Genre chart · October 2026

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

Personal stories, relationships, philosophy, documentary and culture commentary. Society & Culture is one of podcasting’s broadest categories, and these are the shows leading it today.

1New on this chart

The Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan

Apple #3 Spotify #1 P. Casts #2

92Pulse Score out of 100
2New on this chart

The Ezra Klein Show
New York Times Opinion

Apple #1 Spotify #6 P. Casts #1

88Pulse Score out of 100
3New on this chart

This American Life
This American Life

Apple #4 Spotify #4 P. Casts #4

79Pulse Score out of 100
4New on this chart

Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts

Apple #5 Spotify #8 P. Casts #5

69Pulse Score out of 100
5New on this chart

Modern Wisdom
Chris Williamson

Apple #13 Spotify #2 P. Casts #11

66Pulse Score out of 100
6New on this chart

Behind the Bastards
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Apple #12 Spotify #9 P. Casts #8

56Pulse Score out of 100
7New on this chart

Notes from the Edge
Gamut Podcast Network

Apple #2 Spotify — P. Casts #3

55Pulse Score out of 100
8New on this chart

The Oprah Podcast
Harpo

Apple #10 Spotify #11 P. Casts #9

55Pulse Score out of 100
9New on this chart

The Dr. John Delony Show
Ramsey Network

Apple #11 Spotify #12 P. Casts #12

51Pulse Score out of 100
10New on this chart

CreepCast
Wendigoon & MeatCanyon

Apple #38 Spotify #3 P. Casts #33

47Pulse Score out of 100
11New on this chart

The Why Files: Operation Podcast
The Why Files: Operation Podcast

Apple #26 Spotify #7 P. Casts #19

45Pulse Score out of 100
12New on this chart

Chicks in the Office
Barstool Sports

Apple #14 Spotify #16 P. Casts #14

44Pulse Score out of 100
13New on this chart

Happy Hour with Ina Garten
Vox Media

Apple #6 Spotify — P. Casts #6

42Pulse Score out of 100
14New on this chart

Danny Jones Podcast
Danny Jones | Daylight Media

Apple #49 Spotify #5 P. Casts #43

40Pulse Score out of 100
15New on this chart

Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel
Rachel Uchitel

Apple #7 Spotify — P. Casts #7

40Pulse Score out of 100
16New on this chart

Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Apple #19 Spotify #19 P. Casts #17

39Pulse Score out of 100
17New on this chart

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

Apple #15 Spotify #30 P. Casts #13

39Pulse Score out of 100
18New on this chart

Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast
TMG Studios

Apple #30 Spotify #10 P. Casts #31

38Pulse Score out of 100
19New on this chart

The Viall Files
Nick Viall

Apple #17 Spotify #29 P. Casts #16

36Pulse Score out of 100
20New on this chart

Dream Life Club
Sumi Krishnan

Apple #9 Spotify — P. Casts #10

35Pulse Score out of 100
21New on this chart

Two Girls One Ghost
Sony Music Entertainment

Apple #23 Spotify #26 P. Casts #22

33Pulse Score out of 100
22New on this chart

Heavyweight
Pushkin Industries

Apple #44 Spotify #17 P. Casts #42

28Pulse Score out of 100
23New on this chart

I've Had It
Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan

Apple #32 Spotify #43 P. Casts #23

26Pulse Score out of 100
24New on this chart

The Town with Matthew Belloni
The Ringer

Apple #31 Spotify #32 P. Casts #40

25Pulse Score out of 100
25New on this chart

What Now? with Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah

Apple #48 Spotify #21 P. Casts #47

25Pulse Score out of 100
26New on this chart

Going Public With Ross Mandell
Ross Mandell

Apple #16 Spotify — P. Casts #20

25Pulse Score out of 100
27New on this chart

The ManFlu | Exploring Gender Dynamics, Partnerships & Raising Boys Who Care
Lucy McAfee

