Best Podcasts 2023: Top 20 Shows You Must Listen To

In 2023, finding the best podcast meant navigating millions of episodes across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and NPR's platforms. Every listener searching for quality audio content had unprecedented choices. From investigative podcasts uncovering murder mysteries to comedy podcasts featuring celebrity hosts, these top podcasts dominated 2023's charts and fascinated audiences worldwide.

1. Huberman Lab

Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman's podcast transformed health and wellness audio content in 2023 and continues as a leading science series. Each episode delivers peer-reviewed neuroscience research translated into actionable protocols, from optimizing sleep through temperature regulation to managing stress with specific breathing techniques. The host breaks down complex studies about dopamine, cortisol, and neural plasticity while explaining exactly how listeners can apply these findings. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Huberman Lab remains the top podcast for evidence-based health optimization, with millions of listeners implementing morning sunlight protocols and cold exposure techniques.

2. Fresh Air

Terry Gross and Fresh Air continued setting the standard for interview podcasts throughout 2023, as NPR's flagship interview program celebrated nearly 50 years on air. Each episode features Gross conducting intimate conversations with prominent figures from entertainment, arts, journalism, and global affairs. The host's signature interviewing style draws out revelations from celebrity guests, politicians, and cultural figures that other journalists rarely achieve. Unlike typical promotional interviews, Fresh Air creates space for genuine conversation about complex topics, from murder investigations to political scandals. This NPR series remains the best podcast for listeners seeking thoughtful, in-depth interviews that reveal the human stories behind headlines.

3. SmartLess

Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes keep SmartLess at the top of comedy podcast charts. Their format of surprising each other with mystery celebrity guests creates genuinely spontaneous moments. HBO Max released a documentary about their live tour in May 2023, showcasing the chemistry between these comedian hosts. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, each episode features celebrity interviews that feel more like eavesdropping on famous friends than promotional appearances. SmartLess proves that unscripted celebrity podcasts can fascinate millions.

4. Radiolab

NPR's Radiolab, with hosts Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser who took the reins in 2023, continues using innovative audio production to make complex topics engaging. The series combines investigative journalism with creative sound design, turning abstract concepts into immersive audio experiences. Episodes explore everything from ghost phenomena to cold case investigations using archival recordings and sonic experimentation. This NPR flagship proves that educational content can fascinate through creative presentation, with reporters spending months on single stories to ensure depth and accuracy.

5. Normal Gossip

Kelsey McKinney's Normal Gossip dominated 2023 with its unique format of sharing outrageous true stories submitted by listeners. These aren't fiction podcasts but real accounts of workplace scandals, neighborhood feuds, and social group implosions, with names changed for anonymity. McKinney's storytelling transforms mundane settings into compelling narratives that listeners can't stop discussing. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, the series proves that regular people's drama can fascinate just as much as celebrity gossip.

6. Search Engine

PJ Vogt launched Search Engine in 2023, bringing his investigative journalism skills to exploring digital age questions. Each episode sees this journalist dive into topics like online conspiracy theories or algorithmic influence through deep reporting. PJ Vogt combines reporter instincts with genuine curiosity, often testing theories himself or interviewing unexpected experts. His approach makes complex digital phenomena accessible while maintaining the funny observations that make him a podcast favorite.

7. The 13th Step

The 13th Step exposed predatory behavior in addiction recovery programs through meticulous investigative journalism when it launched in 2023. This true crime podcast reveals how some sponsors and treatment professionals exploit vulnerable people seeking help, with reporters documenting patterns of sex crimes and abuse within recovery communities. The investigation includes court documents and survivor testimony showing systemic failures in protecting people during their most vulnerable moments. This investigative podcast sparked actual policy discussions about oversight in treatment facilities.

