These days it feels like everyone and their mother has launched one of the “best podcasts ever” – with each comically niche (and distinctly millennial) topic being dissected through the medium. Wondering how to care for your succulents? There’s a podcast for that. Keen to break down every caffeine-fuelled pop-culture reference in Gilmore Girls? The Gilmore Guys are here for you. Trying to figure out which case of natural wine to order? You’ve got options.
The only problem, as ever, is narrowing down what to listen to from the countless series out there – and there are some truly great podcasts worthy of your attention right now. Take 1619, a genius (albeit devastating) exploration of the many ways in which the slave trade has shaped American society, or Where Should We Begin?, in which therapist Esther Perel helps real-life couples navigate difficulties in their relationships.
No matter what your interests, read on to find your new favourite series courtesy of Vogue’s in-depth guide to the best podcasts to listen to in 2022.
Read more: ‘The Crown’ Season 5: Everything You Need To Know
The Best True Crime Podcasts
Crimetown
If Martin Scorsese made a podcast, it would probably sound something like Crimetown. Each season is devoted to analysing the history of mafia-related crime in a different American city, starting with Providence. Hosts Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier’s investigation into the mob in Rhode Island’s capital brings to light truly staggering connections between the infamous Patriarca family and a number of high-profile politicians in the state – including former mayor Buddy Cianci.
Room 20
In a nursing home in San Diego, a patient known only as Six-Six Garage lies in a vegetative state after a near-fatal car accident, with police labelling him only as an “undocumented” Mexican immigrant. Fifteen years after his initial crash, reporter Joanne Faryon dedicates herself to finding out the truth about his identity and the people he left behind – the beginning of a shocking investigation into the history of his case. Gripping, timely, and important.
In The Dark
Produced by American Public Media, In The Dark combines truly masterful storytelling with powerful investigative journalism. Each series homes in on a crime with national significance, including that of African-American Curtis Flowers, who was convicted of murder by an all-white jury and sentenced to death in Mississippi in 2010, in spite of the fact that he maintained his innocence. In The Dark’s probing research into his trial brought to light key misconduct on the part of the District Attorney’s team, ultimately leading to the case going to the Supreme Court.
The Last Days Of August
At the end of 2017, 23-year-old adult film star August Ames committed suicide after her Tweets about refusing to work with men who shot gay porn were met with widespread backlash. In The Last Days of August, journalist Jon Ronson (The Psychopath Test) both delves into her backstory and explores the many hierarchies implicit within the porn industry today in a way that’s sensitive, enlightening, and deeply empathetic. Listen to it from start to finish, then download Ronson’s earlier podcast The Butterfly Effect, which looks at the tech industry’s transformation of the adult film world.
Believed
This astonishing NPR podcast centres on the case of Larry Nassar, the doctor to the USA Gymnastics team and a physician at Michigan State University, who is believed to have abused more than 250 victims over several decades. Following his conviction for seven counts of sexual assault against minors, reporters Kate Wells and Lindsey Smith look to the past to try and understand how Nassar’s crimes went unchecked for so long, and why those who did speak out about his behaviour were silenced. Not to be missed.
The Missing
Could you help locate a missing person? That’s exactly what this tense series hosted by Pandora Sykes asks of its listeners. Each episode focuses on a different case, stitching together beguiling clues about their last known whereabouts as well as the emotional testimonies of friends and family, and implores the public to come forward with more information. As theories are explored, dismissed and revisited, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and buoyed by the fact that the final piece of the puzzle might be found at any moment.
Sweet Bobby
The kind of podcast that will keep you up all night frantically Googling all of the details, this fascinating six-part series hosted by Alexi Mostrous follows a radio presenter named Kirat who falls for Bobby, a cardiologist she meets on social media. They enter into a tumultuous relationship and, a decade after their first interaction, Kirat discovers she’s being catfished by someone close to her for no apparent reason. It’s a word-of-mouth sensation that has inspired countless think pieces and ignited a national conversation around coercive control.
The Dropout
Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who was found guilty of defrauding investors with her dubious blood-testing company, is placed under a microscope by ABC News reporter Rebecca Jarvis in this compelling 25-episode study. It takes us from the idealistic early days of the business to Holmes’s clashes with employees, the exposé that changed everything and the dramatic trial that followed. It’s the perfect companion piece to the Disney+ show of the same name, in which Amanda Seyfried dons a black turtleneck to play the grifter.
,
Read more: Who Will Be The Next James Bond?
15 Vegan Cookbooks To Inspire You To Join The Plant-Based Revolution Gallery 15 Photos
By Hayley Maitland
View Gallery
The Best History Podcasts
1619
This five-part 2019 project from The New York Times garnered significant attention for its in-depth examination of the realities of being black in America – 400 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived on the continent. Bringing together a prominent panel of guests, including Harvard historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad and novelist Yaa Gyasi, the series looks at topics as varied as politics, the economy, public health, and land ownership. It is utterly brilliant.
Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World
As the war in Ukraine continues, Anastasiia Lapatina and Jakub Parusinski, two formidable journalists from The Kyiv Independent, speak to academics, foreign policy experts, politicians and civilians in their beleaguered nation about the global consequences of the conflict, how we got here, and what comes next. Over 12 absorbing episodes, their series offers an introduction to both Eastern European history and 21st century geopolitics, as well as the on-the-ground realities of living in a country that has been under sustained bombardment for so many months.
Scattered
Part family history, part political drama, American comedian Chris Garcia tells the story of his recently departed father, a Cuban refugee who built a life in the US after surviving Castro’s labour camps. Incredibly touching and poignant – as well as laugh-out-loud funny in parts.
If Jewels Could Talk With Carol Woolton
Writer, author and editor Carol Woolton shares her invaluable knowledge of jewellery and gemstones in her new podcast, If Jewels Could Talk with Carol Woolton. The British Vogue contributing editor invites some of the best in the business to explore past eras, future design and more. “Jewels are the starting point to discuss past eras, romance, lost fortunes, revolution, precious stones and personal histories,” she says.
,