Apple #20 Spotify — P. Casts #15

24Pulse Score out of 100
28New on this chart

Before & After with Lester Holt
NBC News

Apple #18 Spotify — P. Casts #18

24Pulse Score out of 100
29New on this chart

Timcast IRL
Timcast Media

Apple #34 Spotify #36 P. Casts #39

24Pulse Score out of 100
30New on this chart

Otherworld
Otherworld

Apple #40 Spotify #35 P. Casts #32

24Pulse Score out of 100
31New on this chart

Khloé in Wonder Land
Khloé Kardashian

Apple #8 Spotify — P. Casts —

24Pulse Score out of 100
32New on this chart

Hang Out with Sean Hannity
Fox News Media

Apple #39 Spotify #34 P. Casts #48

23Pulse Score out of 100
33New on this chart

It's Been a Minute
NPR

Apple #85 Spotify #14 P. Casts —

22Pulse Score out of 100
34New on this chart

Radio Rental
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy

Apple #36 Spotify #49 P. Casts #36

22Pulse Score out of 100
35New on this chart

Paper Trail
ProPublica

Apple #21 Spotify — P. Casts #21

22Pulse Score out of 100
36New on this chart

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Esther Perel Global Media

Apple #45 Spotify #48 P. Casts #30

21Pulse Score out of 100
37New on this chart

Cleared Hot - Powered By BRCC
Andy Stumpf

Apple #51 Spotify #20 P. Casts —

21Pulse Score out of 100
38New on this chart

Revisionist History
Pushkin Industries

Apple #47 Spotify #44 P. Casts #45

20Pulse Score out of 100
39New on this chart

The Telepathy Tapes
Ky Dickens

Apple #22 Spotify — P. Casts #29

20Pulse Score out of 100
40New on this chart

Embedded
NPR

Apple #27 Spotify — P. Casts #25

19Pulse Score out of 100
41New on this chart

The Unplanned Podcast with Matt & Abby
Matt & Abby | Daylight Media

Apple #64 Spotify #23 P. Casts —

19Pulse Score out of 100
42New on this chart

MEMES
Dan Ayling

Apple — Spotify #13 P. Casts —

18Pulse Score out of 100
43New on this chart

This Is Actually Happening
Audible

Apple #29 Spotify — P. Casts #24

18Pulse Score out of 100
44New on this chart

The Permanent Questions With David Brooks
The Atlantic

Apple #28 Spotify — P. Casts #26

18Pulse Score out of 100
45New on this chart

I’m Not a Monster Presents… Where is Austin Tice?
BBC Sounds

Apple #24 Spotify — P. Casts #35

18Pulse Score out of 100
46New on this chart

If Books Could Kill
Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri

Apple #35 Spotify #46 P. Casts —

17Pulse Score out of 100
47New on this chart

The Comment Section with Drew Afualo
Drew Afualo

Apple — Spotify #15 P. Casts —

17Pulse Score out of 100
48New on this chart

The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
MK Media

Apple #33 Spotify — P. Casts #28

17Pulse Score out of 100
49New on this chart

Chrisley Confessions 2.0
PodcastOne

Apple #25 Spotify — P. Casts #50

16Pulse Score out of 100
50New on this chart

Locked In with Ian Bick
Ian Bick

Apple #79 Spotify #28 P. Casts —

16Pulse Score out of 100
51New on this chart

The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
MS NOW, Nicolle Wallace

Apple #37 Spotify — P. Casts #27

16Pulse Score out of 100
52New on this chart

Pop Apologists
PodcastOne

Apple #70 Spotify #31 P. Casts —

16Pulse Score out of 100
53New on this chart

Jack Neel Podcast
Jack Neel

Apple — Spotify #18 P. Casts —

15Pulse Score out of 100
54New on this chart

So Supernatural
Audiochuck | Crime House

Apple #61 Spotify #37 P. Casts —

15Pulse Score out of 100
55New on this chart

The Dating Detectives
Dear Media

Apple #76 Spotify #39 P. Casts —

14Pulse Score out of 100
56New on this chart

Dear Hank & John
Complexly

Apple #75 Spotify #40 P. Casts —

13Pulse Score out of 100
57New on this chart

Let's Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari
Dear Media

Apple #43 Spotify — P. Casts #37

13Pulse Score out of 100
58New on this chart

Wait a Second...
The Ringer

Apple — Spotify #22 P. Casts —

13Pulse Score out of 100
59New on this chart

Against The Odds
Audible

Apple #42 Spotify — P. Casts #41

13Pulse Score out of 100
60New on this chart

The Interview
The New York Times

Apple #46 Spotify — P. Casts #38

13Pulse Score out of 100
61New on this chart

Scamfluencers
Audible

Apple #50 Spotify — P. Casts #34

13Pulse Score out of 100
62New on this chart

Baby, this is Keke Palmer
Wondery

Apple — Spotify #24 P. Casts —

12Pulse Score out of 100
63New on this chart

Ghosteas
Ghosteas

Apple — Spotify #25 P. Casts —

12Pulse Score out of 100
64New on this chart

Wartime Stories
Wartime Stories

Apple — Spotify #27 P. Casts —

11Pulse Score out of 100
65New on this chart

On with Kara Swisher
Vox Media

Apple #56 Spotify — P. Casts #44

11Pulse Score out of 100
66New on this chart

Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast
iHeartPodcasts

Apple #55 Spotify — P. Casts #46

11Pulse Score out of 100
67New on this chart

We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

Apple #57 Spotify — P. Casts #49

11Pulse Score out of 100
68New on this chart