8. The Retrievals

The New York Times and Serial Productions released The Retrievals in 2023, another example of Serial's team's investigative excellence beyond their flagship show. This investigative podcast explored the Yale Fertility Center scandal where a nurse replaced fentanyl with saline during egg retrieval procedures. The series included patient testimony describing excruciating pain and Yale's institutional response. New York Times reporters obtained documents showing how the situation unfolded over months. Each episode revealed how prestigious medical institutions could fail their most vulnerable patients through systemic negligence.

9. Ghost Story

Wondery's Ghost Story blended supernatural elements with true crime investigation throughout 2023. The series follows journalists exploring connections between reported hauntings and cold case murders, using paranormal reports as starting points for actual murder investigations. Wondery's atmospheric production creates immersive audio that makes listeners question their beliefs. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, the series fascinates by taking unconventional approaches to investigating cold cases.

10. This American Life

Ira Glass and This American Life continue their decades-long tradition of narrative excellence. NPR's pioneering series spends extensive time with subjects to capture intimate moments within larger American stories. The show's blend of investigative journalism, personal narrative, and occasional comedian contributors creates its signature tone. This NPR institution remains the best podcast for understanding American life through individual experiences, influencing every story-driven podcast that follows.

11. The Big Dig

The Big Dig podcast investigated Boston's notorious construction project throughout 2023, revealing corruption and mismanagement through investigative journalism. Reporters uncovered how the project's budget ballooned while safety standards were ignored, leading to preventable deaths and billions in waste. Each episode exposed new layers of corruption involving politicians, contractors, and organized crime connections. The host made municipal scandal as compelling as any murder mystery, proving infrastructure stories could fascinate listeners.

12. You Didn't See Nothin

You Didn't See Nothin premiered in 2023, with journalist Yohance Lacour revisiting the 1997 hate crime beating of 13-year-old Lenard Clark in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. Part investigation and part memoir, Yohance examined how powerful families manipulated media coverage to transform a brutal assault into a story of racial reconciliation. This Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award-winning podcast from USG Audio and the Invisible Institute showed how investigative journalism could correct historical narratives. Lacour, returning to Chicago after a 10-year prison sentence, tracked down witnesses and exposed how this case connected to present-day injustices. Each episode revealed nothin but hard truths about power, race, and media manipulation.

13. Reveal

NPR's Reveal continues producing groundbreaking investigative podcasts, exposing systemic injustices and corporate malfeasance. The team of reporters tackles everything from environmental crimes to cold case investigations, often spending months on single stories. This investigative journalism podcast prompts congressional hearings and criminal investigations through its reporting. Each episode demonstrates how audio journalism can create real change, making Reveal a top podcast for listeners who want their media consumption to matter.

14. The Daily

The New York Times' The Daily, hosted by Michael Barbaro, remains the best podcast for morning news. New York Times journalists break down major events by focusing on individuals affected, making abstract policies feel personal. The host's conversational interview style helps listeners grasp dense topics during their commute. This series on Apple Podcasts shows how traditional media successfully adapts to audio journalism.

15. Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend

Comedian Conan O'Brien's celebrity interview podcast continues thriving with genuine vulnerability emerging through humor. Each episode features celebrity guests in extended conversations that go beyond typical promotional interviews, with O'Brien's self-deprecating approach making famous people surprisingly open. This comedy podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts succeeds because the host seems genuinely interested in connecting with guests rather than just entertaining audiences. His funny yet sincere style redefines what celebrity podcasts can achieve.

16. The Coldest Case in Laramie

Serial Productions released The Coldest Case in Laramie in 2023, continuing the investigative excellence that made Serial a household name. This true crime podcast investigated the 1985 murder of Shelli Wiley in Laramie, Wyoming. Host Kim Barker returned to Laramie to uncover how police mishandled evidence and pursued wrong suspects for decades. The series from the New York Times revealed how small-town murder investigations became tangled with local politics and bias. Reporters discovered that key evidence was ignored while investigators pursued false leads based on prejudice. Each episode of this investigative podcast peeled back layers of small-town secrets that kept a killer free for over 30 years.

