Favorite Podcasts of 2020
For me, 2020 was particularly fascinating in terms of how overwhelming it was when one considers the juxtaposition of having so many monumental events and movements coincide with a lockdown that disconnected most of us from the larger world. Fortunately, it seems that there were many ready to rise to the occasion who managed to distill the events going on around us into informative, moving, and often humorous, Podcast series & episodes. While I’m sure this list overlooks the multitude of excellent series & episodes that came out this year, I’m hoping that I have at least captured some which readers will enjoy and continue to follow into 2021! Please feel free to share with me suggestions of your own for me to peak at over this break and into the new year.
My list contains both series and episodes as some are long running series with a frequent cadence, and others are more short form where the entire series is recommended.
1. Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Despite being a fan for many years now, I only got into his podcast this year and I’m glad I did. If you have seen his show, you know few can match Conan’s ability to conduct an interview with such wit, informative questioning, and humility. Now imagine seeing his 5–7 minute interviews expand into a 60 min + segment without any reduction in quality. While I recommend you come for the interviews, which are more introspective & thoughtful then you may initially think, stay for the trifecta that is Conan and his ever amusing staff of Sona & Matt.
Favorite Episodes : Ali Wong, Mila Kunis, Michelle Obama, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Jameela Jamil, Maya Rudolph
2. Flash Forward
“Flash Forward is a critically acclaimed podcast about the future. In each episode, host Rose Eveleth takes on a possible (or not so possible) future scenario — everything from the existence of artificial wombs, to what would happen if space pirates dragged a second moon to Earth. What would the warranty on a sex robot look like? How would diplomacy work if we couldn’t lie? Could there ever be a black market for fecal transplants? (Complicated, it wouldn’t, and yes, respectively, in case you’re curious.) By combining audio drama and deep reporting, Flash Forward gives listeners an original and unique window into the future, how likely different scenarios might be, and how to prepare for what might come”
Favorite Episodes : Dollars for Data, Boss Bott, Home Sweet Home, GoodNight Night
3. Nice White Parents, Fiasco: The Battle for Boston, The Promise
Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that 2020 was a monumental year for shifting the way in which a lot of Americans perceived racial issues & the concept of systemic racism within their country. However many of us still grapple with how such disparities can exist between racial groups despite the low prevalence of “racists” within our families, friend groups, and larger communities.
To unpack this, three outstanding podcasts this year delved into the details of how such disparities can be traced back to the decisions of our households, whom often unwittingly and with “good intentions”, contribute to structural inequality through our votes and actions on school funding, affordable housing, mass transit, and environmental reform. At their most fundamental level, the shows challenge us to revaluate our understanding on racism and our role in it and help them to confront the real roots of segregation in America.
4. The Lowe Post
Zach’s ability to break down the ins and outs of the game is no secret to anyone familiar with contemporary basketball. However, where Zach shines in comparison to his peers is in how he leverages his former experience is a history teacher & a crime reporter to touch upon any topic in detail from the Hong Kong dilemma, to the construction of the bubble, to the league’s response to systemic racism. No topic was out of Zach’s comfort zone, and whether it tied into basketball or not, he did a phenomenal job in covering it.
Favorite Episodes : Taylor Rooks: How the NBA Bubble came alive, Atlanta’s Lloyd Pierce and Renee Montgomery: The NBA’s role in combating systemic racism, Brian Windhorst: The legacy of the “Decision”, Caron Butler : Criminal Justice Reform, Sue Bird & Megan Rampino: A day in the Life
5. THE ANTIGEN PODCAST: SEASON 1
“Season 1 of The Antigen is an eight-part audio-documentary style podcast about the scientific, cultural, and political elements of vaccination. We start with the basic science, review vaccine history, explore the many facets of their global impact — and the public sentiment about vaccines around the world. Listeners will hear from leading experts about the past, present, and future of this important innovation, as well as people whose families have been impacted by vaccine-preventable diseases.”
6. DECODER WITH NILAY PATEL & RECODE DECODE WITH KARA SWISHER
“Nilay Patel & Kara Swisher talk to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future”
Favorite Episodes : How the @!#$ does advertising work, with Cadillac CMO Melissa Grady, Can Substack CEO Chris Best build a new model for journalism?, Recode Decode: Sridhar Ramaswamy, Recode Decode: Brian Chesky
7. Grand Tamasha
Each week, Milan Vaishnav and his guests from around the world break down the latest developments in Indian politics, economics, foreign policy, society, and culture for a global audience. Bar none, this is the best podcast and new source to get up to speed with the latest happenings in India. Milan’s ability to navigate the complexities of contemporary Indian politics and tie it back to larger global political shifts is incredible and a must listen to for anyone interested in international relations & foreign policy
Favorite Episodes: Madhuri Vijay : Far Field, Jessica Seddon: India’s Air Pollution Crisis, Roshan Kishore : The State of India’s flagging economy, Pratap Mehta : State of Indian Democracy at the age of 73
8. Ezra Klein Show
Vox’s now former editor in chief hosts a fantastic interview show where he puts on far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research in the policy sphere. If you want to best understand the driving forces behind contemporary American politics and it’s future, I can recommend no better podcast.
Favorite Episodes : Vivek Murthy: America’s loneliness epidemic, Alison Gopnik: Changed how I think about love, Zeke Emannuel: Which country has the world’s best healthcare system?, Robert Draper : Why the Hell did we invade Iraq
9. Conversations with Tyler
With the exception of Fresh Air’s Terry Gross, I have not come across an individual who has interviewed a more diverse group then celebrated polymath and academic economist Tyler Cowen celebrated author, Edwidge Danticat on Haitian Art and Literature and the next week he is talking with Jimmy Wales, the Founder of Wikipedia, on what his life’s work taught him about systems & incentives. Truly a remarkable thinker, Tyler’s always able to to provoke guests into deep examinations of their work and how they see the world. If you are really interested in exploring how the deepest & broadest thinkers in contemporary society perceive the world, this is the podcast for you.
Favorite Episodes : Jimmy Wales on Systems and Incentives, Ashley Mears on Status and Beauty, Jason Furman on Productivity, Competition, and Growth, Alex Ross on Music, Culture, and Criticism
10. Planet Money Summer School
When I learned that world famous economists, Justin Wolfers & Betty Stevenson, were going to host a special series of NPR’s Planet Money I could not have been more excited. Their ability to take the fundamental rules of economics , and identify them everywhere whether it be the news, the supermarket and even your dating life is unparalleled. If you want to know how to explain your dating life using terms like Opportunity cost and the Sunk Cost Fallacy look no further then this exquisite and highly informative series .
Though they didn’t make this list, as I wanted to make room for podcasts that might be less well known, NPR’s Fresh Air, This American Life, Code Switch, and How I Built This are must listen to for anyone who enjoys the medium.
Please Send me any feedback and your recommendations as well !!
