Listeners remain deeply interested in podcasts about race and what comes next in America. Yes, Joe Rogan’s back at the top of the Apple charts, but 1619 (No. 2) and Code Switch (No. 8) are still in the top 10.
The Daily, Post Reports and many other news podcasts also offered explainers on Juneteenth, the day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
This week’s counts: 49 notable guests, 14 new podcasts, three deep dives and one comedian just trying to work some things out.
Pod Take of the Week
“We’re like the gym on New Year’s. Only for racism.”
Listen: Code Switch: Why Now, White People? (1:45)
- That’s Code Switch co-host Shereen Marisol Meraji, joking about the surge in interest in her podcast — and in the Black Lives Matter movement among white people.
- Meraji and co-host Gene Demby ask some “very fired-up white people” about why they’re now interested in a podcast about race, and why they’re reading books about race and protesting on the streets in unprecedented numbers.
Go Deep
1) Oprah on What Comes After the Killing of George Floyd
Listen: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
- In a two-part series Oprah seeks answers to the questions: “What matters now? What matters next? Where do we go from here?”
- Among those she talks to: Stacey Abrams, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Ava DuVernay, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ibram X. Kendi and David Oyelowo.
2) Covid-19 and Housing
Listen: a16z Podcast
- Andreessen Horowitz goes deep with “a two-part series that examines the pandemic’s impact on real estate.”
3) Science and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”
Listen: Bad Science
- A comedian and a scientist analyze the science in the Wes Anderson flick.
Guest Appearances By…
($L) = On Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. Ad-Rock Armchair Expert
Andre, Eric Good One, The Last Laugh, Never Not Funny
Apatow, Judd The Big Picture, Life is Short with Justin Long, The Moment with Brian Koppelman, In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt
- He’s still out there promoting his latest, “The King of Staten Island.”
Bloom, Rachel Go Fact Yourself
Birbiglia, Mike Kickass News
Bublé, Michael Self-Helpless
Byer, Nicole I Weigh with Jameela Jamil
Case, Neko The Three Questions with Andy Richter
Cauvin, J-L WTF with Marc Maron
Cox, Laverne Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, The Big Ticket
Danson, Ted The Awardist
Davidson, Tommy Go Fact Yourself
Dunnigan, Kyle The Joe Rogan Experience
Esposito, Giancarlo Bullseye
Gay, Roxane Otherppl with Brad Listi
Gladwell, Malcolm Kickass News, Armchair Expert
Glass, Ira Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
- The public radio and podcast legend is the first guest on the new pod.
Greer, Judy Jordan, Jesse GO!, Comedy Bang! Bang!
Griffey Jr., Ken All the Smoke
Kendi, Ibram X. TED Talks Daily
Killer Mike Rolling Stone Music Now
Kine, Starlee Make My Day with Josh Gondelman
Lakshmi, Padma Skimm’d From the Couch, The Watch
- The “Top Chef” host has a new show on Hulu, “Taste the Nation.”
Laster, Jon Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
Lindo, Delroy Touré Show
LL Cool J The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mantzoukas, Jason Thirst Aid Kit
McBride, James It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Good Life Project
McDermott, Dylan I’m So Obsessed
Mike D Armchair Expert
Miller, Rhett Past, Present, Future, Live!
Moore, Maya ESPN Daily
Mulaney, John Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
Murthy, Vivek Armchair Expert
Nosrat, Samin Anna Faris is Unqualified
Nye, Bill The Jordan Harbinger Show
Oswalt, Patton You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes
Pantoliano, Joe WTF with Marc Maron
Pharoah, Jay Curious with Josh Peck
Preston, Amber WTF with Marc Maron
Rapinoe, Megan HBR IdeaCast
Riley, Amber Good for You
Rivers, Doc Flying Coach
Rivers, Melissa The Margaret Cho
Rzeznik, Johnny This Must Be the Gig
Wilkerson, Isabel On Being
Williams, Lucinda Broken Record
Willink, Jocko The Joe Rogan Experience
Wilson, Russell TED Talks Daily
Notable New Podcasts
1) Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
- The comedian “welcomes a different comedian or creator each week and together they work out original, untested material.”
- It’s No. 10 on Apple Podcasts.
- The Wondery true crimer focuses on “one of the most iconic ‘whodunnit’ cases of the 20th century,” the 1922 murder of movie director William Desmond Taylor.
- It’s No. 12 on Apple Podcasts.
3) Pants
- Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig “met almost twenty years ago, playing best friends on TV” and now they’ve got a hit comedy podcast.
- It’s No. 33 on Apple Podcasts.
- My take: Best podcast name, possibly ever.
- The in-universe true-crime series from “Insecure” hits the charts.
- It’s No. 40 on Apple podcasts.
- In this iHeartRadio pod Robert Evans and Propaganda “draw a straight line from the darkest days of slavery, to the murder of George Floyd and the mass violence American police meted out to their citizens this summer.”
6) This is Not a Drake Podcast
- The CBC pod breaks down “seminal moments in Drake’s career to explore the history and evolution of hip-hop, R&B, gender dynamics, and Black culture.”
7) Dadville
- Dads Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin serve up “dad jokes, laughs, and heartfelt conversations” while talking about “the journey of life and fatherhood.”
- CNN’s Don Lemon promises “tough conversations with activists, artists, and thinkers about our nation’s deep racial divide.”
- Eva Price “speaks with a different luminary from the entertainment industry” about their first shows.
10) Blowback
- The 10-part investigation into the Iraq War and its aftermath gets a wide release after an exclusive run on Stitcher Premium.
11) REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids
- Brian Holden and Meredith Stepien host a “family friendly exploration of our galaxy (and beyond!)”
- Edgar “Shoboy” and Janet Sotelo “expose [their lives], discuss relationship drama (Yours & Ours) and current events in an uplifting, thought provoking way.”
13) Kids These Days
- The by-teens-for-teens pod promises an “unfiltered look into teenage life and to find out what we’re thinking about, laughing about, and stressing about.”
14) STOR14S
- The Yahoo pod features short stories for children, “all submitted by the general public as part of a Yahoo writing competition held during the 2020 Coronavirus Lockdown.”
And One to Look Forward to: Origins: Almost Famous (July 8)
- James Andrew Miller conducts a five-part deep dive into the movie classic.
- Writer and director Cameron Crowe joins, as do cast members Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Zooey Deschanel and Jimmy Fallon.