This year's Listmania continues with a countdown of the best podcasts of 2018. 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 subscribe button and prepare to have hours and hours of great (and mostly free) entertainment.
11. Hit Parade
There is a lot to enjoy about music throughout the decades. It has helped to unify and define moments in our lives and society. However, there is something more interesting about understanding what made a song or album number one on the charts. That is why this show has remained an essential deconstruction not only about the formula used to reach that but how culture has changed in that time. In recent episodes, subjects have included Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation," Broadway albums, and who was the definitive artist of the decade (spoiler alert: it was Rihanna). There's nothing that is off-topic, and it all helps to paint a passionate picture of art as commerce, and how the right idea at the right time makes all of the difference.
12. Stand By Your Band
Few shows embody the idea of the guilty pleasure quite like this one. Hosted by a group of comedians, they invite a guest on to look at music that is considered divisive. Where most shows would get by on simply being antagonistic, the show's deep affection and criticism of the average subject provides a better understanding on why we like the music that we do. While some of the subjects may seem baffling, for better and worse, the choice to give every band their fair shake is what makes the show an enjoyable listen. By the end you may not like the music that's played, but there is a unified appreciation of the music. For all of the crass jokes and asides scattered throughout the average episode, it's the equivalence of hanging out with your buddies and trying to understand what makes you like music. There will be ribbing, but there will also be informed opinions as well.
13. 80s All Over
The bad news is that the show has hit a hiatus due to the hosts needing a break. However, the good news is that what they have covered so far is among the most ambitious and exciting podcasting to date. The goal is to cover every major film of the 1980s and understand its place in the larger conversation. On one hand, it was a place to get great recommendations on obscure cinema that's been long forgotten. However, it's more endearing to hear Scott Weinberg and Drew McWeeney discuss how it applies to their personal lives, revealing how media has helped create them into the individuals that they are today. With excellent use of sound clips, the results are always a delight and make for one of the most exciting history lessons in podcast form, even if they're only snippets of bigger subjects.
14. The Next Picture Show
There have been few shows that have managed to explore the history of film with as much clarity as this. The premise remains simple: no film exists in a vacuum. Everything has been influenced by something else. That is why their choice to sometimes explore films by directors and another theme opens up the discourse on how rich and unique film is. Does Hustlers have much of a connection to Casino? It isn't until you get into the heart of these episodes that deeper truths open up and the group of seasoned vets brings an entertaining perspective on the matter. While it's mostly a great and informative look into pop culture's history, there are those fun dynamics constantly teased that make the episodes pop with life and make a desire to return every week all the more necessary.
15. Blink-155
Without changing their format, the love letter to Blink-182 has somehow gotten better with each passing year. With a flippant disregard for the project, the hosts have broken through their 100th episode only to find the band releasing a new record. Their honesty towards the music allows an exploration of growth and understanding about how the band has changed since their early roots almost 30 years ago. As much as this feels like a Sisyphean task, it does reveal something more intricate about the pop-punk masters. It also helps to reveal plenty about the fan base, where they explore covers and remixes that show how music is consumed in a modern text. It may be a show about Blink-182 at their highs and lows (mostly middles right now), but it's about why we love music in general. It's not just about a song, it's about a form of expression that is somethings boneheaded and dumb. Whether they want to admit it or not, that's part of what keeps Blink-155 a charming show full of its own rich lingo.
16. TV's Top 5
After a long break from the podcast game, Dan Fienberg has teamed with his Hollywood Reporter cohort Lesley Goldberg for a show diving into regular news coverage of all things TV. While it rarely serves as an in-depth exploration of any given show, it's the perfect place to understand the current trends in media, how figures working behind the scenes impact what makes it to air. It also helps that they have a friendly air and seem to enjoy each other's company as they breaking into goofy bits (Fienberg especially loves saying Hulu's Pen15 a certain way). It also features showrunner spotlights to help give a sense of what goes into the thought process of some of our favorite shows. It's always a great time and will help you know what's going on in the world beyond whether or not a single episode of TV was great. If anything, the show suggests that all TV is great and we should do everything to stay on top of why that is.
17. Storm of Spoilers
One of the big moments of 2019 was the end of HBO's juggernaut series Game of Thrones. While there were many prognosticating what would happen, none did it as well as this show that features Da7e Gonzalez, Joanna Robinson, and Niel Miller breaking down the latest news for the show and going into details that only enhance the show. To listen to the show as a chaser to the TV series has been a highlight, and thankfully the trio has found ways to continue making quality work by exploring other shows worthy of lore. They're currently rewatching all of Lost in between reviewing other shows and movies, and it may be some of the most fun, the informative time you'll have with pop culture.
18. Classic TV Recaps:
Order of the Straight Arrow, Pod Yourself a Gun,
The West Wing Weekly, The Animanicast
With the rise of streaming services making TV more accessible, it's easy to make shows dedicated to yesteryear. That is why it's hard to not just fill this list with a half-dozen shows that feature fans lovingly recalling the highs and lows of any show. In this jumbled collection is a mix of newcomers and professionals all coming together in well-produced programming. While some of it may be borderline absurd (The Sopranos show Pod Yourself a Gun feels tailor-made for juvenile tangents), others are passionate creations. The West Wing Weekly is quickly approaching the end of its run and paying tribute to many aspects of the Aaron Sorkin classic. The Animanicast has detailed the upcoming reboot in almost monthly updates. Order of the Straight Arrow is the type of show you just want to hang out with, open a beer, and watch King of the Hill with. There's a lot to enjoy about the medium, and these are some of the best examples of it.
19. The A24 Podcast
One could say it about any other year, but A24 had a banner moment in 2019, managing to expand their niche branding to even more interesting directions with films ranging from family (The Farewell) to relationships (The Souvenir) to whatever Uncut Gems is likely to be. With all of that said, their podcast that is arguably free of a consistent host has continued to deliver some of the best film criticism year in and year out. In this case, the highlights include a podcast where Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) and Ari Aster (Midsommar) try to see who is the bigger Ingmar Bergman obsessive. It's adorable and shows the many dynamics by which the show plays with. It may not be about one thing, but it definitely has a great time showing where ideas and passion come from better than any other studio-branded show.
20. Increment Vice
If one filmmaker has obtained a mythic status in the past decade, it's Paul Thomas Anderson. With an incredible filmography full of Oscar-nominated roles, making a podcast about any of his films would be an easy task. However, there's something special about One Heat Minute's latest spin-off that focuses on the exploits of Inherent Vice: a story comedy that's also a commentary on life passing us by. While the show is still relatively young, host Travis Woods does a great job of sharing his obsession with various types of peoples from die-hards to first-timers. Everyone is invited to revel in this neo-noir, and in the process creates one of the most delightful celebrations of film in audio form yet. It's not just an exhaustive look at the film, it's a warm hug embracing something you love.
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