The best conversations don’t happen around a table but right in your pocket and earphones. That’s right, we’re talking about podcasts, your go-to source for captivating stories, insightful discussions, and a wide range of topics.
Podcasts are always there to keep you entertained, informed, and inspired, no matter what you’re doing. From gripping true crime stories to motivational podcasts and everything in between, the top podcasts this year fit every interest and mood.
Now put your earbuds in, turn off the world, and enjoy the best podcasts of 2025, where dynamic voices and thought-provoking ideas will keep you hooked.
The list is based on the current statistics by the major podcasting platforms, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Table of Contents:
– 10 Best Podcasts of 2025 So Far
– Best Podcasts of 2025 by Genre
– Summing Up
10 Best Podcasts of 2025 So Far
1. The Joe Rogan Experience
During this podcast, anything can happen, and we mean it. One week, comedian Joe Rogan is talking to a neuroscientist about psychedelics, the next he's debating AI ethics with a tech mogul. The podcast is known for long episodes, unfiltered conversations, and a guest list that spans from MMA fighters to alien theorists.
2. Crime Junkie
If you aren’t afraid to double-check your locks at night, this podcast can be your perfect companion. Hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat present spine-chilling true crime stories with an eerie calm that somehow makes it all even creepier. The cases range from the famous to the long-forgotten ones, but they are always presented in a fascinating way.
3. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
This solo podcast by the internet’s favorite personality, Emma Chamberlain, feels like a personal audio diary. She discusses mental health, lifestyle, fashion, and the ups and downs of young adulthood in an unscripted style that resonates with Gen Z. The episodes are raw, funny, and surprisingly philosophical. Emma records many episodes from her closet, proving that you don’t need a studio to rule the podcast charts.
4. The Daily
Produced by The New York Times, The Daily offers around 30-minute episodes every weekday, breaking down key news stories with context and interviews. The host is Michael Barbaro, and it can be a go-to podcast for anyone trying to stay informed.
5. The Mel Robbins Podcast
Need a mindset reset? Motivational speaker and author Mel Robbins shares researched tools and mindset strategies for self-improvement, confidence, productivity, and emotional resilience. Sometimes Robbins also holds guest interviews and listener Q&As, making the format more entertaining. Content warning: expect tough love and real breakthroughs!
6. The Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
The host, Theo Von, is a comedian with a gift for storytelling, and during his podcas, he shares stories, musings, and life advice, often solo but sometimes with guests. His Southern charm and relatable jokes have helped him build a loyal listener base.
7. Up First from NPR
This morning news podcast gives a concise, around 15-minute overview of the day’s top headlines and key stories. It’s ideal for busy listeners wanting a quick, credible update from National Public Radio’s (NPR) journalists.
8. Armchair Expert
In this one, actor Dax Shepard and co-host Monica Padman dive deep into human psychology, relationships, and life experiences. Guests range from celebrities to academics, with a conversational, honest tone, and are not afraid to sound vulnerable.
9. SmartLess
Hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, this podcast features surprise celebrity guests and witty, unscripted conversations. It blends comedy with curiosity, offering insight into guests’ lives while keeping the tone light and entertaining.
10. The Shawn Ryan Show
Former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor Shawn Ryan does in-depth, raw interviews with military veterans, intelligence operatives, and whistleblowers. The podcast covers themes of service, trauma, geopolitics, national security, and anything connected to the military.
The Best Podcasts of 2025 by Genre
With so many podcasts out there, it’s tough to narrow it down to just a top 10 and leave so many incredible shows off the list. That’s why we’ve broken it down by genre to help you discover more standout podcasts. Whether you’re a true crime junkie, an art nerd, a comedy addict, or someone chasing self-improvement, this list highlights the very best podcasts of 2025 (so far):
Top 5 True Crime Podcasts
1. Crime Junkie
With around 10 million listens, this podcast is a way to satisfy your curiosity about all the chilling murder stories that have left you with many questions. All episodes are well-researched, detailed, and deliver gripping narratives that feel personal, urgent, and terrifyingly bingeable.
2. Dateline NBC
With classic NBC polish, Dateline turns real-life investigations into cinematic storytelling, narrated with the gravitas of Keith Morrison and crew. Once you’re done with an episode, you’ll immediately want to play the next one.
3. Morbid
Hosts Alaina and Ash combine horror, heart, and humor, and maybe that’s why their podcast hasn’t left the top charts for years now. Come for the serial killers, stay for the sibling energy.
