is loyal to his podcast-base (whom he refers to as "the 99th percentile") and as such you always feel as though you're chatting with a friend over coffee. <em>— DM</em>

  • Planet Money

    Fiscal cliff? Debt ceiling? When you need economic concepts and ideas explained there's almost no one better than <a href="http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=94411890">the team at Planet Money.</a> These guys can even make insurance and third-world debt interesting. <em>— RN</em>

  • The Current

    Anna Maria Tremonti's show, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/podcasts/">the Current</a>, is arguably one of the best news shows in Canada. <P>The podcast means I won't miss any of the hard-hitting news that team digs up. <em>— RN</em>

  • Bullseye

    Jesse Thorn is probably the best-dressed guy on radio (check out his web series <a href="http://putthison.com/">Put This On</a>). <P>He's also a great interviewer and <a href="http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/bullseye">host of Bullseye</a>, one of the best pop culture podcasts out there. <em>— RN</em>

  • The Adam Carolla Show

    Probably outing myself as a neanderthal, but I got admit I like and listen to <a href="http://adamcarolla.com/">The Adam Carolla Show</a>. Gets me through the TTC trip. Plus, nostalgia for college days of listening to Loveline on the actual RADIO. <em>— Marni Soupcoff, Managing Editor, Blogs, The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • Fresh Air with Terry Gross

    One of NPR's flagship programs, <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/">Fresh Air</a> features smart interviews with a variety of folks.<em> — Kenny Yum, Managing Editor, AOL Canada</em>

  • Joe Rogan Experience

    If you know him only as the former host of "Fear Factor" <a href="http://joerogan.net/">this podcast</a> will come as a pleasant surprise. Rogan muses about everything from physics to psychedelic drugs to mixed martial arts fighting with a diverse group of guests. <em>— MB</em>

  • CBC Ideas

    While it can be dry at times, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/podcasts/">this Canadian radio institution</a> is definitely worth a subscribe. <em>— MB</em>

  • Stuff You Should Know

    If you're a fan of the show <a href="http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/how-its-made">How It's Made</a> or visit the website <a href="howstuffworks.com">howstuffworks.com</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407">this is a podcast you should be listening to</a>. It covers everything from How Lion Taming Works to How Dog Shows Work. Great way to learn more about topics you didn't know you wanted to learn more about. <em>— Michelle Butterfield, Associate Editor, HuffPost Alberta</em>

  • Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus Podcast

    Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald break <a href="http://search.espn.go.com/podcast/grantland/andy-greenwald-and-chris-ryan/136-4294397990">down the best in pop culture and entertainment each week</a>, with a cerebral spin and phenomenal pop culture references that are both obscure and relatable. Grantland is pretty amazing, but this podcast is better than Bill Simmons at his best. — <em>Joanna Adams, Weekend Editor, HuffPost Canada</em>

  • Drunk Jays Fans

    <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/djf/category/djf-podcast/">Off-the-cuff, intelligent and snarky Blue Jays talk</a>. Was there a big off-season trade? Is AA really the man? The best way to catch up with what's going on with the best baseball team in the country (I know, I know) in the on and off-season. Slight profanity warning, too. <em>— JA</em>

  • Rob Has a Podcast

    <a href="http://www.robhasawebsite.com">Survivor alum Rob Cesternino</a> talks about the best and worst in reality TV (mostly Survivor, Big Brother, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Amazing Race, with occasional dabbling into The Bachelor) and entertainment (top movies, Saturday Night Live) with roughly 3-6 shows a week. It's the best Reality TV analysis out there, and yes, it's also littered with Seinfeld references. Not that there's anything wrong with that. <em>— JA</em>

  • In Contention

    There are lots of Oscar podcasts available, but this one with Kris Tapley (<a href="http://www.Hitfix.com/Incontention">Hitfix.com/Incontention</a>) and Anne Thompson (Indiewire) keeps it to 40 minutes of expert analysis about what's going on in the world of Hollywood, and any important Oscar moves or blunders. A great listen for all Oscar / movie buffs. <em>— JA</em>

