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8 Best Music History Podcasts of 2026

Updated: Jul 2026


NPR Music

By NPR  

Music  

300 Episodes

Started: Aug 2024

Latest: Few days ago

Welcome to your all-in-one destination for every NPR Music podcast. We break down the best new albums to hit streaming each week on New Music Friday; we share the latest songs worthy of your playlists on All Songs Considered; there’s off-the-rails conversations (and chisme!) about Latin music on Alt.Latino. The NPR Music channel is your hub for new records, iconic artists and cult heroes, free of algorithms and full of surprises.

Best Episodes of NPR Music:

   

The best albums of 2026 (so far)

On a special mid-year episode of New Music Friday, host Stephen Thompson and a lineup of NPR Music writers and critics reflect on their favorite albums of the year so far. Albums featured in this epis…

Popcast

By The New York Times  

Music Commentary  Music  Music Interviews  

2 Episodes

Started: Jun 2026

Latest: Few days ago

The Popcast is hosted by Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic for The New York Times. It covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Best Episodes of Popcast:

   

Popcast LIVE! Lizzo Addresses the Backlash

During a special live edition of “Popcast,” Lizzo discussed her new album and the public fallout from a series of lawsuits. Then she performed a stripped-down set, which you can watch in full [here] (…

The Music History Project

By NAMM Resource Center  

Music  

148 Episodes

Started: Jun 2017

Latest: Week ago

NAMM’s resident Music Historian Dan Del Fiorentino and co-hosts examine the innovative creations, evolution of musical instruments, the changing world of music retail, music industry icons, and other topics covered in NAMM’s Oral History program. The NAMM Oral History program boasts over 4,500 interviews and is continually growing. For more information about NAMM’s Oral History program please visit https://www.namm.org/library.

Best Episodes of The Music History Project:

   

EP148_Clyde_McPhatter

For this episode of the Music History Project, we explore the life and legacy of one of rock and roll’s most influential—and often overlooked—voices: Clyde McPhatter. Joining us is author Steve Bergsm…

Mogul

By Gimlet  

Music History  Music  Society & Culture  

37 Episodes

Started: Jun 2017

Latest: Year ago

Mogul is a show about hip hop’s most iconic moments, told by the people who lived them. In Season 3, we’re telling the story of DJ Screw, a reclusive genius who changed the sound of music forever. An auteur who created his own genre — Chopped and Screwed — Screw slowed music down until it sounded like syrup coming out of your speakers. It quickly became the soundtrack to the city of Houston, before influencing an entire generation of rappers. But the man behind the beats was a mystery to all but his closest collaborators, and to this day he remains one of hip-hop’s greatest enigmas.

Best Episodes of Mogul:

   

S3 Part 3: June 27th

We go inside the making of DJ Screw’s greatest mixtape: The June 27th tape. It’s the story of a magical night inside the wood room when everything came together just right. The beats, the drugs, and a…

Celebration Rock

By Cumulus Media Minneapolis / KXXR-FM  

Music  

100 Episodes

Started: Sept 2016

Latest: Year ago

Rock Critic Steven Hyden ("Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me", "Twilight Of The Gods") talks with rock stars and the country’s biggest music writers about what’s happening in rock. Presented by 93X (www.93X.com) and Uproxx.com (http://uproxx.com/music/)

Best Episodes of Celebration Rock:

   

Celebration Rock: Best Albums of the Decade with Ian Cohen

Steve decided to take the podcast out of hibernation for this special one-off episode on the best albums of the 2010's, with special guest Ian Cohen. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.…

Song Exploder

By Hrishikesh Hirway  

Music  

369 Episodes

Started: Jan 2014

Latest: Week ago

Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.

Best Episodes of Song Exploder:

   

Hayley Kiyoko - Girls Like Girls

Hayley Kiyoko is a singer, songwriter, author, and director from Los Angeles. She was a child actor on Disney and Nickelodeon, and briefly in a girl group called The Stunners. But then, she started he…

The Questlove Show

By iHeartRadio  

Music  Society & Culture  

479 Episodes

Started: Nov 2019

Latest: Few days ago

The Questlove Show builds on the award-winning Questlove Supreme podcast, bringing listeners into intimate, one-on-one conversations with peers, influences, and friends. Hosted by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, each episode uncovers the unexpected — from morning rituals and hidden talents to the art and experiences that shaped a guest’s journey. Sometimes playful, sometimes profound, always curious, QLS offers rare insight into leaders in music, film, television, comedy, literature, mental health, and beyond. It’s a fresh, unpredictable spin from a trusted source — a place where randomness is encouraged, tangents are welcomed, and conversations are anything but ordinary.

Best Episodes of The Questlove Show:

   

A Reaction To The Chuck D Episode Of The Questlove Show

Open Mike Eagle and Cousin Jake link for a mini-episode to unpack Questlove's long-awaited conversation with Chuck D. Along the way, they discuss the disappearance of Hip-Hop's "middle class," the vit…

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