4. 48 Hours
This flagship crime show by CBS offers deep dives into mysteries, disappearances, and cold cases, all with investigative journalism that packs courtroom drama and emotional interviews into each episode.
5. Rotten Mango
Stephanie Soo makes true crime sound like bedtime stories gone horribly wrong. Think brutal crimes told with dramatic flair, pop culture references, and unexpected emotional insight. It’s a rare blend of theatrics and empathetic storytelling.
5 of the Most Top Rated Art Podcasts
1. Fresh Air
Terry Gross has interviewed everyone from presidents to pop stars, and she does it with the kind of calm precision that could make a celebrity confess their deepest, darkest secrets mid-sentence.
2. The Moth
This podcast is recorded live on stage, which proves that truth really is stranger (and funnier, and sadder) than fiction. One moment you’re laughing, the next you’re crying in the produce aisle. Humans, man.
3. The Magnus Archives
This cult-favorite horror fiction podcast reads like a dusty stack of haunted journal entries. It starts slow… then crawls under your skin. And yes, it has fan art, theories, and Reddit threads that go deep.
4. Fantasy Fangirls
Hosted by two storytelling book-addicts, this one’s for lovers of epic quests, strong female leads, and magical world-building. It’s like your book club had a baby with Comic-Con.
5. 99% Invisible
Roman Mars turns obscure design details, like curb cuts or airline seat colors, into poetic revelations. You’ll never look at a doorknob the same way again. Architecture nerds, rejoice!
Top 5 Comedy Podcasts
1. The Joe Rogan Experience
With lengthy episodes and guests that range from Elon Musk to bee experts, you never really know what you're going to get, and that’s the point of this podcast. Comedian Joe Rogan discusses everything and anything with anyone.
2. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
Imagine if Mark Twain did stand-up in 2025. Theo’s Southern storytelling mixes wild childhood tales, oddball wisdom, and unexpected emotional depth. Whether he’s solo or riffing with a guest, it feels like a therapy session on a cozy porch swing.
3. Call Her Daddy
What started as raw dating chaos now dives into deeper conversations on sex, therapy, and celebrity culture, hosted by Alex Cooper, who sometimes manages to mix NSFW questions with Oprah-level depth. It’s confessional and chaotic.
4. SmartLess
Bateman, Arnett, and Hayes don’t prep, and that’s one of the charming things about this podcast. Each week, one of them brings a surprise guest, and the rest wing it. It’s half inside jokes, half brilliant interviews, and somehow still feels like a dinner party you never want to leave.
5. Armchair Expert
Dax Shepard and Monica Padman make interviews feel like a heart-to-heart on your best friend’s couch. They laugh, get real, and ask surprisingly deep questions, regardless of whether the guest is a rock star, scientist, or Kristen Bell (who ‘came over’ more than once).
Top 5 Business Podcasts
1. The Diary of a CEO
In his diary of a CEO, Steven Bartlett goes deep with founders, thinkers, and even celebs, but it’s never surface-level success talk. It’s raw, reflective, and sometimes surprisingly emotional. Think business therapy disguised as a podcast.
2. Real AF
No fluff, no filters, just the truth. With this finance podcast, Andy Frisella brings fire with his brutally honest takes on entrepreneurship, personal discipline, and winning in life. It’s part motivation, part smack in the face, but in a very good way.
3. The Prof G Pod
Scott Galloway serves business insights with sharp wit and zero sugar-coating. Whether he’s breaking down tech giants or roasting billionaires, it’s like a Wall Street Journal op-ed, but funnier, and way less polite.
4. Planet Money
Economics without the snoozefest. Planet Money turns wonky money talk into stories about pizza boxes, Barbie, or why airline prices make no sense. This is how it would sound if NPR took a finance class, added some jokes to it, and hit "record."
5. The Ramsey Show
Dave Ramsey dishes out tough love, financial wisdom, and debt-crushing pep talks like a Southern dad with a calculator. There's also something deeply satisfying about hearing him shout, “You’re debt-free!”
Top 5 Health and Fitness Podcasts
1. Huberman Lab
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman turns brain science into a lifestyle guide. From sleep hacks to cold plunges to dopamine discipline, it’s like getting a PhD in self-optimization without the student loans.