  • Not Ready for Primetime Podcast

    Love SNL? <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/not-ready-for-primetime-podcast/id562790115">This podcast, from Hitfix's Ryan McGee and the Huffington Post's Mike Ryan</a>, is an essential listen for any SNL fan, or, you know, for anyone looking to rant about how the most recent episode could have used some more from Nasim Pedrad. It is typically posted early on Sunday morning, for just after you've watched the episode and read the sketch reviews online. It's definitely worth a listen or two. —<em> JA</em>

  • The Moth

    <a href="http://themoth.org/">True stories told live</a> by famous people, and not-so-famous people and recorded in front of live audiences around the U.S. <em>— Katy Pedersen, Product Manager. The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • The Savage Love Podcast

    <a href="http://post.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLovePodcast/Page">The Lovecast</a> – Dan Savage and the tech-savvy at-risk youth answer all your weird and sticky questions about sexytimes. <em>— KP</em>

  • Stuff You Missed In History Class

    <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/">How Stuff Works</a> in-house history geeks Sarah and Deblina deliver<a href="http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/hsw-shows/stuff-you-missed-in-history-class-podcast.htm"> week after week of curious, sexy, and spooky stories</a> that were not on your history exam. Extra credit: not having to remember dates. <em>— KP</em>

  • Phedippidations

    This is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/phedippidations/id76776428">the granddaddy of running podcasts</a> (I met him once at the Boston Marathon). He does a lot of running lessons, listener interactions, does some music mixes. <em>— KY</em>

  • Wiretap

    If you feel bad about your life and friends, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/wiretap/">listening to Jonathan Goldstein's dead-pan, sarcastic musings</a> is the perfect antidote. Each episode undoubtedly features phone calls from his pals who don't respect him, or hilarious conversations with his parents, who speak too loudly into the phone. <em>— Angelina Chapin, Blog Editor, The Huffington Post Canada</em>

  • Snap Judgement

    <a href="http://snapjudgment.org/">This show</a> is like listening to a bunch of strangers sitting around a fire, each telling the best story in their arsenal. This first-person approach makes for a different experience with each episode, and gives you the chance to hear a tale straight from the horse's mouth. The show's tagline, "story telling with a beat," is just right. Host <a href="http://snapjudgment.org/about-us">Glynn Washington</a> — winner of the Public Radio Talent Quest — infuses his show with funky music, daring subject matter and personal anecdotes to fit the theme of the episode. Download this podcast if you want to hear real people spin yarns over hip hop beats. <em>— DM</em>

  • This I Believe

    Based on the 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow, <a href="http://thisibelieve.org/">This I Believe</a> turns inspirational essays from every day people from all walks of life into podcasts. Over the years, they've accumulated some 100,000 stories (many of which have actually been broadcast). <em>— Sarah Kelsey, Style Editor, The Huffington Post Canada </em>

  • Dinner Party Download

    This podcast is essentially <a href="http://www.publicradio.org/columns/dinnerpartydownload/">an hour-long celebration of culture, food and conversation.</a> It's designed to help you dazzle anyone and everyone at your next, well, dinner party. In every episode you'll learn a joke, hear about the week's top headlines and learn an interesting historical fact (on which a custom cocktail recipe is created). The hilarity of hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam is an added bonus. <em>— SK</em>

  • Here's The Thing

    Alec Baldwin brings his comedic timing to the airwaves <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/heresthething/">with this incredible podcast</a>. In it, he takes listeners behind the scenes and deep into the lives of famous artists, policy makers and performers. Discussions can get political and heated, but they can also be ridiculously hilarious (just listen to the episode he recorded with Chris Rock). A new interview is posted every two weeks. <em>— SK</em>

Do you have a podcast you love? Let us know in the comments.

