Apple celebrates 20 years of podcasts with the 20 most impactful shows

20 years ago, Apple added podcasts to iTunes and helped legitimize and popularize a new form of entertainment. To celebrate the podcast industry 20 years later, the company has unveiled a special page on its site titled 20 Years, 20 Podcasts We Love, recognizing key podcasts throughout the years. Apple says it will also share videos from hosts of these shows answering questions about podcasting to celebrate this milestone.

“Podcasts are the perfect place to tell a great story, and I love that Apple’s still pushing them so fiercely after 20 years,” said Ira Glass, host and executive producer of This American Life.

These are 20 best podcasts, according to Apple

Apple jumped through the years to pick the 20 podcasts it wanted to highlight:

• Love and Radio, released in 2005, is like a personal journal.
• This American Life, released in 2006, is about society and culture.
• 99% Invisible, released in 2010, is a show that reminds us design is everywhere.
• The Truth, released in 2012, is a fiction show.
• The Read, released in 2013, is a comedy show and the original “hang-with-friends” podcast
• Song Exploder, released in 2014, helps you fall in love with your favorite songs all over again.
• Serial, released in 2014, created the true-crime podcast scene.
• Mystery Show, released in 2015, investigates mysteries that can’t be solved by searching the internet.
• Acquired, released in 2015, reveals the origin stories of the world’s biggest companies.
• Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, released in 2016, is about two culture commentators who have become the culture.
• The Daily, released in 2017, is the pioneer of daily news podcasts.
• Call Her Daddy, released in 2018, is the new interview standard featuring the biggest celebrities.
• MOONFACE, released in 2019, is a drama podcast that helps us understand ourselves.
• Dolly Parton’s America, released in 2019, features Parton reflecting on American culture.
• The Rest Is History, released in 2020, is a podcast about most famous and long-forgotten moments in history.
• Huberman Lab, released in 2021, is a podcast about health and fitness.
• Suave, released in 2021, is a podcast about society and culture exploring life after prison.
• Sweet Bobby, released in 2021, is a true crime series podcast.
• Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, released in 2023, is a comedy podcast featuring “candid conversations with an undeniably charismatic host.”
• Therapuss with Jake Shane, released in 2024, is a podcast with advice from an “internet addict.”

Apple Podcasts tidbits

Alongside the 20 podcasts the company loves, Apple also shared some details about its long-running platform. Here are the key insights:

• At its start, iTunes had 3,000 podcasts. Now, it’s a global platform with millions of shows across many genres.
• The Apple Podcasts app was introduced in 2012. It now offers personalized discovery tools to help users find the shows they love the most.
• 2024 was Apple’s best year for podcasts, with “more listeners, plays, and subscribers than ever before.” The company says Apple Podcasts “grew by double digits in over 100 countries this year.”
• Later this fall, Apple Podcasts will include a wider range of playback speeds and introduce an Enhance Dialogue feature.

Here’s to 20 more years of podcasts on the Apple Podcasts app and beyond.