Best Road Trip Podcasts To Listen To (2020)
I may be aging myself here, but who remembers creating a mixed tape or burning a CD before you embarked on an epic road trip? Those days are far behind us and all you need now are some binge-worthy podcasts to provide solid company while on the road. From true crime, audio drama, political scandal to everything in between, take note of these admirable road trip podcasts. Depending on your mood of which podcasts you want to listen to while on the road trip, here are some of our podcast recommendations.
If you enjoy a mystery or true crime stories, listen to Serial. A true crime podcast from the creators of This American Life. Season 1 tells the true story of Hae Min Lee’s 1999 murder (12 episodes).
The Left Right Game is a fictional audio drama about a journalist who goes missing when following a group of paranormal explorers playing the Left/Right Game.Your hands will be sweaty on the car wheel throughout the entire series.
Running from COPS is about the result of an 18-month investigation that delves deep into how the show actually gets made, how much control police departments really have over the final product, and the harrowing stories of the people who have ended up on camera (6 episodes).
Slow Burn Season 2 looks back at the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal that rocked the nation (8 episodes).
If you enjoy science and research, here are other podcast recommendations:
The Dropout is the story of Elizabeth Homs, who was once identified as the ‘next Steve Jobs’, and her company’s unbelievable rise and fall (6 episodes).
The Happiness Lab hosted by Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos who takes you through the latest scientific research and shares inspiring stories that will forever alter the way you think about happiness.
If you enjoy stories of how businesses got started or their successes and failures, tune in to these shows:
How I Built This. Our favorite episode is the story about Dave’s Killer Bread.
StartUp Season 1. A documentary series by Gimlet Media that is about the obstacles and stories of tech entrepreneurs.
With so many different genre podcasts to choose from, we created a list below of the best road trip podcasts of 2020. When you’re ready to put your seat belt on, make sure you have all of these recommendations in the queue. Drive safely and happy listening!
Serial
82
episodes
This true crime podcast is for the fully-fledged Stephen King lover. It’s perfect for people who have a penchant for crime, suspense, and thriller stories. This podcast show offers the very best of non-fiction drama. Sarah Koenig is no less of a natural storyteller and a skilled investigator. With her personality, it’s almost like being in these thrillers. It’s nearly impossible to ask for a better host.
Headlong: Missing Richard Simmons
25
episodes
On February 15, 2014, fitness guru Richard Simmons disappeared. He stopped teaching his regular exercise class at Slimmons, cut off his closest friends, and removed himself from the public eye after decades as one of the most accessible celebrities in the world. Nobody has heard from him - and no one knows why he left. Filmmaker Dan Taberski was a Slimmons regular and a friend of Richard’s. Missing Richard Simmons is Dan’s search for Richard - and the deeper he digs, the stranger it gets. Listen to the podcast The New York Times calls "a cultural phenomenon." Headlong is Dan Taberski’s documentary podcast that explores the lives of overlooked people, moments and events in our culture. Season 2 is Surviving Y2K. Season 3 is Running From COPS.
Dolly Parton's America
13
episodes
In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of one of America’s great icons. Join us for a 9-episode journey into the Dollyverse. Hosted by Jad Abumrad. Produced and reported by Shima Oliaee. Dolly Parton’s America is a production from OSM Audio and WNYC Studios.
StartUp Podcast
153
episodes
A series about what it's really like to start a business.
Slow Burn
117
episodes
Ever heard of a podcast show offering content TV series style? Here’s one. Each season of Slow Burn discusses highly controversial historical events in America, clears the air, and answers, long unanswered questions. Thus far, they've discussed politics and entertainment. There's much more in store. Explore the other side of history with host Josh Levin.
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
125
episodes
Who would think that an elemental emotion like happiness has a scientific undertone? Yale University Professor, Dr. Laurie Santos has devoted years of study to discover the science of happiness, and he happily shares her discoveries with the world. There can be more control over our emotions, and science proves it. Check out this podcast show to see how!
The Dropout
40
episodes
Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye? How did the woman once heralded as “the next Steve Jobs” find herself facing criminal charges — to which she pleaded not guilty — and up to decades in prison? How did her technology, meant to revolutionize health care, potentially put millions of patients at risk? And how did so many smart people get it so wrong along the way? ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis, along with producers Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson, take listeners on a journey that includes a multi-year investigation. You'll hear exclusive interviews with former employees, investors, and patients, and for the first-time, the never-before-aired deposition testimony of Elizabeth Holmes, and those at the center of this story. Then, go inside the courtroom as 12 jurors decide the fate of the Theranos founder; three years after she was first charged, we find out how this saga finally ends.
How I Built This with Guy Raz
527
episodes
Another podcast produced by NPR, How I Built This with Guy Raz (hosted by, you guessed it, Guy Raz) covers topics like business, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Each episode dives into the story behind a specific entrepreneur and the movement they started, including the people behind well-known companies like Instagram, Airbnb, Lyft, Chipotle, and Ben & Jerry’s. It’s super insightful and revealing, with plenty of gems to offer about how people succeed. It’s a great choice for anybody who’s interested in starting a business, or just learning about the ones they know and love.
