17 Podcasts to Listen to Before the Year Ends

A weekly podcast drop is the adult equivalent to pizza day in elementary school. Do you recall the feeling of starting your morning in fourth grade thinking, Although I may not have complete control over my life, at least I know that I will be eating pizza later this day? Or library day, where you could take home as many chapter books you wanted. Maybe you were aware that there would be a bounce house on a given day.

There is a way to bring back this feeling in adulthood. Podcasts can help you become emotionally dependent. Your week will be filled with little treats once you have made podcasts your happiness. This is the way people used feel before TV shows were dropped as full seasons. Except this healthier, because it’s not watching a screen; it’s listening to a podcast, which is so wholesome you might as well be shopping for produce at a farmers’ market. You are happy. You are learning. You are trying to avoid your own thoughts by listening to an endless stream of content in your ears. It is a podcast that you are listening too, and it works for a while.

Podcasts are available for each day of the week. There are subscription-supported podcasts and many, many free podcasts. There are podcast episodes that you can play twice or three times, the audio equivalent of flipping a bag of chips upside down over your head. These podcast episodes are GlamourThese are our picks for the top podcasts in 2021. 

Fallen Angel 

Reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis, former Glamour features director Justine Harman, Fallen Angel is a riveting—at times, shocking—look into the dark history of Victoria’s Secret. It shows, with amazing nuance, the pressures placed on models and sheds light on Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship to former CEO Les Wexner. All this to say: It’s not always easy to listen to, so be careful. —Christopher Rosa, entertainment editor

Poog 

“Poog” is “Goop” spelled backward, but it’s so much more. Jacqueline Novak (comedian) and Kate Berlant (comedian) paint a picture of a deep friendship that will have you writing notes, sometimes about Freud and sometimes on product recommendations. “There were larvae dancing wildly,” said Berlant in a recent Poog,An invasion of moths in her home was recounted by the author. “I called my flesh-fly man—texted him, I emailed him. Nothing. Hurtful.” To which Novak responded, sagely, “Don’t go boutique.” I pause the pod to laugh several times per episode. —Jenny Singer, staff writer  

Maintenance Phase

In 2018, Michael Hobbes, a journalist, published an article in HuffPost called “Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong.” It became a flagship piece of reporting and analysis for laypeople to take in the idea that being fat does not mean unhealthy or weak, though it does mean experiencing cruelty and discrimination. Aubrey Gordon, a social media personality who documented in beautiful, painful writing the experience of being fat, went public in 2020. Together, Gordon and Hobbes created Maintenance PhaseA hilarious, funny, and irreverent critique of diet culture and pseudoscience surrounding weight loss. Listen to learn, feel less lonely, and get mad about a culture that is so health-obsessed. —J.S.

She makes money moves

Naturally, we will include our podcast on the Best Podcasts of 2021 List. You can read more She Moves MoneyReal women share intimate stories about their finances. Then, host and GlamourEditor in Chief Samantha Barry asked financial experts to analyze the situation and offer some tips. Each episode lasts less than half an hour and covers topics such as small-business owners and managing health care debt. It’s empowering and surprisingly entertaining. Expect to feel in control over your spending, saving and investing.—J.S.

Britney, Eat, Pray

Britney, Eat, PrayThe ultimate deep-dive podcast to Britney Spears stans. Jaclyn, Lisa and Jaclyn have a wealth of knowledge. They break down old Britney interviews and performances with precision. Their knowledge made episodes on Britney’s conservatorship situation fascinating. They went beyond the headlines and delved into the systems that kept the pop icon under oppression. I waited patiently for Britney’s end of conservatorship on November 12th. Britney, Eat, PrayEpisode drops like Christmas morning. —C.R.

The Cutting Room Floor

The Cutting Room Floor hosted by Recho Omondi, is my favorite podcast for its unfiltered, honest takes surrounding the fashion industry and the in-depth conversations Omondi has with her guests. I tell everyone to listen, even my non–fashion industry folks. Omondi, and her guests, are so passionate about their topics that it’s fascinating. An added bonus to your listening experience—the sound editing is incredible. —Kat Thomas, assistant fashion editor

We Are Supported By 

Each week Kristen Bell and Monica Padman welcome a new woman who’s “made a significant crack in the ceiling” and how to keep doors open for future generations. They discuss resilience, personal struggles and, of course, their achievements. (My fave episodes have been Kim K & Reese Witherspoon.) —Andrea Navarro, commerce writer

OC Swingers 

Justine Harman, former GlamourEditor behind the hit podcasts Broken HartsAnd The Baron of BotoxThis 10-part series focuses on the high-profile rape case against an orthopedic surgeon in California and his substitute-teacher girlfriend. They were accused, among other things, of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple female victims. While the deep dive into the couple’s glamorous—but turbulent—lifestyle is fascinating, it’s the impact statements from the survivors that will stick with you long after you listen. —Anna Moeslein, deputy editor