Unexplained Encounters
Eeriecast Network

Apple — Spotify #33 P. Casts —

10Pulse Score out of 100
69New on this chart

Spooky Scary Storytime
ashleeinc

Apple — Spotify #38 P. Casts —

9Pulse Score out of 100
70New on this chart

Modern Love
The New York Times

Apple #41 Spotify — P. Casts —

8Pulse Score out of 100
71New on this chart

Good Guys
Dear Media

Apple — Spotify #41 P. Casts —

8Pulse Score out of 100
72New on this chart

Not Loveline
The Roost

Apple — Spotify #42 P. Casts —

8Pulse Score out of 100
73New on this chart

Brand Safe
Tana Mongeau

Apple — Spotify #45 P. Casts —

8Pulse Score out of 100
74New on this chart

Trust Me Bro
Trust Me Bro

Apple — Spotify #47 P. Casts —

7Pulse Score out of 100
75New on this chart

Sounds Like A Cult
Studio71

Apple — Spotify #50 P. Casts —

7Pulse Score out of 100
76New on this chart

TED Talks Daily
TED

Apple #52 Spotify — P. Casts —

7Pulse Score out of 100
77New on this chart

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
Vox Media Podcast Network

Apple #53 Spotify — P. Casts —

7Pulse Score out of 100
78New on this chart

Hey Jonas!
iHeartPodcasts

Apple #54 Spotify — P. Casts —

7Pulse Score out of 100
79New on this chart

Street You Grew Up On
Kerry Washington | Daylight Media

Apple #58 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
80New on this chart

All There Is with Anderson Cooper
CNN Podcasts

Apple #59 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
81New on this chart

Reaching Out
Futuro Media

Apple #60 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
82New on this chart

A Very British Cult
BBC Radio 4

Apple #62 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
83New on this chart

Code Switch
NPR

Apple #63 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
84New on this chart

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
Pushkin Industries

Apple #65 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
85New on this chart

Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NPR

Apple #66 Spotify — P. Casts —

6Pulse Score out of 100
86New on this chart

One World in a New World - Apocalyptic Chats
Zen Benefiel, MA, MBA, DDiv - Host/Producer & Founder, Planetary Citizens

Apple #67 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
87New on this chart

U Up?
Betches Media

Apple #68 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
88New on this chart

Adrift
Apple TV / Blanchard House

Apple #69 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
89New on this chart

STASSI with Tay
PodcastOne

Apple #71 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
90New on this chart

Personally: Agent Layla
CBC

Apple #72 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
91New on this chart

Philosophize This!
Stephen West

Apple #73 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
92New on this chart

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
iHeartPodcasts

Apple #74 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
93New on this chart

Girls Next Level
Holly Madison & Bridget Marquardt

Apple #77 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
94New on this chart

Simply Relational
Darran Crager and Dr. Shelly Crager

Apple #78 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
95New on this chart

Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay
The Ringer

Apple #80 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
96New on this chart

Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries
Olimpia Pérez

Apple #81 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
97New on this chart

The Woody Show
iHeartRadio and ALT 98.7 FM

Apple #82 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
98New on this chart

The Dog Walk
Barstool Sports

Apple #83 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
99New on this chart

Happy Healthy Caregiver
Elizabeth Miller Featured on The Whole Care Network

Apple #84 Spotify — P. Casts —

5Pulse Score out of 100
100New on this chart

Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)
Team Coco & Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson

Apple #86 Spotify — P. Casts —

4Pulse Score out of 100

Quick answers

What is the #1 society & culture podcast right now?

The Shawn Ryan Show by Shawn Ryan is the No. 1 society & culture podcast on Pod is Life's combined chart for October 1, 2026 (#3 on Apple Podcasts, #1 on Spotify, #2 on Pocket Casts).

What are the top 3 society & culture podcasts this week?

Right now the top three are The Shawn Ryan Show, The Ezra Klein Show and This American Life. The chart updates every day, so check back to see who's climbing.

How is this ranking calculated?

We combine each show's position on the Apple Podcasts, Spotify & Pocket Casts Society & Culture charts into a single Pulse Score from 1 to 100. Shows that rank well on several platforms score higher than shows that top just one. Read the full methodology.