12 Unmissable Podcasts About Your Favourite Music Stars & Genres

By JC Villamere. 3 Dec 2019 9:14 AM

Podcasts are great. Music is great. Combine those two and you’ve got hours of great listening ahead of you. Your queue is going to be bursting at the seams once you get in on these 12 stellar music podcasts. These shows cover so many angles of the industry that you’ll be seeing music in a new and delightfully different way every day.

Credit: WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

iHeartRadio

'Broken Record with Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam'

Pushkin Industries

NPR

Slate

iHeartRadio

Vox

Radiotopia/Translucence

Coe Operation

WBEZ Chicago

Corus

‘Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap with Randy Bachman’

Manatoba Inc.

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‘Dolly Parton’s America’
Credit: WNYC Studios & OSM Audio
We’ve been listening to the “Radiolab” podcast for years. It’s been on since 2002 and it won a Peabody Award so you know it’s solid. So when we heard that “Radiolab”’s Jad Abumrad was going to do a nine-episode deep-dive into the Dollyverse, we had already pressed ‘download’. "Dolly Parton’s America" tells the story of Parton’s life through interviews and music. The timing is perfect for this because, according to NPR, “In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton”.
'The Jann Arden Podcast'
iHeartRadio
Jann Arden is everywhere. She just hosted the Giller Gala. She’s on the cover of 'Chatelaine'. She’s on the radio singing hits like “Insensitive” and “Not Your Little Girl”. She’s on your screen in her semi-biographical sitcom “Jann” and occasionally on “Workin' Moms” (a role that earned her a Canadian Screen Award), and there’s a chair for her at “The Social”, too. Did we mention her new special, “Jann Arden One Night Only”, debuts on December 4? And still the country clamours for more Jann! Why? Because she’s great. “What I love so much about podcasting is the opportunity to learn and connect with people all over the planet,” Arden said in a statement. “Every single time I meet someone new and experience a new perspective through a respectful, interesting conversation, I feel a little bit taller and a little bit more enlightened.” Her podcast is a dish that is both nutritious and delicious in that you’ll learn things while being entertained.
'Broken Record with Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam'
Pushkin Industries
You know Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell from his chart-dominating podcast, "Revisionist History". Rick Rubin co-founded the Def Jam record label and helped popularize hip hop. Bruce Headlam is also Canadian. He was born in Elmira, Ontario, and then he grew up to be the media editor for the New York Times but now he does this. So you’re in good hands with these producers because they’re experts. ”Broken Record” is not hosted by any of these experts, though. It's hosted by NPR's Justin Richmond. He talks about music with big stars like Norah Jones, Tyler the Creator and Vampire Weekend and then they play music. Pro tip: If you want to know how to write a hit song, check out episode 17.
'All Songs Considered'
NPR
Do you need to know about new music before everyone and require a new info source to help you achieve this ambition? Or maybe you just like to hear friends talk on the radio and chat to emerging artists (and established ones as well). Either way, you’re going to want to subscribe to “All Songs Considered”.
'Slow Burn'
Slate
The first two seasons of 'Slate'’s popular investigative podcast delved into the Watergate scandal and the Clinton impeachment. For season 3, they’ve taken a hard left turn away from political scandals to take a deep dive into the ‘90s unsolved murders of two of hip hop’s biggest stars: Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. It’s hosted by Joel Anderson, who’s a staff writer at 'Slate'.
'Disgraceland'
iHeartRadio
This podcast digs the (alleged) dirt on some of the biggest stars in music and then dishes it. And we’re talking dirt. Stuff like murder, arson, cults — yep, our fave podcast topics are all here! “Disgraceland” shows you the alleged true crime antics of stars like Madonna, Amy Winehouse, the Stones, Tupac, and more.
'Switched On Pop'
Vox
Musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding disassemble pop songs from Rihanna, BTS, Taylor Swift, and more. Then they tell you about how all the parts of the pop song go together to elicit a response in you. Then they stitch the songs back up and they’re fine. You’ll enjoy listening even if you’re not up for the song they’re dissecting — they have a way of making you like it. It’s neat. Try it.
‘Song Exploder’
Radiotopia/Translucence
Forget disassembling: this podcast explodes(!) songs. It’s not as destructive as advertised, though. It’s actually artists like Sheryl Crow, Janelle Monae, and Metallica talking about their most popular songs and the elements comprised. Warning: this is in-depth! These guys aren’t afraid to get specific.
“Cocaine & Rhinestones”
Coe Operation
Are you down with classic country? Like, really classic. Pre-Randy Travis. Heck, pre Conway Twitty! We’re talking 1940s country. If names like Ernest Tubb, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens excite you, then tune in. More importantly, if you don’t recognize those names, tune in. Tubb alone has tracks with rad titles like “Pass the Booze”, “Letters Have No Arms” and “Sweet Thang”. But even more than that, each episode focuses on a country music mystery! “Cocaine & Rhinestones” has it all.
'Sound Opinions'
WBEZ Chicago
Everything’s game for hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. They talk about specific things, like all the delicate threads of musical styles that combined to create ska. They talk about broad things, like songs that make us cry. They examine genres, music history, classic albums, and music milestones. They introduce you to your new favourite record. On “Sound Opinions”, you’ll hear interviews with music stars like Alice Cooper, the Mountain Goats, and Mavis Staples. If you’re trying to broaden your musical boundaries, this one is for you.
‘Ongoing History of New Music’
Corus
We had to include this one because it’s a mammoth. This music documentary podcast began as a radio show in 1993. Since then, well-known music expert (and Canadian) Alan Cross has taken audiences on an exploration of alt rock bands, themes, and movements.
‘Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap with Randy Bachman’
Manatoba Inc.
“Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap with Randy Bachman” is hosted by Randy Bachman. Yep, that’s Randy Bachman of the Guess Who and of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. It’s Randy Bachman of “American Woman” and of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”. Behold the Randy Bachman of “Takin’ Care of Business”. This is him. This is his Saturday night CBC Radio show in podcast form. Each show has a theme, such as songs with whistling, songs that mention Texas, and songs with flutes. Bachman, who has a gentle, earnest presence, spins oldies and B-sides and tells stories about all the stars he’s met and the music they’ve made together. He has his guitar there, too, and he breaks down the elements of some of the songs. Also, if you’re looking for a family-friendly music podcast, this is that. Enjoy.

12 Unmissable Podcasts About Your Favourite Music Stars & Genres

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