The Best Comedy Podcasts On Earth That You Should Be Listening To

Saying there are a lot of comedy podcasts out there would be a massive understatement. There are thousands of active comedy podcasts to choose from across Luminary, Castbox, Supercast, iTunes, Spotify, and their ilk. The internet is littered with them. And hey, there’s really only so much time in a day (lockdown or not) that you can listen to a bunch of clever people riffing. Plus, a lot of amazing comedy podcasts have already come and gone. Meaning you have deep archives to consider, too.

All of that makes it damn near impossible to know where to start if you’re looking for a few auditory laughs. So today we’re highlighting classic comedy podcasts we love and some smaller, independent podcasts that always deliver on the laughs. We’ve also cut this list down considerably from its last iteration — as several of those podcasts are no longer active (basically, if they haven’t posted an episode in 2020, they got cut).

Let’s dive into some of the best comedy podcasts to listen to right now. Shout out your current favorites in the comments!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B32QiLFFTKg/

The Show:

Tom Reimann and David Bell of the podcast and gaming network Gamefully Unemployed churn out some of the best and funniest pop-cultural podcasts out there. One of their best — and maybe weirdest — shows is their newly minted Fox Mulder is a Maniac.

If you’re even tangentially aware of the hit 90s FOX sci-fi procedural, The X-Files, this show is essential listening. Reimann and Bell take a look back at Fox Mulder’s shenanigans and acts insanity with fresh eyes. The results are comedy gold and often disturbing in retrospect. Though most episodes are behind a Patreon wall, several are free on Gamefully Unemployed’s free podcast account Story Mode (where you can listen to great free movies-themed shows like Hypecast and We Just Watched…).

Suggested Listening: Fox Mulder Is A Maniac – S04E02 – “Home”

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Castbox, Patreon

The Show:

Friends Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata started a comedy podcast about being friends, talking to friends, and talking shit about friends. The heart of Best Friends is about friends being there for each other with real support. It’s also incredibly funny.

Byer and Zamata are pros when it comes to comedy and they rarely hold back from cutting to the core of an issue and giving their best advice. Life, death, sex, food, and the brilliance and mundanity of the human experience is all on the table. It’s refreshing, hilarious, and well worth a listen.

Suggested Listening: Nicole and Sasheer Remember Juneteenth

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

Adam Tod Brown’s Unpops podcast network is brimming with great shows co-hosted and individually hosted by one of the most culturally diverse sets of comedy podcast hosts in the game. 12 Questions with Anna Valenzuela and CelebriTragic with Kari Martin are two unique highlights from the network.

One of our favorite anthology series is You Don’t Even Like Sports, co-hosted with L.A. comedian Jeff May. The show grew out of a mini-series about infamous Oakland A’s baseballer Jose Canseco (definitely worth a listen). And, most recently, the show is wrapping up a series about Dennis Rodman. It’s like Adam Tod Brown and Jeff May’s version of The Last Dance — if it were focused on Rodman instead of Michael Jordan and a whole lot funnier. It’s a rollercoaster of a listen.

Suggested Listening: Dennis Rodman Pt. 1: The Oldest of 47 Kids

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Supercast

The Show:

Matt Rogers (Gayme Show) and Bowen Yang (SNL) co-host the “CULTURE” podcast about, well, culture. But the show is so much more than its logline. Rogers and Yang bring on guests to break down modern pop culture while also taking deep dives into their guests’ storied careers.

The real heart of the show is the fun Rogers and Bowen have fun with their guests. The ease of the interviews truly shines through, especially in a recent episode with another SNL alum, Will Ferrell cutting it up about Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga.

Suggested Listening: “Family Style” (w/ Will Ferrell)

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

Bonanas for Bonanza might be the funniest podcast streaming right now. Hosts Dalton Wilcox (Andy Daly), Mutt Taylor (Matt Gourley), and Amy Sleeverson (an incredible Maria Bamford) flip the old-TV-show-rewatch theme on its head with this podcast. The three hosts have developed fictional characters of such hilarious depths that you’ll find yourself binging through every available episode.

And seriously, Bamford’s Amy Sleeverson — a bible-thumping home and garden guru — is the show’s shining star as they stay in character and earnestly re-watch an archaic and often very problematic Western TV show from the 1960s.

Suggested Listening: Season 1, Episode 7: The Saga Of Annie O’Toole

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

After 2 Dope Queens ended, Phoebe Robinson branched out and started her own equally dope podcast. Sooo Many White Guys is a critique of the ridiculous amount of mediocre white guys podcasting (and in every other form of comedy). The idea of the show is to highlight the voices of BIPOC in the music, film, TV, and comedy scene. Robinson’s show doesn’t exclude people because they’re white guys, though — Adam Scott was just on as a guest.

The show works well as an interview podcast with Robinson leading great convos. And once in a while, the show’s executive producer, Broad City’s Ilana Glazer, drops in for some great comedy bits.

Suggested Listening: Phoebe and Padma Lakshmi Swim Through a Lake of Shit

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

Conan O’Brien’s contribution to comedy is massive. If you simply look at his comedic writing credits (from SNL to The Simpsons), it’s already legendary. Then, of course, there are the decades O’Brien spent re-shaping the way we all watch late-night TV. Oh, and he’s also one of the best stand-ups out there.

The original conceit of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend was to explore whether O’Brien and his guests can be or are friends, even though they work in the same industry and are around each other professionally, seemingly, all the time. Gradually, the show morphed into more of a straightforward interview show — with some of the biggest names in the business (who also happen to be O’Brien’s friends) dropping by.

Suggested Listening: Adam Sandler

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

Comedy Bang Bang has become the gold standard of great comedy pod. The guest lists for the show is one of the most stacked in the game. The overall premise is kind of a hybrid between late-night talk show and sketch comedy.

The show had been imitated many times over the years. Yet the podcast still remains one of the best places for your favorite people in comedy (and entertainment in general) to stretch their legs in the improv world while chatting it up.

Suggested Listening: 660. Judy Greer, Shaun Diston, Will Hines

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox

The Show:

The conceit here is simple. Hosts Andrew Ti and Tawny Newsome answer emails and voicemails on whether something is racist. Every week the duo welcomes guests (usually comedians) to parse the world we live in and all the metaphoric speed bumps, roadblocks, and death traps by examining how we deal with race as a society.

Enlightenment and hilarity ensue.

Suggested Listening: Fun Only with Ashley Nicole Black

Subscribe Here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox