Our Favorite Podcasts for a Long Road Trip

With lively hosts who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, Bad Faith sparks lively debates and delivers insights that will keep you thinking long after you’ve hit the road. Hosts Briahna Joy Gray and Virgil Texas dissect the day’s biggest stories, forging connections between politics, culture, and everyday life that’ll make your Buc-ee’s stops more meaningful. You’ll laugh, you’ll ponder, and you might even catch yourself reconsidering your stances on things. —Uvie Bikomo

There are two types of Beyond Yacht Rock episodes: those that determine whether user-submitted yacht rocks songs are actually yacht rock (using the now-definitive Yachtski Scale), and others that compile playlists of microgenres like “inspired by Star Wars” or “workout songs of the ’80s.” You’re going to learn a ton about both music as an art form and music history while you also hyperventilate from laughing too hard. —Meredith Nudo

Who knew you could make three thrilling seasons about Tom Hanks firing you from a minor role in Band of Brothers in 2000, allegedly for having “dead eyes”? Actor Connor Ratliff tries to find out what really happened, but this fun podcast series is not just about that. Guest actors and other people in the industry come on to talk about the inner workings of Hollywood and their own “dead eyes moment.” It’s insightful and hilarious. And there’s a special guest in the very last episode…. —Emma Balter

If you’re a sucker like I am for early-2000s TV shows, specifically One Tree Hill, you’ll love Drama Queens. The podcast, hosted by the women who played the three main girl characters from OTH—Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Sophia Bush—takes listeners down memory lane by giving fans more insight into what was going on behind the scenes and interviewing other main actors to learn more about what their experiences were like on the show. —Sofia Gonzalez

Irish comedian Joanne McNally has started diving into some hard-hitting investigative journalism, tackling critical topics like whether Avril Lavigne has been replaced by a doppelgänger named Melissa or the possibility that Furbys secretly spied on us. What she has to say about these subjects is hilarious, but she also provides some thoughtful insights into how and why people come to believe in more serious conspiracies. —MN

In a world where things move so quickly, it can be hard to pay attention to a podcast—or any long-form media. But Payton Moreland of Murder with My Husband knows how to keep you hooked. She tells true crime stories to her husband, Garrett Moreland (who hates the genre but tolerates it because he loves his wife), and gets his feedback on the cases. The conversational storytelling makes you feel like you’re in the studio with them. —SG

From robberies and frauds to capers and, well, scams, Laci Mosley (a.k.a. “Scam Goddess”) makes each tale feel like gossip from your funniest friend. This podcast is sure to keep you laughing even when traffic tests your patience. Each episode, Mosley and a cohost talk about a new swindle—whether it’s a years-old con or a fresh scheme—with playful banter that keeps you in on the joke. And you might learn a thing on two to avoid getting played. —UB

Any season of Slate’s popular podcast is a great road trip companion, but we particularly liked the latest and 10th, “The Rise of Fox News.” Host Josh Levin begins with the TV network’s fumbled 1996 election coverage, then follows its meteoric rise thanks to interviews with insiders and smart analysis. The six hour-long episodes will take you through some throwback ’90s and ’00s moments and give you a deeper understanding of our current politics. —EB