The podcasts we love

This American Life
If you're not sure where to get started, you can't go wrong with radio's quintessential show. Host Ira Glass — yes, The Ira Glass — will guide you through investigations into deeply personal stories, some of which will resonate with you for years to come. These are stories unheard anywhere else, and their high journalistic standards ensure you're never stuck listening to a half-baked idea. And, since TAL is on its 18th season this year you have hours (and hours and hours) of amazing stories to choose from. What are you waiting for? — Devon Murphy, Blog Editor, The Huffington Post Canada

Radiolab
WNYC's Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich host this amazingly creative and unique podcast about science and ideas.

Recent episodes have included an exploration on finding the perfect snowflake, saving the very endangered whooping crane and how beloved animation voice Mel Blanc recovered from a massive car crash.

Dig through the archives and listen to the moving episode on Carl Sagan told by his widow or the segment with artist Emilie Gossiaux, a piece of radio which left me crying while making dinner one night. — Ron Nurwisah, Community Manager, The Huffington Post Canada

The Memory Palace
You might think you don't like history. But after a couple episodes of Nate DiMeo's The Memory Palace podcast and you might change your mind.

DiMeo crafts beautiful 10-15 minute stories about people, places and moments in history. — RN

Freakonomics The Podcast
If you liked the books, you'll love the podcast. — Michael Bolen, Politics Editor, The Huffington Post Canada

99% Invisible
Host Roman Mars describes his passion project as "A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world." These are stories about many little things not otherwise considered — like the history of the cul-de-sac — and they are told beautifully. After an amazing Kickstarter campaign, Mars rocketed to radio stardom, but his obvious love of the subject matter keeps his show grounded. Finally, Mars is loyal to his podcast-base (whom he refers to as "the 99th percentile") and as such you always feel as though you're chatting with a friend over coffee. — DM

Planet Money
Fiscal cliff? Debt ceiling? When you need economic concepts and ideas explained there's almost no one better than the team at Planet Money. These guys can even make insurance and third-world debt interesting. — RN

The Current
Anna Maria Tremonti's show, the Current, is arguably one of the best news shows in Canada.

The podcast means I won't miss any of the hard-hitting news that team digs up. — RN

Bullseye
Jesse Thorn is probably the best-dressed guy on radio (check out his web series Put This On).

He's also a great interviewer and host of Bullseye, one of the best pop culture podcasts out there. — RN

The Adam Carolla Show
Probably outing myself as a neanderthal, but I got admit I like and listen to The Adam Carolla Show. Gets me through the TTC trip. Plus, nostalgia for college days of listening to Loveline on the actual RADIO. — Marni Soupcoff, Managing Editor, Blogs, The Huffington Post Canada

NPR Fresh Air
One of NPR's flagship programs, Fresh Air features smart interviews with a variety of folks. — Kenny Yum, Managing Editor, AOL Canada

The Joe Rogan Experience
If you know him only as the former host of "Fear Factor" this podcast will come as a pleasant surprise. Rogan muses about everything from physics to psychedelic drugs to mixed martial arts fighting with a diverse group of guests. — MB

Ideas
While it can be dry at times, this Canadian radio institution is definitely worth a subscribe. — MB

How Stuff Works
If you're a fan of the show How It's Made or visit the website howstuffworks.com, this is a podcast you should be listening to. It covers everything from How Lion Taming Works to How Dog Shows Work. Great way to learn more about topics you didn't know you wanted to learn more about. — Michelle Butterfield, Associate Editor, HuffPost Alberta

Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus Podcast
Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald break down the best in pop culture and entertainment each week, with a cerebral spin and phenomenal pop culture references that are both obscure and relatable. Grantland is pretty amazing, but this podcast is better than Bill Simmons at his best. — Joanna Adams, Weekend Editor, HuffPost Canada

Drunk Jays Fans
Off-the-cuff, intelligent and snarky Blue Jays talk. Was there a big off-season trade? Is AA really the man? The best way to catch up with what's going on with the best baseball team in the country (I know, I know) in the on and off-season. Slight profanity warning, too. — JA