2. On Purpose
Hosted by a bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, Jay Shetty, this fitness podcast blends ancient wisdom with modern wellness. He interviews everyone from therapists to celebrities, always steering the convo toward mindfulness, purpose, and better habits. It’s calm, inspiring, and surprisingly actionable.
3. The Ultimate Human
Ready to bio-hack your way to superhuman? Gary Brecka mixes health science, anti-aging tips, and performance strategies with a touch of edge. Expect fast-talking facts, blood test talk, and serious longevity vibes.
4. The Dr. John Delony Show
Mental health meets tough love in this one. Dr. Delony tackles anxiety, relationships, trauma, and life’s big questions with a therapist’s brain and a coach’s heart. It’s part advice column, part deep talk therapy, all this in the form of this podcast.
5. Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
Three former trainers break down fitness myths, call out industry nonsense, and still somehow keep it hilarious. It’s like hanging out with your gym mates if your gym friends knew exercise science and had mics.
Top 5 Education Podcasts
1. The Mel Robbins Podcast
During the episodes of this podcast, you’ll get so intimate with Mel, she’ll feel like your super-wise, high-energy best friend who also reads every psychology book ever. She breaks down big ideas about confidence, habits, and motivation into doable daily shifts - no fluff, no sugar-coating, just the reality.
2. IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
The former First Lady and her brother talk life lessons, growing up, and what it means to be yourself in a world full of noise. It’s warm, smart, and sneakily educational, like a family dinner with really insightful people.
3. Aware and Aggravated
Spencer Moorman doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He blends real talk, mindset growth, and unapologetic truth bombs to challenge how you see yourself and the world around you. This is personal development with a bite.
4. The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
Jordan dives deep into philosophy, culture, psychology, and politics, often with guests as complex as the topics themselves. Whether you agree or not, you’ll leave thinking harder than you did before pressing play.
5. The Ed Mylett Show
This podcast delivers success stories, life strategies, and powerful interviews with intensity. Ed’s guests range from billionaires to brain scientists, and he’s on a mission to help you live "one more" purposeful day.
Top 5 Fiction Podcasts
1. The NoSleep Podcast
Born from a Reddit thread and raised on pure nightmare fuel. This fiction podcast delivers high-quality horror feels with cinematic sound design and is perfect for listeners who like to scare themselves silly before bed.
2. The Adventure Zone
This one is a storytelling podcast where the McElroy brothers, with their dad, play tabletop role-playing games (mostly “Dungeons & Dragons”) and improvise wild adventures along the way. While it began as a casual, funny game session, it quickly grew into a rich, emotional story full of lovable characters, world-saving quests, and surprising plot twists.
3. Welcome to Night Vale
Welcome to one of the most surreal, funniest podcasts ever. It’s presented as a community radio show from a fictional desert town where every conspiracy theory is true, time warps, angels are real, and the dog park is somehow off-limits. It’s weird, poetic, and insanely hilarious.
4. Scary Horror Stories
If you love horror that cuts straight to the scare, this one’s for you. Here you’ll find fast-paced, spine-tingling horror tales told in a chilling voice that makes you keep checking your locks. This is a collection of terrifying short tales, delivered with gripping voice acting and sound effects that make you feel like the monster is right behind you.
5. Worlds Beyond Number
Unlike many of the podcasts included in this list, this one is an actual-play audio drama, created by seasoned storytellers from the TTRPG world, including “Dimension 20” veterans Brennan Lee Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, Erika Ishii, and Lou Wilson. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into a beautifully acted, emotionally rich fantasy epic that unfolds like a high-budget audio novel, this podcast is it.
Top 5 Society / Culture Podcasts
1. The Shawn Ryan Show
Hosted by a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, this show doesn’t just scratch the surface; it digs. With long-form interviews featuring veterans, whistleblowers, and operators from the shadows, it’s raw, emotional, and often jaw-dropping.
2. The Ezra Klein Show
For this podcast, Ezra Klein (co-founder of Vox, now with The New York Times) sits down with thinkers, scientists, writers, and politicians to explore the ideas shaping the world. From AI ethics to the psychology of polarization, this show is where nuance and curiosity meet. Perfect for listeners who want to think harder and better.
3. Stuff You Should Know
What do satanic panic, lava lamps, and the color blue have in common? They're all topics Josh and Chuck have unpacked with charm and clarity. With over 1500 episodes, this show makes learning feel like a hangout with your two smartest, most trivia-obsessed besties.
