’27 Club,’ ‘One Year,’ and more: 12 of the best podcasts with numbers in their titles

We’ve collected some of our favorite podcasts with numbers in their titles. From “Three Bean Salad” to “70 Million” you’ll find podcasts from a variety of genres on our list. There are shows highlighting the power of design, music history, world history, and what we can learn from wildlife.

If comedy is your jam, tune into comedic takes on listener-submitted topics and you might LOL with the popular show “2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer.” For fictional narratives, check out “Archive 81” and “12 Ghosts.”

27 Club

Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and other legends joined the tragic “27 Club,” from which the podcast coined its name. These creative geniuses soared to success, were wrapped up in scandals, fought their demons, and did not live beyond their 27th birthdays. This entertainment podcast by Jake Brennan and Double Elvis has released over 50 episodes since 2019 and stresses that it is not an investigative series.

One Year

Slate Podcasts’ “One Year” brings listeners through America’s struggles and people’s stories, focusing on 1 year each season. Stream “One Year’s” episodes in any order with past seasons covering 1986, 1995, and 1997 – just to name a few. Tune in for new perspectives from folks who experienced these years firsthand in episodes running less than an hour on average.

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

Andrew Hickey shares rock music’s history from 1938 to 1999 across 500 iconic songs that molded the genre. Learn more about tracks like “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, “Happy Together” by The Turtles, and “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys.

70 Million

“70 Million” is an award-winning and Peabody nominated series sharing how locals interface with their communities’ jails. In the latest season, reporters traveled across America to interview people affected by jails, document progress on topics like bail reform, diversion, recidivism, and adopting technology.

Three Bean Salad 

Comedians Mike Wozniak, Henry Paker, and Benjamin Partridge are a “Three Bean Salad” when they riff on a 1 weekly theme suggested by listeners. Past topics have ranged from inanimate objects like sandwiches and glass to live beings, activities like going to Disney World, and many more in over 60 episodes.

12 Ghosts

From iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild comes Aaron Mahnke’s “12 Ghosts.” On Christmas Eve, 11 travelers arrived at an inn deep in the woods, and they swapped stories. They realized the innkeeper had something planned for every single one of them. This series stars Malcolm McDowell. For another fictional, number-titled podcast by Mahnke, check out “13 Days of Halloween.”

Twenty Thousand Hertz

From synths to early video games, the Wilhelm Scream, train announcements, pirate radio, and jingles, “Twenty Thousand Hertz” shares the history of interesting sounds. Host Dallas Taylor highlights sound inventions and developments over time in over 160 sonically-robust episodes.

99% Invisible

Design is all around us, and producer Roman Mars recognizes the “power of design and architecture” in “99% Invisible‘s” weekly episodes. Mars brings attention to things we might not see on a regular basis, with insight on everyday items.

30 Animals that Made Us Smarter

BBC World Service’s “30 Animals That Made Us Smarter” shares amazing things we’ve learned from animals. Hear fascinating episodes on how the dragonfly inspired a spy drone, a solution to an environmental problem based on kingfisher’s eyelids, wasps and keyhole surgery, how moon jellyfish inspired an underwater robot, and more. Tune in for over 60 episodes running less than 20 minutes on average.

2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer

Comedians and best friends Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer spend 90 minutes every week trying to make each other laugh. They gather at YMH Studios’ bear cave to chat about anything and everything. As one of the top podcasts in the world, “2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer” continues to take the comedy podcast charts by storm.

A History of the World in 100 Objects

Navigate “A History of the World in 100 Objects” with British Museum’s Neil MacGregor. He shares programs to recap humanity’s history through objects we created like credit cards, the astrolabe, and the Seated Buddha from Gandhara. While the last episodes were posted in 2020, it’s still worth the listen.

Archive 81

On “Archive 81,” an archivist is hired to restore tapes and suddenly finds himself roped into a mystery way beyond his wildest imagination. The podcast has released three, sci-fi seasons. In 2022, Netflix released one season based on the podcast.