Favorite Podcasts

I am constantly listening to podcasts. I’ll listen while I am in the car or doing stuff around the house. Just like my reading the type of podcasts I like are varied. I switch around thru genres depending on what I am interested in at the moment. That is one of the things I love the most about podcasts, they are typically short so you can switch around to different ones pretty quickly. It isn’t a big commitment, to listen to one.

I have updated my list of favorite podcasts, many of them are new since I originally wrote this post. The last 3 aren’t new to the list and are ones I still enjoy.

Favorite Podcasts

Noble Blood

Noble Blood is definitely my current favorite podcast, and the only one I have to listen to as soon as it comes out. Each episode features the story of some of the most interesting royals in history. Whether they were historically important or just led interesting lives each episode is fascinating. Many times the power the nobility has means their bad choices or mistakes result in more than just hurting themselves. Their choices can change history!

While most of the episodes do revolve around European nobles, there are several episodes on African and Asian nobility. The host, Dana Schwartz, always gives context to the time period so you really understand how impactful these people are. While it is definitely a historical podcast, you don’t have to know anything beforehand to understand each episode.

Against the Odds

If you like true life or adventure stories, you’ll enjoy Against the Odds. Each season is a real life story of survival about a person or group of people. This is the kind of podcast that you want to listen to the next episode as soon as possible. The stories are well researched and even if you knew about the event before, I guarantee you will learn so much more about it. Some of my favorite seasons are the one about the Thai Soccer Team cave rescue and the Shipwreck on the Sahara.

The storytelling in the episodes feels like you are witnessing the events and they feel so personal! I always come out inspired by these people’s perseverance and determination. They don’t ever know if they will be rescued or get help or if they will have to help themselves!

13: A Taylor Swift Fan Podcast

Calling all Taylor Swift fans: this podcast is so fun! Each episode is analyzing and talking about a different Taylor Swift song. All of the hosts are big Taylor Swift fans but they all have different perspectives. Some have been fans since she started her career and some are new fans. Their varied opinions on songs and interpretations get me to see many of the songs in different ways than I don on my own.

When they analyze each song it is a mixture of serious, almost poetic, interpretation and some just fun analysis. They’ll also talk about the time the song was written and how pop culture inspired or reacted to the song. What I love is that you don’t have to listen to the episodes in order. In fact, I started by just listening to the episodes of my favorite songs!

Be There in Five

Be There in Five is a long-form podcast. It covers a large variety of pop culture topics. Anything from influencers, current pop culture events, social media etc. What I love is that the host, Kate Kennedy, can take a more “fluffy” topic and really bring a level of depth and understanding to the topic. What can be perceived as something as unimportant as Seventeen magazine but will get into how it influenced a whole generation of women and the good and bad that it brought to our lives.

This podcast is well known for the deep dive episodes. For example, when Rachel Hollis fell into a bunch of controversy in the Spring of 2021, Kate did a deep dive. She covered the troubling things that were said and how “motivational culture” isn’t always the best influence.

The host is a millennial woman and it is reflected in her references and interests. She uses 90’s and 00’s trends and topics many times to make a point or explain her point of reference. While she sometimes has guests, and even some celebrity guests, the majority are just her. Some of my favorite episodes are on Mormon mommy bloggers, being a bridesmaid, 90’s purity culture and her analysis of the latest Taylor Swift album.

Unobscured

Unobscured is another historical podcast but with a twist. Each season is a deep dive to a dark person or dark time in history. The topic is always a well known one but its surrounded by mystery or what everyone “knows” about it is more rumors than factors. The host works to provide clarity and unobscure it.

Each episode features great information given with first hand accounts and stories to make it more interesting. Experts in the topic are featured to give more information and color to it. These are the topics that are a time when the truth is actually way more interesting, and sometimes unbelievably than the fiction that we thought we knew. The first season is my favorite. It is about the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. I have always wondered how suddenly an area suspects that the residents are witches and can then try them as such.

Armchair Expert

If you are anything like me then you love Dax Shephard and Kristen Bell. I follow them both on social media and love their realness and candor. Dax’s podcast started and then quickly became one of the most popular ones and seems to always be on the top podcast charts.

In each episode he interviews a celebrity guest and digs deep on what makes them who they are. Dax uses his celebrity status and connection to get some of the biggest celebrity guests of any podcast. Many are friends or celebrities that Dax has worked with. What I love most is the way he interviews the guests, it feels like a conversation to truly understand the person. Dax isn’t afraid to use his life experiences, good and bad, to relate to his guests which makes for some of the most interesting celebrity interviews I’ve ever heard.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

For all of those that love a good history lesson, this is for you! This podcast features topics that are a little different from what you heard in your history lessons. And let’s be real, if our history lessons had been in podcast form like this one we would have all paid a lot more attention.

Each episode stands on its own so you can pick and choose what topics you are interested in. They all are an important person or event in history but not one that is commonly known to everyone. This podcast has a huge backlog of episodes so you can easily find a ton that you’ll want to listen to.

U Up?

Dating can be a bit of a drag sometimes. This show tackles the ins and outs of dating not in the app world with a heavy dose of humor. The hosts are a comedian and one of the creators of the site www.betches.com. Each episode they have a different aspect of dating they discuss and also take reader questions. I love that there is both a male and female host so you see both perspectives. Even if you are married or in a long term relationship I guarantee you will relate to this podcast.