17. Sex, Lies, and Murder

Sex, Lies, and Murder examined true crime cases in 2023 where romantic entanglements led to homicide, with careful attention to victim dignity. The host interviews investigators and forensic experts to understand how intimate relationships can turn deadly. This investigative podcast on Spotify explores the psychology behind crimes of passion while examining cold cases with fresh perspectives. Each episode demonstrates how journalists can cover sex-related murder cases without sensationalism, making this series essential for true crime podcast fans seeking responsible reporting.

18. My Dad Wrote a Porno

Though My Dad Wrote a Porno concluded in December 2022, its cultural impact continued throughout 2023 with live tours and ongoing popularity. Jamie Morton reading his father's amateur erotic fiction "Belinda Blinked" while comedians James Cooper and Alice Levine provided commentary remained a comedy podcast phenomenon. Celebrity guests like Elijah Wood had appeared to discuss Rocky Flintstone's anatomically impossible fiction. This series on Apple Podcasts and Spotify proved that fiction podcasts work best when the fiction is genuinely terrible and the comedians are genuinely baffled by descriptions that defy medical science.

19. Comedy Bang! Bang!

Scott Aukerman's Comedy Bang! Bang! continues its improvisational chaos, with comedians creating elaborate fictional characters alongside celebrity interviews. Each episode starts with relatively normal conversation before spiraling into absurdist improvisation featuring recurring characters and increasingly bizarre scenarios. Celebrity guests must adapt to the chaos while comedian regulars build an interconnected fictional universe. This Spotify and Apple Podcasts series proves that funny, unstructured content can develop its own internal logic that fascinates devoted listeners.

20. Call Her Daddy

Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy dominated 2023 as a Spotify exclusive that revolutionized how podcasts discuss sex and relationships. Cooper's interview technique gets celebrities sharing intimate details about their personal lives while maintaining thoughtful discussion about modern dating challenges. Each episode tackles topics other hosts avoid, from detailed sex advice to relationship dynamics, with a directness that resonates with young listeners. This top podcast proves explicit content can be both commercially successful and culturally influential.

Why These Podcasts Defined 2023

These best podcasts showcased audio's evolution in 2023 from simple interview formats to complex investigative journalism rivaling traditional media. NPR's continued excellence alongside new voices like PJ Vogt and Yohance Lacour proved podcasting attracted top talent across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and NPR's platforms.

Investigative podcasts particularly thrived that year. Journalists from the New York Times, NPR's Reveal, Serial Productions, and independent teams proved investigative journalism had found its perfect medium, using audio to tell stories about cold cases, murder investigations, and systemic failures that fascinated and horrified in equal measure.

Comedy podcasts provided essential relief, with comedians hosting shows that were genuinely funny while occasionally profound. Celebrity interviews on these comedy series revealed more than traditional media ever could, proving humor opens doors to deeper conversations.

Fiction podcasts proved their worth as legitimate entertainment, with both scripted dramas and comedy series about fiction finding massive audiences. True crime podcasts like The 13th Step and You Didn't See Nothin evolved beyond simple murder retellings, demonstrating how investigative journalism could examine cold cases responsibly without exploiting victims.

Find Your Next Listen

The variety among 2023's top podcasts reflected audio content's maturation. From NPR's journalistic excellence to Spotify's exclusive content, from Wondery's produced narratives to independent journalist investigations, each host brought unique perspective that created intimacy television couldn't match.

What united these top podcasts was uncompromising quality: exceptional hosts who respected their listeners, production that enhanced rather than distracted, and stories worth telling. Whether investigating murder, exploring addiction, interviewing celebrities, or creating fiction, these shows understood that audio creates unique connections with audiences.

Each episode rewards attention during commutes, workouts, or quiet evenings. These 2023 standouts set benchmarks for creativity and impact that continue influencing podcasting today. The best podcasts make listeners think, laugh, gasp, and sometimes cry. For those curious about how the medium continues evolving, check out the best podcasts of 2025 to discover which shows are defining audio storytelling now.