Music
Give yourself an education with these 25 must-hear music podcasts
From mixes and interviews to in-depth shows that break down the science of pop, podcasts help you be the best music fan you can possibly be.
Haven’t you heard? Podcasts are the new radio/TV/books/etc. If your best mate or significant other doesn’t have a favourite, they’re probably too busy making their own.
What are the best music podcasts out there? Here are 25 of the very best shows to get in your ears – from quickfire mixes and entertaining interviews to intellectual deep dives into Atlanta hip-hop, Norwegian black metal, dub reggae, the art of music production and much more. Check through them, hit subscribe, and prepare yourself for a musical education.
1. Song Exploder
Grimes
© Carlo Cruz/Red Bull Content Pool
It might seem a given to throw Song Exploder into a rundown like this, but there’s a reason for that. The Los Angeles-based bi-weekly keeps it simple, inviting artists of varying styles and status into the studio to break down their artistry in relaxed, revealing, and sometimes remarkable fashion. The genius lies in addressing just one song of choice, almost always yielding passionate and fascinating insights. A-listers and indie darlings abound, but make time for turns from Kelela, Grimes and Joey Bada$$.
Start with: Grimes: Kill V. Maim
2. Dissect
The greatest albums of the past few decades get forensic treatment on Dissect, the podcast that takes a deep dive into a groundbreaking record – Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West and more – tackling them track by track. Eagle-eyed host Cole Cuchna unpicks every detail from lyric to instrumentation, weaving them into a wider narrative about the album and the artist – and making you feel like a real expert as a result. You’ll never hear these records in the same way again.
Start with: S1E18 – i (Part 1) by Kendrick Lamar
3. Annie Mac’s Mini Mix
The BBC Radio 1 tastemaker cuts to the quick with an essential weekly five-minute mix courtesy of the finest DJs and producers of the moment. Industry veterans rise to the challenge of condensing their sound into such a small space, while themed episodes use the time wisely to focus on and celebrate specific artists, genres and labels.
Start with: Special Request’s Rave Classics Mini Mix
4. Red Bull Music: AAA
Hosted by Jaguar, Red Bull's very own AAA podcast pulls back the curtain on some of the UK's biggest clubbing brands, speaking to the promoters, DJs and punters that keep institutions like The Warehouse Project, Boomtown and Sink The Pink ticking along. Whether you've dreamed of throwing your own club nights, or you're just curious to get an idea of the work that goes into the rave behind the scenes, AAA is a must-listen.
Start with: Boomtown
5. Lost Notes
Lost Notes excavates fascinating music stories locked in the vaults of history, and while the most recent season wrapped up last year there’s heaps of audio documentaries to sink your teeth into. From investigations into artist legacies to unearthing particularly unusual episodes in music history – ever heard of McDonald’s Menu Song? – each episode is sharp in its assessment of the subjects and stories in their place and time, and packed with interview footage that bring the whole thing alive.
Start with: A Million Dollars Worth of Plastic
6. Switched On Pop
Whether you’re obsessed with or utterly confused by the charts, you’ll want to hit up Switched On Pop. Having survived college and playing in the same band together, a musicologist and songwriter combine to make sense of the biggest songs that make up the current pop landscape, dissecting and analysing with sparkling wit and the kind of factual asides you’ll consider passing off as your own work.
Start with: Purple Lemonade: Prince & Beyoncé
7. Popcast
Popcast has its finger on the pulse of all things pop music, where NYT music critic Jon Caramanica sits down with others in the industry to discuss the latest in criticism, news, album releases and more. Recent episodes have covered everything from the Super Bowl halftime show to TikTok and the age old question: ‘How does Post Malone sound like everything and nothing?’ It’s a breezy, free-flowing listen that digests the vast, fast-paced world of pop into an easy hour.
8. Don Letts presents Reggae 45
Don Letts
© Don Letts
If you want to know about the dub and reggae culture in the UK, Don Letts is the man you ask. A veteran DJ and documentarian who’s worked with The Clash, Bob Marley and more, it stands to reason that Letts might start his own podcast. To date, Reggae 45 has tackled subjects including lover’s rock, Notting Hill Carnival, and the art of the reggae cover version – which takes in everything from The Beatles to disco to Tchaikovsky.