4. The Oprah Podcast
Oprah’s podcast brings her signature warmth, spirituality, and soul-deep questions to conversations with thought leaders, mystics, and celebrities. It’s not about gossip, it’s about growth. Each episode is like a gentle push toward becoming your most conscious self.
5. Modern Wisdom
Hosted by Chris Williamson, this podcast explores the human condition with guests ranging from neuroscientists to entrepreneurs to monks. It’s smart, grounded, and surprisingly relatable, like a TED Talk combined with a late-night pub chat.
Top 5 Music Podcasts
1. The Joe Budden Podcast
Unfiltered, unpredictable, and often explosive. Joe Budden and his rotating crew talk hip-hop, culture, relationships, and whatever else stirs the pot that week. It’s part barbershop debate, part therapy session, and always full of bold opinions, even when they get him in trouble.
2. Song Exploder
This one’s a gem for music lovers. Each episode takes a hit song and breaks it down piece by piece, with the artist who created it. From the first spark of inspiration to the final mix, it’s like taking a guided tour inside a song’s DNA. Everyone from Billie Eilish to Selena Gomez has pulled back the curtain here.
3. Disgraceland
Where music meets true crime. Disgraceland tells the outrageous, often dark stories of the most notorious figures in music, from rock legends to rap icons. Murder, scandal, addiction, and conspiracy, all are delivered with pulpy storytelling and a dose of grit.
4. Drink Champs
Hosted by rapper N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, this is part interview, part celebration. Artists get loose (thanks to lots of drinks), drop stories they wouldn’t tell anywhere else, and sometimes settle old beefs on air. The podcast offers big laughs and big personalities.
5. New Rory & Mal
Formerly part of Joe Budden’s crew, Rory and Mal broke out on their own and brought their chill, insightful, and sometimes petty takes on music, pop culture, and relationships with them.
Top 5 News Podcasts
1. The Daily
From The New York Times, The Daily breaks down one major story each weekday in under 30 minutes. With thoughtful interviews and clear context, it’s like having a calm, informed friend explain the headlines over coffee.
2. Up First from NPR
Need the most recent news fast? Up First gives you the top stories of the day in about 15 minutes. Straightforward, fact-focused, and easy to trust, it’s your daily briefing without the noise.
3. The Tucker Carlson Show
Known for his sharp, controversial takes, his show now goes deep into politics, media, and power structures, often with long-form interviews. It’s bold, unapologetic, and aimed at listeners who like their news with an edge.
4. Pod Save America
Hosted by former Obama staffers, this show mixes insider political analysis with sharp wit and left-leaning commentary. It’s smart, funny, and often rallying, especially during election cycles.
5. Candace
Candace Owens brings her unapologetic conservative voice to discussions about culture, politics, race, and society. Her podcast is equal parts commentary and debate, challenging mainstream narratives with conviction and controversy.
Summing Up
The best podcasts in 2025 are more diverse, bold, and creatively driven than ever before. Whether you’re looking to laugh, learn, cry, or just keep up with the headlines, this year's standout shows prove there’s a podcast for every mood, interest, and moment.
From raw, unscripted conversations to intricately crafted audio dramas, these podcasts aren’t just background noise, they’re shaping how we think, feel, and connect. Whatever you’re into, chances are one of the popular podcasts in 2025 is already speaking your language.
Recap: List of Best Podcasts in 2025
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- Crime Junkie
- Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
- The Daily
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- The Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
- Up First from NPR
- Armchair Expert
- SmartLess
- The Shawn Ryan Show
- Dateline NBC
- Morbid
- 48 Hours
- Rotten Mango
- Fresh Air
- The Moth
- The Magnus Archives
- Fantasy Fangirls
- 99% Invisible
- Call Her Daddy
- The Diary of a CEO
- Real AF
- The Prof G Pod
- Planet Money
- The Ramsey Show
- Huberman Lab
- On Purpose
- The Ultimate Human
- The Dr. John Delony Show
- Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
- Aware and Aggravated
- The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
- The Ed Mylett Show
- The NoSleep Podcast
- The Adventure Zone
- Welcome to Night Vale
- Scary Horror Stories
- Worlds Beyond Number
- The Ezra Klein Show
- Stuff You Should Know
- The Oprah Podcast
- Modern Wisdom
- The Joe Budden Podcast
- Song Exploder
- Disgraceland
- Drink Champs
- New Rory & Mal
- The Tucker Carlson Show
- Pod Save America
- Candace
