The best podcasts for music lovers 2023

Love reading interviews with your favourite artists? Curious to hear about how they came up with that banging track? Or maybe you just want to hear people ripping your favourite artists to shreds? There’s a music podcast for you! 

The cracking music podcasts we’ve listed below are funny, insightful, inspirational, weird, wonderful, fascinating, and shocking, covering our favourite tunes, artists, and even the illegal activities our favourite musicians were involved in. Check them out! 

Disgraceland

Photo: Disgraceland / Facebook.com

For fans of: true crime 

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms

Musicians are people, just like us. And, just like us, they aren’t always the most… wholesome people. And some of them happen to be (or were) murderers, drug traffickers, and arsonists. Yep, this podcast dives into all the crimes huge artists have committed or been involved in. We're talking Van Morrison being the victim of an attack from a crime family member and a guitarist he worked with ending up dead, Sid Vicious possibly being killed by his own mum, and the deaths of Tupac and Biggie. Strap in for a ride wilder than James Brown's high-speed police chase! 

Switched On Pop 

Photo: Switched On Pop  

For fans of: popular music 

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms

Hosted by a musicologist (a scholar that studies the relationship between music and other topics such as politics and aesthetics) and a songwriter, Switched On Pop explores the making and meaning of popular music. Episodes cover artists like Prince, Taylor Swift, Paramore, Kali Uchis, and The Killers, and topics such as music theory, TikTok’s impact on music, Eurovision, songwriting, and women in music. Listen to this podcast to dive into pop music and its place in our culture from the expert hosts and featured artists like Lizzo, Disclosure, Carly Rae Jepsen, Keith Urban, and Rina Sawayama.

Dissect 

For fans of: deep-diving into modern hip hop

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms

If you’re the kind of person who wants to know everything about the music you love, you’ll adore Dissect. This podcast dissects modern hip-hop albums, exploring one album per session - giving each song an entire episode - as the hosts dive to the depths of the music, lyrics, and themes on albums including Igor, To Pimp A Butterfly, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lemonade, and Yeezus.

Song Exploder 

For fans of: learning more about their favourite tunes from the artists who made them

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms

Song Exploder invites artists to break down their tracks, covering the initial idea, the recording process, experimentation, and more. One episode saw the guitarist of Slowdive talking about stuffing his hollow-bodied guitar with bubble wrap to prevent feedback. Another saw Run The Jewels cover their banger JU$T, discussing lyrical themes, the recording process, and chopping up soulful vocals to create the track before enlisting Pharrell Williams for additional vocals. It’s also a documentary on Netflix that covers different songs from the ones in the podcast. 

Desert Island Discs

Photo: bbc.co.uk

For fans of: discovering new music and hearing your favourite celebs talk about tunes

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms 

The age-old question for any music fan: what tunes would you want with you if you were stuck on a desert island? Various guests - musicians, actors, producers, presenters, sports personalities, writers, scientists and more - list eight tracks, a book, and a luxury item they’d take with them to a remote island. With Rick Rubin, John Legend, Adele, Kate Moss, Steven Spielberg, and other famous names sharing their most adored tracks, it offers a look into these people's lives, and can help you discover banging new tunes! 

Trailblazers: electronic pioneers 

For fans of: electronic music

Where you can listen: Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Spotify, and other platforms

Electronic music has come a long way since its inception, with countless subgenres sprouting up and these sounds gaining mainstream popularity. Trailblazers invites artists who defined electronic genres to show us the music that soundtracked their lives and tell never-told-before stories and funny anecdotes of their journeys in music. Guests have included some legendary electronic artists like Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, DJ Fresh, and Goldie. If you love electronic music and are curious about your favourite artists, it’s 100% worth a listen. 

Arctic Monkeys: Believe The Hype 

Photo: BBC Sounds / Facebook.com 

For fans of: indie

Where you can listen: BBC Sounds

Arctic Monkeys are the band of this generation - do you know any Brits who don’t know the words to I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor? The band inspired countless other artists from all sorts of genres, and this podcast explores the legacy of their debut album, which is still the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history. The podcast, hosted by Kate Nash, features exclusive interviews with artists who played vital roles in the band's history, as well as famous fans like Reverend and the Makers and Yungblud. It’s destined to be one of the best music podcasts in 2023. 

Your Favourite Band Sucks

Photo: Your Favourite Band Sucks / Facebook.com 

For fans of: laughing at themselves and their favourite artists and/or people who hate certain artists

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other platforms 

“Read any biography of any classical composer - all these guys were d*cks.” Your Favourite Band Sucks is a comedy podcast that rips our favourite artists to shreds. It’s probably not the best idea to listen if you’re a die-hard Stan but if you can laugh at yourself and the music you listen to, it’s pretty bloody hilarious. Join them as they slag off Nirvana, Beethoven, Oasis, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Daft Punk, Christmas music, BTS, Outkast, and more for about 40 minutes.

Broken Record 

Photo: Broken Record / Facebook.com

For fans of: hearing musicians talk about their life, inspiration, and playing a little tune

Where you can listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms

Legendary record producer Rick Rubin, and journalists Malcolm Gladwell and Justin Richmond, host Broken Record, a podcast that invites musicians to play, and talk about inspirations, and their lives. They’ve had Kaytranada, Nile Rodgers, Patti Smith, Stormzy, Missy Elliott, Neil Young, and more discuss their craft, debated topics like 80s vs 90s music, whether samples improve or worsen a song, and more. 

But just the fact that Rick Rubin is on the team should be enough to convince you to listen as a truly iconic producer who’s worked with Metallica, The Strokes, Run-DMC, Joan Jett, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Limp Bizkit - basically all your favourite big artists. 

All Songs Considered

Photo: All Songs Considered / Facebook.com 

For fans of: discovering new music

Where you can listen: NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other platforms

With New Music Friday, episodes covering the best music of the month, the best albums of the year, genre-focuses and more, All Songs Considered is your music nerd buddy that helps you discover the hottest new sounds. The aim is to find the best new music that’ll change your life. The hosts also chat with emerging talent, famous artists, and more. 

If you love music (who doesn’t?), you’re sure to love some of these music podcasts. Check them out, discover new music, and the stories behind your favourite tunes, and get engrossed in exclusive interviews with your favourite artists.  

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

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