Twenty years back, Apple incorporated podcasts into iTunes, contributing to the validation and rise of a new entertainment genre. To honor the podcast landscape two decades later, the company has launched a dedicated page on its website named “20 Years, 20 Podcasts We Love,” highlighting significant podcasts over the years. Apple also announced it will feature videos from the hosts of these podcasts addressing questions about podcasting in celebration of this milestone.
“Podcasts serve as the ideal medium to narrate a compelling story, and I’m thrilled that Apple continues to champion them so passionately after 20 years,” stated Ira Glass, host and executive producer of This American Life.
Here are 20 top podcasts, as identified by Apple:
1. **Love and Radio**, launched in 2005, resembles a personal diary.
2. **This American Life**, launched in 2006, focuses on society and culture.
3. **99% Invisible**, launched in 2010, is a program that emphasizes the omnipresence of design.
4. **The Truth**, launched in 2012, features fictional storytelling.
5. **The Read**, launched in 2013, is a comedic show and the original “hang-out-with-friends” podcast.
6. **Song Exploder**, launched in 2014, helps listeners rediscover their favorite songs.
7. **Serial**, launched in 2014, established the true-crime podcast genre.
8. **Mystery Show**, launched in 2015, probes mysteries that elude internet searches.
9. **Acquired**, launched in 2015, shares the backstories of the world’s largest corporations.
10. **Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang**, launched in 2016, features two culture critics who have shaped the cultural landscape.
11. **The Daily**, launched in 2017, is the trailblazer of daily news podcasts.
12. **Call Her Daddy**, launched in 2018, sets a new standard for interviews with top celebrities.
13. **MOONFACE**, launched in 2019, is a drama podcast that aids in self-discovery.
14. **Dolly Parton’s America**, launched in 2019, includes Parton reflecting on American culture.
15. **The Rest Is History**, launched in 2020, examines both renowned and obscure historical events.
16. **Huberman Lab**, launched in 2021, discusses health and fitness topics.
17. **Suave**, launched in 2021, explores society and culture, focusing on life post-incarceration.
18. **Sweet Bobby**, launched in 2021, is a series centered around true crime.
19. **Baby, This Is Keke Palmer**, launched in 2023, offers comedic insights with a “charming host.”
20. **Therapuss with Jake Shane**, launched in 2024, provides guidance from an “internet addict.”
Apple Podcasts highlights:
– Initially, iTunes featured 3,000 podcasts. Today, it stands as a global platform with millions of shows spanning various genres.
– The Apple Podcasts app debuted in 2012 and currently includes customized discovery features to assist users in finding their favorite shows.
– 2024 marked Apple’s highest achievements in podcasts, boasting “more listeners, plays, and subscribers than ever.” The company claims Apple Podcasts “experienced double-digit growth in over 100 nations this year.”
– This fall, Apple Podcasts will introduce a broader selection of playback speeds and unveil an Enhance Dialogue feature.
Here’s to two more decades of podcasts on the Apple Podcasts app and further!
