Top Mid-2020s Podcasts Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Joe Rogan Experience

What if you went and sat in a room for three hours while your weirdly muscular uncle and a rocket scientist talked about aliens, bow hunting, and whether a gorilla could beat up a bear? That is pretty much the vibe of this podcast. The host, Joe Rogan, is a guy who used to make people eat bugs on TV, but now he spends his time interviewing everyone from famous actors to wacky conspiracy theorists, who are sometimes the same people - I am looking at you Dan Aykroyd!

There is no script and seemingly no rush, so conversations can go from super smart science talk to utter goofiness in seconds. It is basically the ultimate chat session for people who love to ask "what if?" about literally everything... including what is "what if?"

Bonus quiz question. What do Wiz Khalifa, Reggie Watts, Mike Tyson, and Elon Musk have in common? Yep, they have all smoked weed with Joe live on air. Oh, and throw in an honorable mention for Post Malone, who was dosed to the gills on mushrooms with uncle Joe during their 2020 interview.

Answer: 99% Invisible

Have you ever looked at a boring concrete curb, a water fountain, or the font on a street sign and wondered, "Who actually decided it should look like that?" This podcast is all about the secret design choices that shape our world, even though most people never notice them. It turns out that the things we ignore every day usually have the wildest, most dramatic backstories.

Coming to you from "beautiful downtown / uptown Oakland, California", Roman Mars has a voice so smooth and luxurious that reportedly Barry White gave up singing, James Earl Jones shook his head in despair, and Sam Elliott declared himself a Yankee Carpetbagger the day they first heard the podcast. But they kept listening to Roman's stories as the ones he tells are surprisingly exciting. You'll learn how a bad design choice once almost knocked down a skyscraper, or how a specific type of clothing changed history. And god as my witness, it is the most compelling (1-2 hour) podcast on the planet.

Answer: The Daily

The morning news, but instead of a robot reading a teleprompter, it feels like actual, long-form reporting. Every weekday morning, a team of serious reporters from one of the biggest newspapers in the world, "The New York Times", grabs a giant headline and rips it open to see what is actually inside. Instead of just giving you hastily researched "facts", they play real audio clips from the people who were actually there when history happened.

The main host, Michael Barbaro, sounds like a dramatic, concerned detective high on a gallon of coffee, or Monster Energy Drink (other foul tasting caffeine drinks are available). He asks a lot of questions like, "Hm. So... what happened next?" and pauses for tension-filled, dramatic effect after every sentence. If you want to know what is going on in the world without falling asleep over a newspaper, or if you just want to hear a grown man sound incredibly intense about politics before you've even had breakfast, give it a listen.

Answer: Real AF

Woah, woah, woah!! Who put R. Lee Ermey in a suit, gave him a straight Red Bull drip (other foul tasting caffeine drinks are available), and decided to have him teach business class? The host, Andy Frisella, is a self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur who does not care about your feelings, your excuses, or your desire to hit the snooze button. If you are looking for soft, gentle business advice that includes a group hug, you are in the completely wrong place.

Instead, you get loud, unfiltered lessons on mental toughness and what it actually takes to build a business empire from scratch. The host answers listener questions and debates current events with the intensity of Sam Kinison teaching a history class on the Vietnam war. Stop being lazy, start working hard, and learn how to make serious money! Just be prepared for a whole lot of bleeped-out swear words along the way. Jim Cramer only wishes he could yell like this.

Answer: Pardon My Take

Look out! Your local sports bar just gained sentience, bought a podcast microphone, and decided to troll the entire athletic establishment. That's "Pardon My Take". Hosted by a duo known as Big Cat and PFT Commenter, this show is a daily, fast-paced avalanche of sports satire that treats multi-millionaire athletes and serious sports anchors like absolute clowns. Tune in to hear a hard-hitting analysis of the upcoming NFL season seamlessly transform into a debate about whether a horse could successfully play quarterback. Is this actually "Bill Swerski's Superfans" reincarnated? I keep waiting for Todd O'Connor to show up to talk about, "Da Bears".

The hosts deliver their commentary with the chaotic, overlapping energy of two kids who just drank twenty Rockstar energy drinks (other foul tasting caffeine drinks are available), while dropping subtle inside jokes that leave the suits at ESPN clutching their pearls. Anyone who loves sports and realizes that screaming about deflated footballs or jersey numbers for two hours a day is fundamentally hilarious must listen.

Answer: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Tyson, Gretzky, Ruth, Eddie the Eagle...when it comes to all time greats...they are rank amateurs compared to the incomparable Dan Carlin. Remember back when I said "99% invisible" was the best 1-2 hour show? Well, Dan is the reason for that disclaimer.

