This year's Listmania continues with a countdown of the best podcasts of 2017. It was a year of incredible highs and lows, and the fledgling medium was there to capture and comment on it all. With more shows coming out almost daily, it is impossible to boil it down to only a handful of shows that mattered. So while this is a "Top 20," certain entries were broken down into categories and themes. There's closer to 25 between this two day extravaganza, so heat up that subscription button and prepare to have hours and hours of great (and mostly free) entertainment.
1. WTF with Marc Maron
With almost a thousand episodes to his credit, it becomes a miracle to think that Marc Maron hasn't interviewed everyone. It's becoming tougher, especially as this past year included a conversation with Paul McCartney. Where do you go from there? While he had a few mishaps this year (his fight with comic book fans following an interview with Paul Rudd, calling them "Brain-raped by He-Man" didn't look well when he was cast in a Joker movie DAYS later hasn't aged well). Beyond that, he has explored more pathos and coming to terms with his status as a celebrity, working the awards circuit with G.L.O.W. while interviewing out of his garage. He is still one of the essential interviewers of the podcasting realm, if just because his personal journey has shown growth and maturity from a man who thinks everyone hates him. For his few outbreaks, he has formed a charm for helping his fans deal with these turbulent times. It would be a lot tougher without him, that's for sure.
2. Fighting in the War Room
Earlier this year, co-hosts Patches and Da7e made an episode talking about how the show was coming to an end. For those who missed the episode (it has been rumored to not exist now), it was the podcast joke equivalent of War of the Worlds. Thankfully, the show has continued to move on with quality entertainment and commentary on a weekly basis. There was a lot to talk about in the realm of film, TV, music, and whatever interested the hosts that week. With four bright voices whose output includes work at Vanity Fair, Indiewire, and Thrillist, they are the perfect cross section of opinions in modern pop culture. With plenty of great recommendations, the show has plenty to offer in each episode. So long as they don't disappear from the internet for good, they will continue to be one of the best, most essential podcasts out there.
3. Score: The Podcast
Following a documentary all about the craft of film composing, the crew decided to make a podcast all about the subject. It's essential listening for anyone who loves the music that accompanies any film, no matter how big or small. The conversations of craft are met with a sense of friendliness and humor. In the average episode, the guest is one of the top composers in the business and they have plenty to say how they got there. Listen to Mychael Danna talk about how he composed Life of Pi to an Oscar nomination. There's a lot that goes into the making of a great score, which includes some studio disagreements. Every show ends with naming a score played in reverse. There's a lot of fun to be had, but most of all it gives a deeper appreciation for the craft in a subject that hasn't been covered to death in podcast form. Here's hoping that they find more great names to interview in the new year.
4. You Must Remember This
What hasn't been said about Karina Longworth's podcast by now? Over the past three years, it has become required listening for cinephiles of any level. The stories are usually full of rich intrigue about the studio system and the actresses who try to break into it. This past year has featured her talking about Howard Hughes' girlfriends as well as deconstruction the gossip tell-all "Hollywood Babylon." Longworth's passion translates very well to the show's high production values. Movie history podcasts strive to be this good, and odds are that this will remain in the pantheon of great podcasts until her eventual retirement. For now, the stories of the actresses time has forgotten will introduce new audiences to the magic and maybe even lead to a few career revivals. The power of Longworth knows no bounds.
5. Dissect
There's a simple belief that hip-hop is a disposable genre. After all, it samples a lot of music and features freestyle raps. But what this show posits is that there's more to the genre than catchy melodies. While the show has been going strong since its debut a few years ago, this was the first full year, and it sure had a lot to offer. Its series on Frank Ocean's "Blond" and Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" are some of the best dissections of any music of any genre, managing to bring history of the artist as well as lyrical wordplay and even melodic structure that is far more clever once you apply music theory. This is a show that seeks to legitimize modern music and make it stand for more than radio play. This is essential for anyone who wants to fall in love with artists like Ocean, Hill, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamarr on a deeper level. One can hope that whatever he chooses next will be just as engrossing as the ground he's covered so far.
