2020 Podcasts Year in Review
26 shows, 60+ episodes worth checking out
This year has been a whirlwind. And as I sat down to start putting together a podcast year-in-review, I worried I wouldn’t have much to share. I paused commuting to work in March (and stopped permanently when I took a new job in August), which was the main place I’d listen to podcasts.
But as I dug into my listening history and reflected on my favorite shows of the year….well, I still have a problem with being subscribed to too many podcasts.
What follows are my favorites shows, regular subscriptions, and standout episodes of 2020. Many have told me they just can’t find time to listen. So if you look at all the lists below, with 60+ episode recommendations from 26 shows, and it’s too much, here are my top three episodes from 2020.
My 3 Favorite Podcast Episodes of 2020
“Day 7” from Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard. The vulnerability, honesty, and grace here is so beautiful.
“#158 The Case of the Missing Hit” from Reply All. This kind of storytelling is what made me fall in love with shows like Reply All or the greatly missed Mystery Show.
“Bryan Stevenson – Love is the Motive” from On Being. Bryan is a modern-day prophet, a lawyer, and a hero.
Three New Podcasts That Rose Above the Rest
The Other Latif
wnycstudios.org/podcasts/other-latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser had an amazing year, having launched his own Netflix series, Connected, and releasing this 6-part mini-series that is as captivating as other phenom podcasts like Serial or S-town.
Radiolab reporter Latif Nasser always believed his name was uniquely his own. Until he makes a shocking discovery that he shares his name with another man: Detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and an advisor to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do.
How to Save a Planet
gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet
The climate crisis is real and in every episode of this new Gimlet-produced podcast, the question is asked of the hosts and guests, “How screwed are we?” It’s smart, insightful, empowering, and features the kind of conversations we all need to be having right now.
Does climate change freak you out? Want to know what we, collectively, can do about it? Us, too. How to Save a Planet is a podcast that asks the big questions: What do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? Join us, journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, as we scour the earth for solutions, talk to people who are making a difference, ask hard questions, crack dumb jokes and — episode by episode — figure out how to build the future we want.
Radio Headspace
While I love shows that center on storytelling and curiosity, this one is much more practical. Every Monday through Friday, I take five minutes to listen to a timely, grounding reflection from Andy and the Headspace team.
Join Andy Puddicombe every weekday morning to take a few moments to step out of the internal chatter and external noise. We'll pause and reflect to consider what brings us together in this shared human condition and how we can live a life that best reflects our limitless potential.
My Favorite Episodes From My Favorite Podcasts
When it comes to ongoing shows (not mini-series or limited runs), these are my four favorite podcasts of all time, no question. In 2020, these are the episodes that stood out among the rest.
Radiolab
“The Cataclysm Sentence” – If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence was passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?
“The Flag and the Fury” – How do you actually make change in the world? For 126 years, Mississippi has had the Confederate battle flag on their state flag, and they were the last state in the nation where that emblem remained “officially” flying. A few days ago, that flag came down.
“No Special Duty” – What are the police for? Producer B.A. Parker started wondering this back in June, as Black Lives Matter protests and calls to “defund the police” ramped up. The question led her to a wild story of a stabbing on a New York City subway train, and the realization that, according to the law, the police don’t always have to protect us.
“Dispatch 5: Don’t Stop Believin’” – Jad tracks one ER doctor in NYC as the doctor puzzles through clues, doing research of his own, trying desperately to save patients' lives.
“Octomom” – What began as a simple act of motherhood became a heroic feat that has never been equaled by any known species on Earth.
“Body Count” – Do the number of people who died outnumber those living?
“Fungus Amungus” – The average human body temperature is changing.
“What If?” – Wargaming out what would happen if a U.S. president refused to leave. Totally hypothetical.
“The Third. A TED Talk” – Radiolab creator Jad’s first TED Talk on his creative journey.
Reply All
“#158 The Case of the Missing Hit” – A man in California is haunted by the memory of a pop song from his youth. He can remember the lyrics and the melody. But the song itself has vanished, completely scrubbed from the internet.
“#161 Brian vs. Brian” – Just for fun, a guy and his friends record a Christmas song in his Living room. More than three years later, he walks into a grocery store and hears that song playing.
“#162 The Least You Could Do” – Black people all across the US are receiving the world's weirdest form of reparations: Venmo payments from white people.
“#168 Happiness Calculator vs. Alex Goldman” – Alex meets a scientist who has built a tool meant to do the impossible -- measure the world's overall happiness and sadness. Plus, Alex volunteers for a risky and strange experiment.
“#156 The Cure for Everything” – PJ and Alex open up the hotline again to tackle listener problems and mysteries, no job too weird. This time – a Waze vortex, a tribunal for HawtNugz, and a powerful mystery cure that could topple the world into dystopia.
On Being
Brené Brown – Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart
Nicholas Christakis – How We’re Wired for Goodness
Jane Goodall on What it Means to Be Human
Sharon Salzberg - Shelter for the Heart and Mind
Bryan Stevenson – Love is the Motive
Revisionist History
“Hedwig’s Lost Van Gogh” – An escape from war-torn Germany. Lavish dinners with Hollywood royalty. A Swedish baron and a dime-store heiress: we explore the long journey of a Van Gogh still life — and what it says about the real value of the things we treasure.
A four-part look at the life of General Curtis Lemay. You’ve never heard of him, but he absolutely changed the world. “The Bomber Mafia,” “May the Best Firebomb Win,” “Bombs-Away Lemay, “ and “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.”
Podcasts I Didn’t Get Enough of This Year
Whether because of not having a commute anymore or simply not being able to keep up, here are a few great episodes from podcasts that have been favorites in previous years.
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Armchair Expert with Dax Shephard
Invisibilia
Reboot
A 2020 Care Package
We all probably had moments of sadness, grief, boredom, despair, and anxiety this year. Here are some of the podcasts that gave me hope, relief, presence, or just a good change in perspective.
The RobCast
Heavyweight
This Gimlet podcast did a series of “Check In” episodes during the early months of the pandemic.
Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr
The Yes Theory
Poetry Unbound
With new episodes each Monday and Friday, this seasonal podcast provides a guide through poetry.
One-Off Episodes
Just for good measure, here are a handful of other episodes that hit the spot in the moment I listened to them. In most cases, I’ve only heard a few episodes from each of these shows overall, so perhaps there are more gems in the archives.
The Bill Simmons Podcast, “RIP, Kobe Bryant”
Overheard, “The Tree at the End of the World”
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown, “The Heart of Daring Leadership”
Broken Record, “Huey Lewis”
Solvable, “Lack of Accountability for Police Violence is Solvable”
The Tight Rope, “Marhershala Ali”
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, “Tim Ferriss and Dax Shepherd”
Partners, “Samin Nosrat & Wendy MacNaughton”
What I Made in 2020
I put out five podcast episodes at Fishhook, capturing our early experiences in the pandemic, having a conversation with Aaron Niequist, and a timely episode with a local pastor on racism and the church.
Then, as a way to contribute in some small way in the early days of the pandemic, I created a short, 11-episode series called, “Present.”
I’d love to hear from you! What did you listen to in 2020? What would you recommend? Just hit reply.