“StoryCorps” by NPR
When your world seems out of control, tune in to StoryCorps and be reminded of the essential things in life. On this podcast, everyday Americans share identity-defining memories. Their stories are from the human heart, always based on what’s important in life: love, loss, family and friendship. After listening to the podcast, you’ll learn that memories can be some of our most treasured possessions.
This American Life” by WBEZ
This American Life is a long-running radio program that accurately dispatches ordinary Americans’ lives. The creators do an excellent job with details and imagery. The host’s style is journalistic but entertaining and built around real-life stories. All the reports have compelling individuals, funny moments, strong emotions, surprising plot twists and excitement.
“History of the 90s” by Curiouscast
If a famous story happened in the 1990s, you will hear about it on this podcast. In this podcast, “History of the 90s”, each tale helps define the decade. It’s interesting to listen to stories from the 20th century, such as the Menendez Brothers who allegedly shot their parents to death in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. The host takes you through these stories with a reporter-style tone.
“In Our Time: History” by BBC Radio 4
“In Our Time: History” is a podcast that goes in-depth on all time periods, from different locations and areas. The creator, Melvyn Bragg, discusses history from across the world and every century to unveil things you may have never heard of, or give more details on stories you’ve listened to. The show is discussion-driven but stays on topic and gives all the information you could want, episodes average forty-one minutes in length. Some listeners appreciate that Bragg has diverse guests who specialize in the history discussed. He makes sure he turns to these guests for expertise, varying perspectives and answers to his questions.
“Lore” by Aaron Mahnke and Grim & Mild
“Lore” is a bi-weekly storytelling podcast about all the stories you’ve never heard and probably the ones you never wanted to hear. Each story is about dark historical tales, exploring tragic events involving mysterious creatures. After feeling frightful, or horrified, listeners will be easily hooked with dark stories across the centuries. The host, Aaron Mahnke has a grim sense of humor, making this an addicting and educational podcast. If you become addicted, you can get even more stories now that “Lore” has been adapted to a book and a television show.
“Stuff You Missed in History Class” by iHeartRadio
The title says it all; this podcast is about the history that schools fail to teach us. Co-hosts, Holly and Tracy, take listeners through the events and lives of people you probably have never heard of, but that had a significant effect throughout history. The hosts try to balance everything by presenting an argument and immediately explaining the multiple, and often oppositional, viewpoints of the people involved at the time. Some listeners appreciate that the show recognizes and spends time on the stories of the many groups whose history was never formally taught in class.
“Heavyweight” by Gimlet Media
Life is messy, and everyone can use a fix, so whenever a new episode of “Heavyweight” comes out, there is just one option: stop everything and listen. The podcast aims to help people resolve any moment from their past that they wish they could change. The host, Jonathan Goldstein, helps break down the difficult conversations with his guests to help fix their lives. The hard topics are incredibly moving, poignant and oddly funny, thanks to Goldstein’s signature off-kilter humor