Start with: A 50 years of Trojan Records Special
9. Talkhouse Podcast
From the minds that gave us Ezra Koenig’s wonderfully surreal review of Drake’s Nothing Was The Same comes the Talkhouse Podcast, a forum where journalists are left out in the cold as superstars quiz one another about whatever the hell is on their minds. Memorable mash-ups include Andrew WK and Dan Deacon, Tori Amos and Shirley Manson, and Future Islands frontman Samuel T Herring sitting down with Vic Mensa.
Start with: Andrew W.K. with Dan Deacon
10. Questlove Supreme
Questlove at the Red Bull Guest House
© David Cabrera / Red Bull Content Pool
Questlove is a man of many talents, but his foray into the world of podcasts has been particularly brilliant. Along with the rest of Team Supreme, the musician and journalist sits down with a legendary host of guests for long, winding chats about music, culture and more. Clocking up nearly two hours per episode, you feel like you’re on the roundtable with them. Previous guests include Chaka Khan, Chris Rock and Michelle Obama.
Start with: Kurtis Blow
11. Hip Hop Saved My Life with Romesh Ranganathan
Let’s say that you’ve never encountered hip-hop before. You might think that a show that places the genre front and centre isn’t for you, but then you’ve probably never heard Romesh Ranganathan’s buoyant passion for the subject. As you might expect from its title, Hip Hop Saved My Life adopts something of a joyful approach, yet Ranganathan isn’t afraid to take aim at sacred cows when the mood arises. His approach is reflected in an eclectic chorus of guests that so far includes the likes of Adam Buxton, DJ Yoda and Loyle Carner.
Start with: Episode 50: Reggie Yates
12. Resident Advisor
Resident Advisor’s Exchange podcast has amassed over a decade’s worth of conversations and scene explorations across the vast world of electronic music. Across just over 500 episodes and counting, the RA team sit down for conversations with dance music innovators, shine a light on world-renowned venues, and tackle issues affecting the scene from roundtables and panel talks recorded at events across the world.
Start with: EX.500 Squarepusher
13. WTF with Marc Maron
Though not strictly a music interviewer, the wildly prolific Marc Maron has welcomed some of the industry’s biggest and most intriguing names onto his WTF podcast since 2009. The comedian and actor is an engaging host – he served at the pleasure of the president when Barack Obama rocked up, after all – who knows how to get the most from his subjects. Among the music-related highlights over a busy near-decade; the wild origins of Father John Misty, Lorde waxing lyrical on Fleetwood Mac, and a tricky chat with Nick Cave that pulled back the curtain on his ambitious script for a never-made Gladiator sequel.
Start with: Episode 884 – Lorde
14. Distraction Pieces
Having shot to fame as an especially loquacious orator, Scroobius Pip has found new voice with his current venture. Named after his second studio album, Distraction Pieces finds Pip ever curious to dig deep into the world before him, asking considered questions of musicians, actors, writers, comedians, and, on special occasions, the general populace.
Start with: Louis Theroux
15. Mogul
Denzel Curry pictured at Red Bull Sound Select
© Aaron Rogosin / Red Bull Sound Select / Content Pool
A perfect blend of narrative storytelling and razor-sharp documentary reporting, Mogul takes you to the heart of hip-hop history told by those who lived it. Series one, hosted by the late Reggie Ossé, tells the story of hugely influential industry executive and artist manager Chris Lighty. Brandon Jenkins takes the reigns for season two and switches from NYC to Miami – to 2 Live Crew, the birth of southern hip hop and the obscenity trial that followed. Interviews with Flo Rida, Denzel Curry, Trina, Rick Ross and more make every episode a fascinating listen.
Start with: S1 Part 1: That Beat, That Beat Right There
16. Disgraceland
Many listeners found an entry point into the world of podcasts with NPR’s fascinating Serial, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the true crime genre continues to flourish. Disgraceland focuses on the fertile seam of musicians behaving badly, narrator Jake Brennan telling tales of some of music’s worst behaved, including the church burning hordes of Norwegian black metal, the tragic deaths of Biggie and Tupac, and the shocking story of Spade Cooley – big band leader, early TV star and (ulp) psychopathic murderer.
