The 12 Best Spotify Podcasts

Forget fairy tales with so-called happy endings; this podcast tells stories about famous women who did incredible things, narrated by other prominent women, such as Melinda Gates and Jody Kantor. Subjects include Billie Jean King and Ada Lovelace.

What We Like

• What's not to love about learning about strong women who made history? (Especially those who've been forgotten.)

What We Don't Like

• You start to look at your own life, and well. . .

This podcast takes the concept of fantasy sports and applies it to all manner of topics such as movie tropes, celebrity meltdowns, and breakfast food. Host and comedian Ian Karmel brings in a panel to pick and fight over their favorites in each category.

What We Like

• In the stressful world ​that we live in, it's soothing to listen to low-stakes arguments about things people wish they were into or the best one-word movies.

What We Don't Like

• The show will make you laugh, but it might not make you any smarter. 

This show mines Reddit for topics and centers each episode around a story or a few related stories. One episode centers on Ken Bone, the famous question-asker from one of the 2016 election debates. Others are all about death, school, and a small town with a very strange and troubling official seal.

What We Like

• The hosts do the digging into Reddit's endless threads so we don't have to.

What We Don't Like

• You may never resurface from the threads. They're endless!

Actor and comedian Hannibal Buress is in the podcast game, interviewing celebs from John Hamm to Neal Brennan (co-creator of the Chappelle show among many other achievements.) The episode descriptions alone are a laugh riot.

What We Like

• Hearing the comedian's thoughts on pop culture and other topics off-stage is a treat.

What We Don't Like

• Laughing out loud on the subway (or other public situations) can be awkward.

Keep It! offers commentary on subjects including royal weddings, gay culture, and Rachel Dolezal (remember her?), and how they figure into the world around us.

What We Like

• News moves so very quickly these days, and it's easy to get lost in the whirlwind. This podcast helps you stay on top of the most important news and events.

What We Don't Like

• Sometimes staying on top of breaking news isn't as fun as it sounds. And seriously, what is the deal with Rachel Dolezal?

Lauren Lapkus's podcast switches the roles of host and guest. Each episode features a different host, and Lapkus is always the guest. The twist is that she shows up as a different character each time – sometimes one suggested by the host – and the whole thing is improvised from there.

What We Like

• The improv-style of the podcast means that no one knows where the episode will go; hilarity ensues.

What We Don't Like

• Binge-listening to episodes older than six months requires a subscription to Stitcher Premium ($4.99 per month).

Latin for "invisible things," Invisibilia explores all the unseen forces that affect our decisions and our beliefs. Episodes look at how two people can look at the same thing but see different realities and whether our personalities are constant over time. You'll find that many of our assumptions about life are flawed.

What We Like

• This podcast will consistently blow your mind.

What We Don't Like

• It will make you question everything!

The paper of record's pop music team discusses new artists and tunes, and what's the what in pop culture news.

What We Like

• We often think of pop music as mere fluff; this show reveals its effect on our culture, from American Idol to R. Kelly and everything in between.

What We Don't Like

• It might make you feel old (Cardi B is only 25!!)

Comedian Wilmore, the one-time host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, and former senior black correspondent on The Daily Show hits the podcast waves with interviews about politics, current events, and journalism.

What We Like

• It's an engaging way to keep up with what's going on in the world without pulling your hair out.

What We Don't Like

• It'll make you wish he was still on TV.

This podcast takes everything that the iconic magazine offers: interviews with the hottest artists and in-depth feature stories and remixes it with episodes about the late Tom Petty, songwriting, Sammy Hagar, and more.

What We Like

• It's fun to relive the past with old interviews with musicians who have died, and new interviews with classic bands like Van Halen.

What We Don't Like

• With so many prolific musicians dying off, many of the latest episodes might get you weepy.

Get advice about all sorts of parenting challenges including circumcision, dealing with other parents, the sex talk, and morning routines.

What We Like

• Parents will realize they're not alone in their struggles. Those who are child-free by choice will breathe a sigh of relief.

What We Don't Like

• Overthinking parenting is a parenting challenge in of itself. 

Host and fellow insomniac Drew Ackerman tells bedtime stories to help the sleep-challenged feel less alone. The stories get progressively more boring as the episode goes on in hopes that listeners will drift off before the end. 

What We Like

• Being an insomniac is lonely and stressful; this podcast takes some of the edge off.

What We Don't Like

• What if we miss a great ending?