No matter how joyous your job may be, there are unfortunately plenty of reasons we dread our commute. You might be bumper to bumper in traffic or find yourself on London's dirtiest Tube line; even if you walk there's now the fear of being thrown under a bus by an impatient jogger.
But before we all start calling in sick to avoid the morning rush, there is hope out there. We've found that a good podcast really makes a difference to your commute. What was once wasted time, spent crushed into someone's armpit on the Central line, can be your chance to hear something amazing.
So click through to see our 10 top podcast picks to get you through the commute. Some are well known, while others a little more offbeat. Now's the perfect to time to switch up your iTunes podcast list and start with something new.
Say Why To Drugs
Ever been curious about what LSD is like but don't want to try it in case that story you heard in year 10 about jumping out of the window might actually be true? Or are you just interested in why you get a sugar rush after that second doughnut? Then this is the podcast for you. To battle the myths and misinformation around recreational drugs – legal and illegal – podcast maven Scroobius Pip has teamed up with Dr. Suzi Gage to discuss, without bias, what drugs actually do to your brain and body. With episodes on everything from caffeine to cocaine, there's a lot to be learnt about the positive and negative effects of all the drugs out there.
No Such Thing As A Fish
As might be expected, the "elves" behind QI, the nerdy jewel in British TV's crown, come across some quite interesting information in their line of work. When the researchers discovered that, scientifically speaking, there was no such thing as a fish (seriously), they decided they had to share it with the world and this podcast was born. If you're intrigued to learn that Guantánamo Bay has a gift shop, that Isambard Kingdom Brunel once spent six months with a gold coin trapped in his windpipe or that the German word for 'squirrel' literally means 'nut croissant', we suggest you subscribe.
The Sporkful
Proud to be a food podcast for eaters rather than foodies, The Sporkful dives into the really important questions we have about food, going way beyond calorie content. For instance, why do left-handed people buy less soup? What do career decisions mean to a professional competitive eater? And what does Rosa Parks' pancake recipe taste like? This may be difficult to listen to before breakfast but for anyone with even a passing interest in what's on their plate, it's definitely worth a download.
You Must Remember This
You Must Remember This promises "the secret and/or forgotten history of Hollywood's first century" and it certainly delivers. Whether you're a fan of DeMille, Scorsese or Hitchcock, if you've seen a film from the 20th century, there'll be something here to fascinate you. Sultry-voiced host Karina Longworth covers everything from an inside look at Marilyn Monroe's mental health to the first openly gay Hollywood marriage and the truth behind the Manson murders. With so much current Hollywood coverage skewing to the views of mega rich moguls, it's fantastic to hear about the diverse history of the world's most glamorous company town.
Boners Of The Heart
For old friends and professional funny women Alice Snedden and Rose Matafeo, it all began with a Danny DeVito sex dream. We've all been there, right? Well, maybe not precisely, but it's difficult not to relate to these in-depth discussions around unusual celebrity crushes and slightly strange sexual fantasies. Witty, hilarious and utterly charming, peeking into the IRL friendship of these two women is enough to spice up even the dullest commute.
Song Exploder
Behind all our favourite tracks – from Gorillaz' "Andromeda" to Joey Bada$$' "Hazeus View" to La La Land 's "The Fools Who Dream" – is the story of how they came into being. Host and creator of Song Exploder, Hrishikesh Hirway invites musicians, lyricists and producers from every genre of music into the studio to break down their songs and show us how they're made. Sometimes technical and often emotional, it's always intriguing to see how our favourite playlist components came to be, and how close they were to not existing at all.
They Walk Among Us
Of course, no list of podcasts in 2017 would be complete without at least one diving into the dark side of true crime. Unusually, They Walk Among Us is from our side of the pond, concentrating purely on UK cases, from the sinister to the surreal. Presented by the cowriter, Benjamin, the episodes are narrated with detail about the stories themselves, rather than just the gruesome bits, and are made better by his soothing yet chilling tone.
Myths And Legends
If you think you know Robin Hood and Aladdin from the Disney movies, be prepared to have Myths and Legends host Jason Weiser show you a whole new world (sorry). Turns out the folklore and fairy tales told all over the world have deeper and darker origins than Disney lets on. Every week you can hear a new and imaginative retelling of these classic stories, complete with an injection of Jason's dry humour and wit. The surprisingly bloody turn many of these tales take (we're looking at you, Greek mythology) makes them more suited to your morning commute than to bedtime stories.
99% Invisible
Host Roman Mars (possibly the greatest name of any podcaster alive today) devotes each episode of 99% Invisible to a different aspect of design or architecture that you've probably never noticed. Ever thought about who designed your pill packet to look like that and why? Felt that some cities are purposely hostile? Or did you know that there was a serious initiative in the 1960s to colonise space? 99pi covers all of this and more – the back catalogue is over 250 episodes, enough to see you through even the longest commute.
Melanin Millennials
Tired of the lack of representation of black British culture in the podcast charts, Londoners Imrie Morgan and Satia Sa Dias decided to take to the mic themselves. Every episode deep dives into pop culture, politics, mental health and day-to-day life for millennials in the UK. If you're looking for an antidote to the daily dose of Trump in your morning news feed, this is it.
Read our interview with Imrie and Satia here.
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