Rob Has A Podcast
Survivor alum Rob Cesternino talks about the best and worst in reality TV (mostly Survivor, Big Brother, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Amazing Race, with occasional dabbling into The Bachelor) and entertainment (top movies, Saturday Night Live) with roughly 3-6 shows a week. It's the best Reality TV analysis out there, and yes, it's also littered with Seinfeld references. Not that there's anything wrong with that. — JA

In Contention
There are lots of Oscar podcasts available, but this one with Kris Tapley (Hitfix.com/Incontention) and Anne Thompson (Indiewire) keeps it to 40 minutes of expert analysis about what's going on in the world of Hollywood, and any important Oscar moves or blunders. A great listen for all Oscar / movie buffs. — JA

Not Ready For Primetime
Love SNL? This podcast, from Hitfix's Ryan McGee and the Huffington Post's Mike Ryan, is an essential listen for any SNL fan, or, you know, for anyone looking to rant about how the most recent episode could have used some more from Nasim Pedrad. It is typically posted early on Sunday morning, for just after you've watched the episode and read the sketch reviews online. It's definitely worth a listen or two. — JA

The Moth
True stories told live by famous people, and not-so-famous people and recorded in front of live audiences around the U.S. — Katy Pedersen, Product Manager.
The Huffington Post Canada

The Savage Love Podcast
The Lovecast – Dan Savage and the tech-savvy at-risk youth answer all your weird and sticky questions about sexytimes. — KP

Stuff You Missed In History Class
How Stuff Works in-house history geeks Sarah and Deblina deliver week after week of curious, sexy, and spooky stories that were not on your history exam. Extra credit: not having to remember dates. — KP

Phedippidations
This is the granddaddy of running podcasts (I met him once at the Boston Marathon). He does a lot of running lessons, listener interactions, does some music mixes. — KY

Snap Judgment
This show is like listening to a bunch of strangers sitting around a fire, each telling the best story in their arsenal. This first-person approach makes for a different experience with each episode, and gives you the chance to hear a tale straight from the horse's mouth. The show's tagline, "story telling with a beat," is just right. Host Glynn Washington — winner of the Public Radio Talent Quest — infuses his show with funky music, daring subject matter and personal anecdotes to fit the theme of the episode. Download this podcast if you want to hear real people spin yarns over hip hop beats. — DM

This I Believe
Based on the 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow, This I Believe turns inspirational essays from every day people from all walks of life into podcasts. Over the years, they've accumulated some 100,000 stories (many of which have actually been broadcast). — Sarah Kelsey, Style Editor, The Huffington Post Canada

Dinner Party Download
This podcast is essentially an hour-long celebration of culture, food and conversation. It's designed to help you dazzle anyone and everyone at your next, well, dinner party. In every episode you'll learn a joke, hear about the week's top headlines and learn an interesting historical fact (on which a custom cocktail recipe is created). The hilarity of hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam is an added bonus. — SK

Here's The Thing
Alec Baldwin brings his comedic timing to the airwaves with this incredible podcast. In it, he takes listeners behind the scenes and deep into the lives of famous artists, policy makers and performers. Discussions can get political and heated, but they can also be ridiculously hilarious (just listen to the episode he recorded with Chris Rock). A new interview is posted every two weeks. — SK

