If you haven’t heard or seen already, the 2017 Discover Pods Awards are narrowing down to a conclusion on December 14th, with the finalists being voted on now. However, we feel all the finalists deserve rightful recognition since after over 4,000 nominations these are the creme de la creme, and rightfully considered the best podcasts of 2017.
As no surprise, 2017 was another growing year for podcasts. Our own Podcast Trends Report 2017 found that “55.7% of respondents spend more time listening to podcasts than watching TV” and “66.8% of people listen to more than 7 hours of podcasts each week”. As podcasts further integrate into the mainstream, quality content will remain the most important factor in gaining listeners.
Here are the best overall podcasts of 2017 listed alphabetically as to not sway and campaign on anyone’s behalf. Below are the best podcasts by nomination category.
Best Overall in 2017
Criminal
Criminal remains one of the best true crime podcasts out there — obviously, since it made the “best of” shortlist. What separates it from others in the genre is each episode is a self-contained story about a particular crime, instead of a serialized or seasonal story. Host Phoebe Judge does an excellent job telling the crime stories in a compelling, and concise manner. Most episodes hover around the 30-minute mark.
Lore
Lore is one of the notable podcasts making the leap beyond just podcasts. Host Aaron Mahnke takes listeners through the original stories of some of the greatest urban legends, folklore, and ghost stories. Through the podcasts success, Mahnke has adapted Lore for a TV show on Amazon.
Mogul
Mogul was a new podcast for 2017 that tells the biography of Chris Lighty, a music mogul in the hip hop and R&B world. His interactions with DMX, Warren G, and 50 Cent are chronicled through the narrative podcast.
Pod Save America
Pod Save America is the foundational podcast from new podcast production company, Crooked Media. The political podcast originated from The Ringer’s Keepin’ it 1600, but after the unexpected presidential election outcome, Crooked Media and Pod Save America were born.
Reply All
Reply All is Gimlet’s internet podcast. Anything you could possibly want to know related to technology, social media, or the internet in general, Reply All has likely covered in an absolutely fascinating way. Their two-part podcast, Long Distance, was also nominated for Best Podcast Episode.
S-Town
S-Town is arguably the most mainstream podcast and winner of the imaginary Watercooler Award in that it was probably the most discussed podcast of all time. The true crime podcast tells the story of an alleged murder in Woodstock, Alabama derogatorily referred to as “Shit Town” or “S-town” for short.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Bill Simmons is often considered one of the early adopters of podcasts that helped the medium grow to where it is today. Previously of ESPN, Simmons’ topics tend to be grounded with sports, however, are typically intertwined with pop culture. His interview-style podcast has had notable guests such as Kevin Durant, Miles Teller, Andy Samberg, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The Daily
The Daily is one of most notable podcasts from a new format of 2017, daily news podcasts. New York Times produced, The Daily is hosted by Michael Barbaro and typically run under 25 minutes. The premise of the daily news podcasts is to give you a condensed version of the daily news to keep on the go people informed.
This American Life
This American Life has been produced in several forms over the years, however, the podcast version technically started in 1998, but became available on iTunes in 2010. The society and culture podcast, hosted by renown radio personality Ira Glass, provides a variety of content including journalism, essays, and historical footage.
WTF with Marc Maron
Marc Maron is another original podcaster. The comedian with his dark humor and torrid past is often cited as one of the best interview-style podcasts. His guest range from actors, to writers, to politicians — even hosted former President Obama.
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