Radio Cherry Bombe

Radio Cherry BombeKerry Diamond, founder and editor of Cherry BombeThe biannual magazine is beautifully designed and doubles as a coffee table book. Each episode features women in the food industry, including a Midwest vegan pastry chef, a food-insecurity activist, and Nigella Lawson, the domestic goddess. Every episode leaves me more knowledgeable, miraculously relaxed, and hungry. —Caitlin Brody, entertainment director

Nymphet

This podcast was basically manufactured in a lab to appeal to me, down to the name (which refers to a questionable Tumblr aesthetic I once aligned myself with). Each episode is an incredibly smart discussion about the intersection of niche fashion trends and culture, with a particular focus on Tumblr circa 2014, as well as current-day TikTok. My personal favorites were the deep dive into the history of American Apparel for the pod’s inaugural episode, and the reflection on the lasting effects that Rookie online magazine still has on my generation. —Bella Cacciatore, beauty writer 

Every Outfit

Since day one, I have been following Every Outfit on Sex and the City Instagram accounts. So when Lauren Garroni and Chelsea Fairless launched a pod, I was thrilled to join. It strikes the perfect balance of two-friends-shooting-the-shit vibes, fashion talk, and pop culture news—their And Just Like ThatFilming updates and SATC recap eps are not to be missed—and I find myself literally laughing out loud at least once an episode. —B.C.

StraightioLab 

The very funny podcast StraightioLabRecently, Patreon launched a Patreon service that allows listeners pay extra for exclusive content. Describing the cost of the Patreon’s top tier, host Sam Taggart explained, “Don’t think, like, we think we deserve this. We don’t! We think it’s a joke.” Host George Civeris added, “It’s camp.” The cohosts asked listeners to subscribe, clarifying, “No presh.” StraightioLab is a comedic exploration of “straight culture.” Each week the hosts, who are gay, welcome a guest to bring an article of straight culture (cast-iron skillets, French manicures, and Neil Patrick Harris are recent examples). It is also a podcast about making a podcast—not the technical elements or editing process, but the anxiety caused by broadcasting your own thoughts and feelings to the world. It captures the same vibe as you might get from sending any email ever. The hosts claim they are enemies of sincerity but StraightioLabSincere happiness makes me happy. —J.S.

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To ease anxiety, I find nothing works better than this podcast that recaps every single episode of ’90s teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210 30 years after it originally aired. I’ve probably listened to every episode no less than 20 times thanks to the fact that the hosts Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting—TV writers and seemingly very delightful people—deliver exactly what you came for. They don’t go on long, boring tangents like other podcasts that recap TV shows. Instead, they move through each episode quickly, with audio clips from the original series. While providing running commentary that is truly funny and laugh-out-loud funny I love this podcast so much, that I even listened to it once before. 90210 star Tiffani Thiessen on the Glamour podcast I host, What I Wore,I told her to immediately listen to it. —Perrie Samotin, digital director and host of podcastWhat I Wore 

Bitch Sesh

I’ve been listening for this Real HousewivesI have been listening to the breakdown podcast hosted by Casey Wilson & Danielle Schneider for years and it still brings me joy every week. The comedians’ armchair psychoanalysis of some of the most insane characters on television, paired with their whip-smart banter, makes it impossible not to LOL while listening—whether you think Erika knew or not. —C.B.

The Splendid Table 

Francis Lam, a food writer, hosts the event The Splendid TableThis is a charming, well-produced conversation about food culture and dining culture. Lam will interview members from the Ng family who have been serving Chinese food in Kansas City for over 40 years at Bo Ling’s restaurant. In another, he’s taking tips from chefs and regular people on “things to try,” to the tune of cheese in hot chocolate, and Oreos dipped in wine. —J.S.

And the Award Goes to

This podcast is a delight for theater lovers. Ilana Levine, host, welcomes a different Tony Award recipient to each episode. The two discuss the journey of winning the award and the experience of collecting it. Topics include the speech they gave—and whether it holds up—who they brought, what they wore, and how they landed the role to begin with. The result is intimate and very interesting. The guest list is impressive, with Patti Lupone and Laura Benanti, Kristen Chenoweth and Cynthia Nixon, as well as B.D. Wong are just some of the actors featured. —P.S.

Celebrity Book Club 

“Who’s that knocking at the door? It’s all your friends, you filthy whore!” So goes the theme song for Celebrity Book ClubSteven Phillips Horst and Lily Marotta hosted the event. It continues, “Your husband’s gone, and we’ve got books and a bottle of wine to kill!” Phillips-Horst and Marotta, who are childhood friends, can be hilariously brutal. They are also more respectful and scholarly than others when it comes to celebrities’ life stories. Come for jokes and celebrity anecdotes. Also, serious discussions about such topics as Tan France’s bangs policy. —J.S.