Good Story Podcasts: Top 8 Most Fascinating Podcasts of 2019

Are you always on the hunt for a podcast to give you some new perspective on life?

There’s nothing quite like a good story to get the brain ticking.

But with the overwhelming number of good story podcasts to choose from, where do you start?

Right here.

We’ll take a look at eight of the top-rated podcasts right now – covering several areas of interest.

1. Hidden Brain by NPR

This cool podcast takes you on a journey through the landscape of the brain.

You might not think that subjects like neurology, biology, anthropology, economics, and psychology combine well. And you might even wonder how these cerebral subjects connect to everyday life.

But social scientist Shankar Vedantum does just that. 

Hidden Brain is a fascinating and entertaining combination of science and storytelling. Whether it’s why some people like broccoli while others don’t, to the intricacies of your sex life, this podcast will have you looking at your brain in an entirely different way. 

2. Life Will Be the Death Of Me with Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler is not afraid of controversy.

You may already know Handler from her hit E! talk show Chelsea Lately. Or perhaps you’ve read her memoirs. Whatever the case, she’s been a powerful voice in the pop culture sphere.

Handler is known for her biting wit and getting right to the point. She doesn’t mince words. Her Life Will Be the Death of Me podcast certainly delivers on this.  

In this limited series, she talks unapologetically and frankly about everything from childhood trauma to politics. She also had interviews with fascinating guests who are also very straight-forward like Natasha Lyonne and Connie Britton.

Potty mouth aside, this podcast demonstrates Handler’s evolution as a storyteller.

3. Cheddar’s Need2Know

Do you struggle with a chronic case of FOMO (fear of missing out)?

There’s so much going on in the world that it’s impossible to keep up with it all and still have a life.

But with Cheddar’s Need2Know podcast, you can get a highly condensed version of the highlights from the previous day.

Every day, Monday through Friday, two hosts from Cheddar’s streaming news channel offer a 10-minute breakdown of the previous day’s highlights.

In that short amount of time, you might hear about the antics of a major politician, followed by the impact of tornadoes in Kansas, and then get a smattering of the latest in pop culture.

It’s an incredibly effective way to save you from the paralysis of FOMO while allowing you to still live your life like a normal human being. 

4. Business Game Changers 

Do you celebrate those who stand up for what they believe is right?

With Business Game Changers, Sarah Westall discusses global corruption in businesses and government, how the media is complicit, and what some people are doing about it.

In an especially powerful podcast, she interviews Black Ops whistleblower Cody Snodgres. Snodgres was an independent contractor for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for 20 years.

Since that time, he has come forward to expose the illegal activities, also known as Black Ops, that occurred within that agency. Without going into too much detail, one such activity eventually resulted in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1994 done by Timothy McVeigh. 

It’s fascinating, albeit disturbing, stuff. 

5. Dare I Say

If you’re hungry to hear what influential women have to say, then tune into this Harper’s Bazaar podcast.

There’s nothing “girly” about this podcast. It’s unfiltered and intimate conversations between powerful women in their respective industries.

Actress and director Olivia Wilde knows how to bring together industry professionals to shed light on topics that are important to women today. And she does it in a way that exchanges syrupy preaching for informative honesty. 

It’s still tough for women to find space to sound off about the issues that matter to them. This podcast allows for just that. 

6. 10 Things That Scare Me

Experiencing fear is part of the human condition.

But there’s comfort in knowing that others have fears as well. Even if you don’t share the same ones.

The title of this podcast tells you exactly what to expect. Each episode runs five and eight minutes and typically features someone of note discussing ten things that scare him or her.

Some of the fears are simple things like of insects or animals. Others are more existential such as how one might die. Whatever the case, this podcast serves as a reminder that we’re all in this together.

And it might even give you a new perspective on why people are motivated to do the things they do out of a fear that you simply don’t share.

7. Dissect by Cole Cuchna

There are music fans and there are music aficionados.

While the former will certainly enjoy this podcast, it is the latter who will truly revel in it.

With each season of Dissect, Cole Cuchna dives deep into a popular piece of music and delivers a college type course on it.

For example, the first season dissected Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly with startling depth, while season four engaged in a deep exploration of Lauren Hill’s discography. 

Even if Cuchna hasn’t chosen the music of your choice, you’ll certainly come away from each season with a deeper understanding of the genius behind them.

And if already appreciate his choices, you’ll see just how layered the themes and plots are and walk away with an even deeper love of the musician(s) behind it. 

8. Gay Future

What if everyone in the future were gay?

In this hilariously outlandish podcast, this is the case. Schools are gay. The president is gay.

While this may sound completely functional, it was a dystopian nightmare for Mike Pence when he wrote a YA novel about this in 2002.

It is Pence’s novel upon which this podcast is based. And the hero of the story is the lone straight boy who’s setting out to scare the world straight. 

Chock full of stereotypes, this fictional pop-art podcast provides a good laugh for the non-bigotted of the world. 

Expand Your Horizons with Good Story Podcasts

We hope this sampling of what we deem to be good story podcasts enables you to further explore what it means to be human.

Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s tough. And sometimes, it’s just plain weird.

For more stories on all things weird, keep checking back with our blog! 

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