Most history teachers/podcasters would try to condense the entirety of World War I into a single, boring week of slides or a few (they would say) long hours of talking. Not Dan! He says "Hold my coffee," (no foul tasting caffeine drinks are available, Dan is old school) and drops a twenty-five-hour multi-part audio masterpiece on it instead - By the way, that is a twenty-five-hour multi-part audio masterpiece entitled "World War I, Part One, The Opening Salvo...join us for parts 2-12 coming to you over the next six years." I swear his dive into WWII lasted longer than the war itself! (Please note, author's hyperbole here and elsewhere in this write up...but not by much)

He doesn't just read dates from a textbook; he narrates ancient battles with the intense, booming voice of a movie trailer announcer who is standing in the middle of a thunderstorm. "In a World" where research is as shallow as a kiddie pool, Dan regularly takes Challenger Deep dives into history. He treats historical figures like tragic Shakespearean characters and asks terrifying questions about what ordinary humans are capable of when things go completely wrong. The episodes come out about as often as a leap year, and they are usually longer than going from New York to Tokyo - on foot. But once you start listening to his deep dive into Rome or the Mongols, you'll find yourself sitting in your parked car for forty-five hours just to finish the first of the 86 episodes he has made on his latest subject.

Answer: StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

It is amazing to see how successful Mike Tyson's older brother has become, now that he has his own podcast. Each week, Neil deGrasse Tyson climbs out of his Star Trek sheets, takes off his Star Wars pajamas, puts on a funky vest covered in galaxies, and starts cracking jokes with a stand-up comedian.

Hosted by the world's most famous astrophysicist, this show takes the brain-melting concepts of outer space, like black holes, time travel, and alien life, and breaks them down so they won't completely fry your neural pathways. Neil handles the heavy science and math while his comedic co-hosts keep him grounded by asking the important questions, like whether a lightsaber could actually slice through a frozen burrito. It is a brilliant mix of cosmic wisdom and nerdy goofiness - like a smarter "Big Bang Theory".

Answer: The Mel Robbins Podcast

What the heck is it with people's taste for aural assault? Half the podcasts on here are of the "grab you by the shoulders, and give you a five-second countdown to stop feeling sorry for yourself and change your life" variety. That is the exact energy of this show, too.

Hosted by motivational powerhouse, Mel Robbins (surprisingly, no relation to Tony!), this podcast is like a high-speed lane merge for your brain, using hard science and deep-cut psychology to help listeners stop overthinking and start moving forward. Mel talks at the caffeinated speed of an auctioneer who just drank 30 cans of Full Throttle energy drink (other foul tasting...you know the drill) right after finding out the auction house was on fire and she needs to finish that one last sale. The show claims that it will help you stop procrastinating, reprogram your mindset, and finally clean your room. Just don't expect her to feel bad for you if you hit the snooze button.

And that's another thing, why all the hate for the snooze button among this crowd?

Answer: The Rewatchables

Imagine sitting on the couch with a bunch of your friends who refuse to stop constantly quoting "Die Hard", "The Matrix", or "Mean Girls". Ok, if you can put aside the idea of sui/homicide and be amused, then you will probably enjoy "The Rewatchables".

Hosted by sports and pop culture writer Bill Simmons and his rotation of pop-culture obsessed buddies, this podcast breaks down the most endlessly viewable movies in cinematic history. Instead of giving lectures about camera angles or lighting, they invent insane and specific award categories like "Most Re-watchable Scene," "The Half-Assed Period Piece Award," or "Who Won the Movie?" My god, I am back in the AV club in 10th grade...oh no, is that a pimple?!?

It is the ultimate audio hangout for anyone who has watched the same action flick fifty times and needs to debate whether a random background character deserved an Oscar. They treat classic blockbusters like a more fun "Celebrity Deathmatch", making it a nerd out listen for film buffs who take their popcorn entertainment way too seriously.

Answer: The Joe Budden Podcast

Let me just make this statement, loud and clear - Podcasts' here
Some dude's got problems wit Joe cause a what he say? - He ain't care
Some people see him spit no cap, they mack all type - that's alright
Yes y'all it's the one and only, what else? And he came to have fun, here homie, drop truth, and he came to get a ton of money, Patreon!
Don't get it twisted the mic is on he, Pow!

Rapping legend, Joe Budden, and his massive crew of co-hosts treat every new album release, celebrity beef, and pop culture rumor like it is a matter of national security. Full of hilarious, and completely filter-free debates about the music world, as well as grown men arguing about their barbers and designer clothes with the high-stakes drama of a daytime soap opera.