We asked over 220 creators, producers, and hosts what theyve been listening to.
I honestly cant believe Im including this.
The most exciting podcast Ive heard in years.
Im kind of annoyed at how much this one captivated me.
This should be on everybodys list.
Welcome to the second annual Vulture Podcast Survey.
Ourfirst stab at the projectanointed Aubrey Gordon and Michael HobbessMaintenance Phaseas the standout.
We had so much funputting it together in 2021that weve decided to run it again.
People were given the opportunity to provide explanations for their votes, but that wasnt mandatory.
Many respondents gave them anyway, some of which we printed in the results below.
(Everyone quoted gave us permission to do so.
Some are named, while others are left anonymous.)
Our outreach yielded 227 responses (up from around 150 last year).
A few things to note.
In those instances, we prioritized the respondents personal picks over what they thought theyshouldbe highlighting.
Second, quite a few respondents provided deep lists of honorable mentions in addition to their top-three picks.
I was too busy working on my own stuff, which happens!
This years list doesnt cut all that broadly, and there werent many major surprises.
Spotify came in with just one entry, and its a good one.
Maybe theyll actually vote for them in the next survey.
Without further ado, heres the full list.
15.Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
15.
The echoes to today feltEEEEEERRRRIIIEEEE.
14.The Town
14.
Between the return of Bob Iger and the ongoing Zazlavification of Warner Bros.
Discovery, the entertainment business has never been more chaotic.
I dont want to actuallybethere, but I want to eavesdrop and hear everything theyre saying.
13.Into It With Sam Sanders
13.
Oh, would you look at that?
We think its great, but listen, dont take our word for it.
[I should note: No votes forInto Itcame from anybody related to Vox Media orNewYorkMagazine.]
.Which Publishers Had the Most Shows Voters Liked?
12.All There Is With Anderson Cooper
12.
A tearjerker, said Maggie Taylor of Pushkin Industries.
11.Will Be Wild
11.
10.The Trojan Horse Affair
10.
Im kind of annoyed at how much this one captivated me, said an editor at NPR.
Like, I get it.
You rifle through old papers and find something overlooked and theres a twist, blah blah.
But man, the Serial team can really tell a story.
9.Mother Country Radicals
9.
This is narrative docuseries at its best, said one agent, repping the general vibe of the responses.
But another recurring theme among responses was an acknowledgment of the projects sheer level of difficulty.
This show shouldnt have worked, one senior producer at a large entertainment company said.
Too many characters, the story is too complicated, the narrator is too close to it.
Yet they managed to use all of it to their advantage.
8.If Books Could Kill
8.
Is Hobbes the most influential independent podcaster working today?
In the words of Avery Trufelman, who hostsArticles of Interest, Its Hobbess world.
We just live in it.
7.Welcome to Provincetown
7.
I am invested in Sonny and his dumb-slut summer.
I am enamored with Vanessa Magixxs journey to stardom.
I am hooked on Mitras point of view on the people who make Provincetown …
This show makes me excited about where podcasting is heading.
.The Most Represented Genres in the Survey
Based on the official categories of Apple Podcasts.
6.Bone Valley
6.
It topped the list for many audio producers as well.
The writing in the final episode is some of the best Ive heard in any podcast.
Several votes forBone Valleywere couched with the caveat Im not a true crime person, but …
In some ways, this is perhaps the greatest compliment of all.
5.Dead Eyes
5.
As one would expect, Tom Hanksdelivers.
Yet somehow it didnt.
4.We Were Three
4.
Specific praise was directed at the shows language.
Nancy Updike is such a beautiful writer, said Eric Mennel, a senior producer at Pineapple Street.
3.Articles of Interest: American Ivy
3.
As a philosopher once said, make it fashion!
The season even sent someBlackbird Spyplanesubscribing voters into reveries.
2.Shameless Acquisition Target
2.
The podcast world has anointed its consummate insider.
This made me feel seen, said the co-founder of one podcast studio.
Love Laura and her hustle.
God, does she nail it with this one.
Its gonzo and funny as hell like if Hunter S. Thompson made trade mags.
I think itll be seen as an important record in the years to come.
All are eager to see what becomes ofShameless Acquisition Targetand what Mayer does next.
1.Normal Gossip
1.
Normal Gossipdidnt just run away with the votes in this years survey.
It got on a rocket, blasted off into space, and never looked back.
The final count wasnt even close such is the universal acclaim for this Defector Media podcast.
A sampling: A perfect little escape.
An absolute voyeuristic joy.
I love this show, because I am a self-identifiedchismosaand I LIVE for the mundane.
This felt like the first show in a few years that got other podcast creators excited for podcasts.
The pocket-watch episode??
I fully expect a Normal Gossip Cinematic UniverseTM in 2023.
Not so secretly the invite everyone in audio wants to get.
Voters directed specific commendation toward the teams emphasis on publicly modeling equitable production standards.
Still, its worth briefly recognizingMaintenance PhaseandHeavyweight.
(They would have placed at No.
8, respectively.)
Heres one representative comment: In my opinion people are still sleeping on Jonathan Goldstein.
It is extremely moving in a way that podcasts rarely are.
Which reminds me: In written responses, grumbles about Spotify continue to persist.
As one particularly terse respondent wrote, I would just like to see Spotify go away.
Karina continues to be a podcasting legend, said Antonia Cereijido, executive producer and host at LAist Studios.
She manages to always tap into the Zeitgeist, and this series was no exception.
I think this is her best miniseries yet, said Chris Berube, a producer on99% Invisible.
Seeing America work through its weird hang-ups around sex in the movies is such a rich vein.
in the world, said Rebecca Lavoie, host ofCrime Writers On …. ## Related
