The 14 Best Podcasts Like Revisionist History

1) The Last Archive

The Last Archive is another show from Pushkin, the network behind Revisionist History, and is also hosted by a respected historian, New Yorker writer Jill Lapore. In The Last Archive, Jill digs into historical events ranging from the Polio epidemic to a cold murder case, all in an effort to answer the question: who killed truth? It’s a show about the history of truth, but it’s also about how we ended up in a post-truth, fake news, world. The episodes are fascinating, well-researched, and more than worth a listen for Malcolm Gladwell podcast fans.

2) Freakonomics Radio

Hosted by economist Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books, this podcast dives into interesting research about everything from loneliness to advertising to the gender pay gap. Listening to conversations between Dubner and his accomplished guests is enlightening and interesting, and even if economics isn’t your thing, this is much more than just an economics podcast (it includes useful practical advice as well)! So don’t be afraid to dive in.

3) 99% Invisible

99% Invisible is the Revisionist History of the design world. The team, helmed by producer Roman Mars, explore the power of design and architecture to shape our world. Each week, they create beautiful and meaningful stories out of the things we so often take for granted — libraries, airplane safety cards, perfume — and reveal so much more than we could have imagined about their history, importance, and impact.

4) You Must Remember This

You Must Remember This explores secret and often-forgotten aspects of 20th century Hollywood history. This great storytelling podcast uses these historical events to illuminate larger societal issues, from racism to sexism to body-shaming, that inform us about the past and how we got to where we are today. There is also a fascinating 12 episode series on Charles Manson’s Hollywood that is a must-listen. So If you’re looking for an interesting history podcast, definitely give this show a try.

5) Reveal

If you want to hear great journalism, listen to any episode of Reveal. Created by the Centre for Investigative Reporting, Reveal features reporters from The Washington Post, ProPublica, APM, The Marshall Project and The Investigative Fund, and is a Peabody Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist. That’s all to say that their reporting is top-notch, and they use their skills to dive into stories as diverse as art fraud, Pizzagate, and confederate monuments. You can’t go wrong with any of their fascinating episodes!

6) Radiolab

One of the original great storytelling podcasts, Radiolab is renowned for its unique production style and in-depth reporting on topics as far-ranging as Dolly Parton, the Mexican-American border, and the Spanish Flu. Whether you like science, history, politics, or a bit of everything, there’s a huge treasure trove of Radiolab episodes waiting for you to dive into!

7) You’re Wrong About

In this history podcast, journalists Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall revisit historical events and figures that have been misremembered and miscast, shedding light on what really happened. Often, these topics come from the 80’s and 90’s — Bill Clinton’s impeachment, the Satanic Panic, the O.J. Simpson trial — and centre around maligned female figures, like Anna Nicole Smith and Tanya Harding. Michael and Sarah bring their delightful and often hilarious comedy to their storytelling, but the episodes are always well-researched and enlightening.

8) The Memory Palace

9) This American Life

10) Our Fake History

11) Invisibilia

12) Throughline

13) Underunderstood

14) Endless Thread