Podcast Delivery’s Top Podcasts of 2019

Another year has come and gone, and with it a multitude of brand new podcasts. It was a great 12 months for audio storytelling, and we spent each week bringing listeners the best of the best through Podcast Delivery, our weekly podcast newsletter. So, with over 50 podcasts to choose from, here’s our list of the best podcasts of 2019.

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The Dropout

Elizabeth Holmes may be the closest thing to a movie villain we’ll ever encounter. She’s an incredibly intelligent person with a dark, dark secret. The former CEO of Theranos rose to fame rapidly, but dropped out of it even quicker when her lie fell apart. The Dropout, a podcast hosted by ABC News and Nightline correspondent Rebecca Jarvis, tells the story of Holmes in incredible detail. From her beginnings as a well-to-do youth in D.C. to the fraud who faked everything from her company to her voice. With former Theranos employees, news clips, recordings from the investigation, and more, this isn’t one to be missed.

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1619

2019 was a significant year (for a far better reason than just the great podcasts it brought to the table). It marked 400 years since the first slave ship landed in what is now the United-States. Those slaves, and the descendents of those slaves, suffered racism and injustice every year since. In spite of everything and everyone standing up against them, black Americans made their mark, changing the course of an entire nation. Host Nikole Hannah-Jones tells the difficult, important story of these 400 years. And we should all take the time to listen.

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The Dream

When you think of a pyramid, what comes to mind? Egypt? A sphinx? Tutankhamun? How about energy drinks? Or tights? Yep, this podcast is about that historic phenomenon known as the pyramid scheme. More specifically, the Dream drives into multilevel marketing schemes and how they impact communities across the United-States. Listen to stories of those who have broken relationships, lost life savings, and generally suffered the consequences wrought by those at the top of the pyramid.

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Julie: The Unwinding of a Miracle

What would you do if you knew your were going to die? The idea of it absolutely terrifies me. I’m pretty sure I’d curl up into a ball. But Julie Yip-Williams, a stage IV colon cancer patient, is far, far stronger than I. She decided that she wanted to experience, I mean truly experience every remaining moment of her life. On top of that, she decided to record that experience, in both a book and a podcast. We’re lucky she did. Julie: The Unwinding of a Miracle is an emotional ride, but an empowering one. Williams’ ability to accept the unavoidable, and take control of her remaining time on earth turns a sad situation into an inspiration ode to life. I knew it would be on this list as soon as I started it back in April.

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22 Hours: An American Nightmare

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Smoke rising from a home. The sound of fire engines roaring through the neighbourhood. A gruesome discovery. That’s a brief synopsis of the very first episode of 22 Hours: An American Nightmare. And no, this isn’t just a podcast about a house fire. It’s the chilling story of a crime that shocked Washington, D.C. to its core. I really don’t want to give away much more detail. What I will say is the first 10 minutes of the podcast — which uses audio from one of the firefighter’s walkie-talking recordings — is surreal, dramatic, and stressful as all hell.

Like this list? Want more podcasts just like these in 2020?

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