The Left Right Game
18
episodes
Tessa Thompson stars as an idealistic young journalist trying to make a name for herself by following a group of paranormal explorers, obsessed with a seemingly harmless pastime known as the Left/Right Game. The journey takes her into a supernatural world that she and the other members of the expedition can neither handle nor survive.
Sick
16
episodes
Sick is an investigative podcast about what goes wrong in the places meant to keep us healthy. Sick's first season explores the complications of fertility medicine, one Indiana doctor’s abuse of power and the generations of lives he affected. Season 2, we turn our attention to prisons— places that have to keep people healthy, but are built to punish them. New episodes start Oct. 26.
Patient Zero
12
episodes
How are medical mysteries solved? And what happens when questions remain? Patient Zero is an investigation of the spaces where people and pathogens collide. We take a deep dive in to the history – and mystery – of one of the fastest spreading epidemics of our time: Lyme disease. Learn more at www.patientzeropodcast.com.
The Thing About Pam
39
episodes
Two days after Christmas, 2011, Russ Faria came home from game night to find his wife, Betsy, dead. He was soon charged and convicted of her murder. But Russ Faria insisted he did not kill his wife. Betsy’s brutal murder set off a chain of events that would leave one man dead, another man implicated, and expose a diabolical scheme. It would also see Dateline NBC—the true-crime original—become a part of the never-ending saga that proves the old adage: Truth is stranger than fiction. This original series from Keith Morrison and Dateline defies all expectations.
Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.
10
episodes
Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes.From Wondery, the podcast team that brought you Dr. Death, Spotlight asks: Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez’s violent behavior? Did he keep secrets about his sexuality that collided with a hyper-masculine football culture? Did elite coaches and teams look the other way as Hernandez was spiraling out of control?Spotlight uncovered new documents, audio, and interviews to go deep into the story of what happened to Aaron Hernandez, and what it means for those of us who cheer on a violent game.All episodes of are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
The Long Hallway
14
episodes
The Long Hallway is a thriller anthology series, releasing every Tuesday and Thursday. Behind each door lurks a tale designed to send a chill down your spine. These bite-sized, flash-fiction stories are written by members of the Skylark Media team. Directed by Will Rogers
To Live and Die in LA
43
episodes
In Feb 2018, an aspiring actress vanished from her Hollywood apartment. Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss was asked to help the family get answers. Together, they found them...sometimes at great personal risk. Now the award-winning true crime podcast returns, unraveling the baffling and tragic case that started Neil Strauss down the rabbit hole of true crime investigation, along with his wife and his neighbors, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and concert violinist Ann Marie Simpson. To Live and Die in LA Season 2 is available now. www.livediela.com
Passenger List
27
episodes
Atlantic Flight 702 has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York with 256 passengers on board. Kaitlin Le (Kelly Marie Tran), a college student whose twin brother vanished with the flight, is determined to uncover the truth. Passenger List is a mystery thriller podcast from PRX’s Radiotopia.
Ear Hustle
113
episodes
Ear Hustle brings you the daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration. The podcast is a partnership between Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist, and Earlonne Woods, formerly incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and was co-founded with former San Quentin resident Antwan Williams. The Ear Hustle team works in the San Francisco Bay Area, both in San Quentin State Prison’s media lab and from offices on the outside, to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest. Episodes offer a nuanced view of people involved with the American prison system and those reintegrating into society after serving time.
Radiolab
182
episodes
Another public radio program that is also available for free as a podcast, *Radiolab* has been running since 2002. It focuses on topics in the philosophy and science realms but in an accessible and light-hearted way perfect for the podcast format. If you think you’re not into science, podcast hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich may just be able to convince you otherwise. Each hour-long episode is innovative, stylized, and engaging, full of music and sound effects to hold the interest of even the most attention-challenged listeners.
Stuff You Missed in History Class
2088
episodes
Co-hosts, Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson, are a fantastic team. Together, they paint vivid pictures of the past, which most people seem to forget. Listeners often feel like they are living through history when this duo explores exciting events from the past. Stuff You Missed in History Class ensures that the audience does not feel like they can’t keep up with history.
88 Days: The Jayme Closs Story
17
episodes
On October 15, 2018, a couple was brutally murdered in a small Wisconsin town, and their 13-year-old daughter vanished without a trace. For 88 days, the search for Jayme Closs was a mystery that captivated the nation and left a grieving family holding its breath. KARE 11 television reporter Lou Raguse extensively covered the months-long investigation and takes listeners inside the case and into the mind of the killer. Hear in-depth interviews, analysis, and how it all unfolded. 88 Days: The Jayme Closs Story is a KARE 11 original podcast in association with Vault Studios. New episodes are released on Tuesdays. https://88dayspodcast.com