 
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03:21 PM on 03/03/2013
Wow, I am shocked -- really, really, shocked -- that OnPoint is nowhere on this list. Read these words: OnPoint Radio is the best radio program, word for word (each segment is 45 minutes), on the web when it comes to current events and politics. It also airs many segments dealing with new tech trends, history, the arts, etc. Tom Askbrooke hosts, and I'd say that he's hands down the best moderator in the news.
09:31 PM on 02/02/2013
The Titanium Physicists Podcast is quite fun. Physicists + Cool Guests + Conversation = Wizard level physics understanding! also, it's canadian!
08:35 AM on 01/11/2013
Judge John Hodgman and Caustic Soda are at the top of my list. Also agree with other commentoids that The Bugle should be on anyone's top 20.
05:36 PM on 01/09/2013
i'd suggest the bugle, the tobolowsky files and our own scott free. 'the history of rome' has concluded but its 200 episodes of the, well, history of rome is dry but good. . i know WTF gets all the press but it's because its worth it.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Richard Pearce
Atheistic-agnostic Canadian polymath
05:13 PM on 01/09/2013
Though some of my choices are there, there are two ESSENTIAL ones that are missing (though given that they are two more CBC radio podcasts, might have been for 'balance') The first is ESSENTIAL because everyone at some point ends up at a hospital emergency room, or otherwise dealing with a health care system, and it talks about the why's, how's, and what's of that from the doctor's and occasionally nurse's point of view. Some of what you learn will be scary, some of it will make you relax, some of it will make you feel the first thing you should do is apologize for everyone else's abuses of doctors and nurses. It is called White Coat, Black Art http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/ The second is ESSENTIAL because you are drowning in a sea of advertising and PR, and it talks about the why's, how's, and what's of that, including some of the history, and though it deals exclusively with commercial advertising and PR, you'll ffind it throws a lot of light onto political and cultural advertising and PR by reflection. It started out being called 'The Age of Persuasion', but has changed its name to 'Under the Influence' to reflect the changes in culture the web has wrought http://www.cbc.ca/undertheinfluence/
02:16 AM on 01/14/2013
It's funny, I couldn't disagree more about White Coat, Black Art, something about it always makes me turn the dial. And on the flip side, I couldn't agree more with AoP / Under the Influence, it is hands down one of my favourite podcasts.
01:03 PM on 01/09/2013
I highly recommend Sodajerker on Songwriting out of the UK. The two wickedly clever and musically savvy hosts, Simon Barber and Brian O'Connor, have managed to interview more than 30 of the world's top songwriters (including legends such as Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Mike Stoller, and Neil Sedaka) in the podcast's first year. I have developed several new musical obsessions because of these guys, and I've heard some truly great stories about the creation of songs we all know and love. Definitely my favorite discovery of 2012: http://www.sodajerker.com/podcast/
12:42 PM on 01/09/2013
Caustic Soda: Canadian podcast that is fun, interesting and full of weird and sometimes disgusting (but always entertaining) information. A must-listen
11:00 PM on 01/08/2013
For the entrepreneurs out there, you have to try I love marketing with Joe Polish and Dean Jackson - huge following in just over 1 year. Also a nod to my bud, David Wood's Kick Ass Life (many celebrity interviews with folks from the self-help arena, plus David's own thoughts).
10:34 PM on 01/08/2013
Where's Continuecast or any of the SModcasts?
08:40 PM on 01/08/2013
I checked through the list to see if The Bugle podcast was on it.

It's not, so it's clearly not a list worth bothering with.
07:03 PM on 01/08/2013
Just once, I'd like to see these kind of lists feature more obscure podcasts out there. It's so easy to make a list of podcasts from people who have built in audiences. Those people wouldn't even think of doing podcasts if it wasn't for the people who paved the way doing it without the built-in audience. Dig a little deeper into iTunes and check out what's out there. Joe Rogan and his ilk will be all right.
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05:47 PM on 01/08/2013
Surprised you missed Canada's own This is That. Hilarious, inventive and addictive, it's one of the best podcasts on my list. http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Ron Nurwisah
Community Manager, HuffPost Canada
10:40 PM on 01/08/2013
Angus, we are a humourless office here at HuffPost Canada. ;)
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AlisonLoat
Executive Director of Samara
04:12 PM on 01/08/2013
Great list - thank you all! To this I'd add the BBC's wonderful Desert Island Discs, in which public personalities are interviewed about their life, interspersed with the 8 music tracks that they would take to a desert island.

And for the Canadian policy set, I'd recommend TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin.
03:46 PM on 01/08/2013
Powerful Joe Rogan!