6. The Dana Gould Hour
By some miracle, Dana Gould has fixed his podcast after years of uneven release schedules. For the first time in awhile, he stuck to a monthly release and (mostly) met his goal. It likely helped to center his conversations through the 12 episodes as he explored everything that interests himself. His guests are just as geeky and passionate as him, and it makes the often three hours roll by quickly. Few shows are so rooted in a retro schlock and modern political conversations in the same episode and makes it work. While Gould has become more preachy in recent years, he's still an entertainer first and foremost, and this year features some of his strongest bits in quite awhile. It's a show that accomplishes so much that you forgive the long delays between episodes. He's got a lot to say, and thankfully it's plenty interesting.
7. TV Avalanche
Up until midway through the year, there was no podcast quite like the show hosted by Alan Sepinwall and Brian Grubb. Sepinwall has made a name for himself thanks to his insightful commentary on TV recaps, and the same could be said here. Grubb was more of a pulpy TV fan, enjoying the silliness of shows like Zoo and 9-11. The dynamic was perfect and helped to give the best recap of every show, old and new, on TV in a way that was always anticipatory. It's sad to see the show end prematurely, bringing Sepinwall's second great TV coverage podcast (after Firewall & Iceberg) come to an end. However, there's no need to worry about Sepinwall. He's currently the top TV critic for Rolling Stone as well as on the verge of releasing a book about The Sopranos with Matt Zoeller Seitz next month. He'll be just fine, though his lack of podcast presence will be greatly missed.
8. Don't @ Me
If you're someone who believes in the era of peak TV, there's a good chance that you might consider Dear White People one of the best shows in Netflix's recent history. The show runner, director, and writer Justin Simien has quickly become an intriguing presence thanks to the film and TV series and has created one of the most compelling new interview shows that looks at cultural identity as it relates to the media. As a black gay man, he has plenty of experience when it comes to defying the odds and this helps to show how far the debate ranges. Anything is on the table, and his guests are often highly enjoyable. The title refers to a third act segment where they give controversial opinions about everyday taboos. It's plenty of fun and is one of the many reasons that Simien's social commentary is just exciting and entertaining as anything he's put to film.
9. Amy Nicholson Shows:
Uspooled, Halloween Unmasked
If there's anyone who made a strong mark on the podcasting world in 2018, it was Amy Nicholson. While her original series The Canon was met with controversy following Devin Faraci's exit, her new show with Paul Scheer has lead to some of the best conversation about what makes classic films, well, classic. The American Film Institute's Top 100 hasn't been updated in over a decade, and it leads to an interesting conversation about how different it would look today, especially as the toxic masculinity that informs a lot of these movies has become outdated. With plenty of great interviews and insight, it helps to make the films we hold dear have a deeper meaning. While this would be enough to make Nicholson a film historian to watch, the additional Halloween Unmasked spent this past October exploring the Halloween franchise in excellent detail. It appears there's no subject she isn't passionate about. Watch out for Amy Nicholson. She's going to become a voice to listen to in the years to come.
10. The Top Shelf Series:
Top Shelf: Disney Animation Studio Library,
Top Shelf: Tom Hanks Feature Filmography
The great people over at Top Shelf have made a career out of exploring the cornerstones of American cinema. Following their series on the American Film Institute comes two even more appealing topics. This year they wrapped up their series on the Disney Animation Studio Library that included lengthy dives into recent memorable films like Tangled, Frozen, and Moana (they recently returned with Ralph Breaks the Internet). They have a strong fan base who enjoy interacting and enriching the conversation. Expect to learn a lot of trivia about every film in the library as well as how they connect together. They recently also started a series on Tom Hanks, which has only gotten through his early comedies. Still, the show expected to grow as they hit such hits as Forrest Gump and Toy Story in the New Year. For now, you can get on board with it before the show gets too far along.
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