Start with: Sid Vicious: Love Kills… Even a Mother’s Love
17. Who We Be TALKS
Octavian
© Press
An offshoot of the Spotify playlist that has clocked up over half a million followers, Who We Be TALKS shines a spotlight on the artists shaping hip-hop, grime, Afrobeats and R&B and dominating the playlists across the UK. Hosts DJ Semtex and Parris OH sit down with new talent and the legends that paved the way, discussing everything from career highs to youth issues and what’s hot right now. And there’s a mightily impressive catalogue of interviews to dive into: Octavian, Future, Megan Thee Stallion, even Idris Elba have all rolled through.
Start with: Ghetts
18. Light In The Attic
Seattle’s Light In The Attic podcast reflects the strong sense of community created by independent record stores and labels, as two members of staff showcase the same passion that has powered their day job since 2002. In addition to interviewing musicians, industry creatives and all in between, LITA champions those who work tirelessly on the records you’ll come to love.
Start with: Jarvis Cocker
19. Someone Who Isn’t Me
If you grew up on a diet of nu metal, you’ll absolutely love Daniel P Carter’s relentless voyage into the world of riffs, stage dives and larger-than-life rock stars. Someone Who Isn’t Me makes for a tremendous pop culture smackdown even if you don’t know your Slipknots from your Limp Bizkits, with excellent guests to date including Corey Taylor, Laura Jane Grace and Converge frontman Jacob Bannon.
Start with: Episode 2: Corey Taylor
20. R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME?
Do you love R.E.M? Do you hate R.E.M? Doesn’t matter, because R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME? is essential listening regardless. Actor/comedian combo Adam Scott and Scott Aukerman go through the superstar band’s entire discography – often getting lost in hilarious tangents – as they attempt to make sense of their unabashed R.E.M. fandom. Dig back far enough into early episodes and you’ll also discover this was the podcast formerly known as U Talkin’ U2 To Me? – and yes, they’re just as brilliant waxing lyrical about Bono and the gang.
Start with: Automatic for the People
21. Tape Notes
Ever wondered just what went on behind the scenes in the making of your favourite album? Tape Notes demystifies the production process and takes you through how that magic is made in the studio. Featuring early demo versions and session recordings, each episode brings together an artist and producer to unpick the creative processes behind a record.
Start with: TN:29 Floating Points
22. Broken Record with Malcolm Gladwell and Rick Rubin
Tyler, The Creator
© [unknown]
One is the New Yorker journalist and author of The Tipping Point, whose thoughtful, somewhat smartypants writing mines data and the social sciences to come to startling, sometimes controversial conclusions about the world around us. The other is the Def Jam co-founder and producer extraordinaire known for his maverick style and career-transforming records for Run DMC, Adele and Johnny Cash. Broken Record is a typically thoughtful deep dive into music history that’s not afraid to make giant leaps or burrow down rabbit holes in pursuit of its story.
Start with: Tyler the Creator Talks Igor
23. The Three Track Podcast
London-based writer and comedian Gabriel Ebulue is a self-confessed music nerd, and so The Three Track Podcast feels like a real passion project. It is exactly what it says on the tin: a guest is invited to discuss three of their favourite tracks, and simply conversation unspools from there. But his guests certainly have the gift of the gab, siphoned straight from the UK comedy scene with James Acaster, Josie Long, Nish Kumar and more divulging their favourites.
Start with: Episode 97 – James Acaster (Album Special)
24. Punch Up The Jam
Punch Up The Jam asks: “What if the greatest musical hits could be… greater?” Every week, comedian Miel Bredouw (and, in older episodes, Demi Adejuyigbe) invites a guest on the show to completely disassemble a one of your favourite tracks, analyse the hell out of it bar by bar, then piece it back together in new and improved form. No song is too precious or protected – Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, Cher’s Believe, Africa’s Toto have all had this hilarious treatment. Are the remixes they provide at the end better than the originals? You be the judge.
Start with: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
25. The Pikes Podcast
A niche selection, but for those pining for a summer of hedonism then The Pikes Podcast just might be your tonic. A fortress of decadence and debauchery in Ibiza since the late ‘70s, Pikes the hotel-slash-club’s creative director Dawn Hindle pulls up a deck chair with legendary members of the Pikes family – Seth Troxler, DJ Harvey and more – for sun-drenched chatter about music, arts and general hedonism on the White Isle.
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