Top 10 Comedy Podcasts

Trying to uncover the funniest podcasts is an entirely subjective exercise. Still, we rounded up some of the top comedy podcasts by the numbers as well as a few sleepers that you shouldn’t, well, sleep on.  

1. The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo

This one is an easy sell for fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Featuring two of the show’s most beloved queens, The Bald and the Beautiful covers pop culture, modern beauty, and whatever else pops into its hosts’ slightly deranged heads. It’s more or less a must-listen for “Drag Race” completists, but even if you’ve never watched the show, Trixie and Katya’s rapport will make you feel like you’re hanging out with some old friends.

2. Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast

It would be malpractice to create a list of the best comedy podcasts and not include this behemoth. Podcast host Scott Aukerman started what would become Comedy Bang Bang as a radio show back in 2009, making it an ancient institution in podcast years. And the show is still going strong. Every week, Aukerman welcomes a diverse range of stand-up comedians, musicians, actors, and improvisers to join him for a madcap, anything-goes-style riff session. Comedy diehards will love seeing both up-and-comers and well-established talent try out vulgar, outrageous, and hilarious new characters. For people new to the comedy scene, CBB is a great introduction to talent to watch.

3. Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Conan O’Brien has been a staple of American comedy for 30 years, so it was only a matter of time until he debuted his own podcast. The ostensible premise of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is for O’Brien to have long, in-depth chats with people he would only get to speak to for a few minutes on his late night show. In practice, each episode finds Conan joking around with his producer and assistant and swapping hilarious stories from the biz with industry legends like Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Tracy Morgan, and more.

4. Doughboys

Doughboys is a testament to how talented comedians with podcasts can talk about pretty much anything and make it entertaining. On the surface, Doughboys is a chain restaurant review show wherein two friends and a guest discuss the highs and lows of a trip out to eat (or, occasionally, a takeout experience). But the rapport of hosts Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger transforms it into something else — they’re like an old married couple, both for their relentless ribbing of each other and their obvious mutual affection.

5. The Flop House

“A bunch of dudes talking about bad movies” is not an uncommon theme in podcastiverse, but The Flop House is the rare exception that’s worth a listen. For one thing, hosts Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and Elliott Kalan actually make an effort to diversify the on-mic talent by bringing on the occasional guest. For another, the Peaches (as the trio is affectionately known to fans) are as sensitive and affable as they are funny. You don’t even have to watch the movie in question to enjoy an episode — and given what they have to say about the movies in their deep dives, most of the time, you wouldn’t want to.

6. Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Another prime example of talent carrying the concept, Las Culturistas relies wholly on the charisma of its cohosts to propel it forward. Rogers and Yang (of SNL’s Gay Iceberg fame) have undeniable chemistry and charisma, and they’re able to easily bring their guests into the fold as they recall stories from their youth and dissect pop culture.

7. My Brother, My Brother and Me

My Brother, My Brother and Me is supposed to be an advice podcast hosted by the three McElroy brothers, Justin, Travis, and Griffin. But it’s really an excuse for these ebullient siblings to joke around and debate the awkward ins and outs of social niceties. It’s another long-time fixture of the podcast scene, so by this point, the show has plenty of its own inside jokes — including a podcast within a podcast called Munch Squad, all about fast food press releases. That said, the jovial brothers will easily appeal to new listeners.

8. Scam Goddess

Are you a fan of capers, cons, and grifts? Then Scam Goddess is the podcast for you. Host Laci Mosley is an enthusiastic follower of scams, and she uses her platform to both crowdsource amazing scam stories from listeners and discuss historical cons with her guests. The show is worth a listen for Mosley alone, whose constant ad-libbing and quick wit makes each episode a raucous good time.

9. Stop Podcasting Yourself

OK, is Stop Podcasting Yourself basically just two comedians talking about whatever? Yes, but they also happen to be two very, very funny Canadians. Every week, Graham Clark and Dave Shumka welcome a guest (usually a Canadian comedian) and share their favorite things they’ve seen or heard. Since so many of the guests are up-and-coming talent from up north, there’s a good chance you’ll hear someone hilarious that you’d probably never find on an American comedy podcast.

10. Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer

If you’ve seen Netflix’s competitive baking show “Nailed It!,” you know that Byer, a comedian and actor, is a force to be reckoned with. Bold and brash, with a penchant for the hilariously vulgar, she makes every episode of Why Won’t You Date Me? a joy as she and a guest talk about dating — and whatever else comes to mind.