Ivy is on search for the greatest single podcast episode of all time.
And her TikTok post about it went viral
Bonjour. Today is Monday, June 15, 2026. I am at the beach and handed the reins over to Ivy, aka @watchandlisten.ivy on TikTok. On PRETEND, she told a story about how she went through hundreds of Reddit comments asking what the greatest podcast episode of all time is, actually listened to all of them, and then went viral on TikTok for making a series about it. Below, her story in her own words and her five favorite single podcast episodes from this series so far.
Enjoy. I’ll be back next week.
xoxo lauren
Hi, my name is Ivy, and I have high standards for content. Doesn’t matter if it’s TV, music or podcasts - they only have a small window of time to impress me or I’m turning it off.
Which is why one day of cleaning my house and meal prepping turned into a tireless quest to find and listen to The Greatest Podcast Episodes of All Time ™ .
My household tasks would take a few hours, so I couldn’t just put any ol’ thing in my headphones.
I needed something good.
The best, actually.
So before I started my cleaning sesh, I hopped onto Reddit and searched for “greatest podcast episodes of all time”.
To my delight, I found a thread asking this exact question, with 300+ responses.
Jackpot!
I picked 3 single podcast episodes that were either mentioned multiple times in the comments, or described by Redditors in a way that intrigued me.
I’d never heard of any of these episodes, but I added them to my Spotify queue, and started cleaning.
And BAM - I was in podcast heaven.
I enjoyed these podcast episodes so much I decided to post a video about them on my Tiktok channel, which at the time had about 400 followers.
To my shock, the post went viral. I woke up to 100k views overnight, and a few months later, that post has over a million views.
And…AND…I had 2,000+ comments from seasoned podcast listeners telling me their picks for the greatest single podcast episode of all time.
MEGA JACKPOT.
So I thought, you know what? Let me make this a series.
My video series, The Greatest Podcast Episodes of All Time now has 10 parts, each reviewing at least 3 single podcast episodes.
And the series isn’t ending.
The people keep recommending, and I keep listening and posting.
It’s been fun.
I’ve listened to dozens of kickass podcast episodes in the last 3 months.
I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been changed for the better.
So in this PTN takeover, I’d like to share with you, my top 5 favorite single podcast episodes from this series so far.
But first…notes
📌Entries for International Women’s Podcast Awards are now open for the 2026 awards through July 31st, 2026. Why not at least look into entering!
📌Yesterday, Arielle Nissenblatt🎧 featured historical objects & the stories they tell us in EarBuds.
📌The latest from Podcasts We Text About is here:
Your World Cup friends: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell
Tom McCabe, a leading soccer historian, and Emmy-nominated TV writer Kirk Rudell (Spin City, Will & Grace, American Dad!) co-host An American Game where they explore the lesser known, but hugely impactful roots of America’s soccer history ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Describe your show in 10 words or less.
History meets Hollywood meets US soccer.
Where should people start if they haven’t already?
“The Original Denim Kit” about the US team at the first World Cup has all the stuff we love to put in a story: forgotten history, great characters, and a celebration of the immigrants who were proud to represent their country. Season Two has opened up some new sound design, so “A Boycott Is a Flat Circle” or “Our Family Versus Your Team” would be good introductions to the show.
Can you tell us the show’s origin story?
In 2019 we premiered a documentary called SOCCERTOWN, USA about Kearny, New Jersey. It won some festival awards and was set to travel to more festivals in 2020 when the world shut down. That movie was about the 150 year history of soccer in one town–about the generations of immigrants who had moved there, bringing their dreams (and their love of the game) with them. And it was about three guys who grew up there, who became World Cup heroes for the United States and helped launch pro soccer here. The logistics of making more soccer documentaries was…challenging, especially with Kirk in LA and Tom in London. So we wondered if we might be able to explore more stories about American soccer history in a podcast. And it turns out we can!
How are you both similar and how are you different? What do you each bring to the table?
We’ve been friends since we were college freshmen, so we share certain sensibilities–values, sense of humor, love of the game. Tom is a scholar by trade, so he brings an academic rigor that makes us more than just “two guys bantering about soccer.” We joke that there comes a time in every middle aged man’s life when he decides to buy a microphone and start a podcast, but we were very conscious of what we wanted to do–and why we wanted to do it. If we were going to do a podcast, it needed to be specific to us: what can we do that no other show is doing? And we believed (and still believe) that telling real history in a way that–because of Kirk’s decades of screenwriting/playwrighting/etc–is fun to listen to is a lane not many other people are in. We know how to structure a story and lead you through it in a way that should be pretty entertaining.
Has working on this podcast changed your relationship to sports - or fandom in general?
If anything it has made us more connected to the game and to others who love it. The day to day wins and losses, trades, injuries, etc. are part of a much larger narrative, a much larger community. We want to give our audience some context to understand and connect with that, as well, but every time we’re “teaching” something we’ve learned more ourselves.
What do you hope listeners feel after an episode, not just learn about Soccer History?
We hope that they feel that sense of community–that they are part of a soccer nation. And that doesn’t just mean people play and watch the game, though that’s part of it. We like to say that US soccer history mirrors–for better AND for worse–the larger American story. So we want them to feel pride at being part of this 150-year story of immigrants coming and playing and cheering, even as they built their lives and raised their families. And we want them to feel resolved to help us, as a nation, not repeat some of our low points. And, most of all, we want them to feel like listening to another episode.
What’s a story from American soccer history that feels especially relevant heading into the World Cup 2026?
Lots to choose from, but the 1980 Olympic team missing the Summer Games in Moscow is pretty resonant right now. We spent an episode talking about the fact that 1980 United States would probably boycott 2026 United States. On a more positive note, a lot of people will be looking for big wins in our past that might serve as inspiration for this summer. The US upset of England at the 1950 World Cup is one; the 1994 victory over Colombia is another. But we’re going to suggest people look up the story of our 2-0 win over Spain in the semifinal of the Confederations Cup in 2009. Spain was the undisputed number one national team in the world, undefeated for 35 straight games, on their way to winning the 2010 World Cup. But a tough and talented U.S. team coached by our old college coach, Bob Bradley, showed what can happen over 90-plus minutes. We said on our latest episode that a lot of guys on the current U.S. team plays like they already have the world’s respect; that 2009 group played like they were still trying to earn it. That’s as relevant as it gets right now for the United States.
What’s a podcast you love that everyone already knows about?
The Rest Is History does what they do really well, obviously. And in soccer, we’re fans of The Cooligans.
What’s a podcast you love that not enough people know about?
Beat LA is co-hosted by another good friend of ours from college, and it’s a San Francisco-centric rundown of sports and pop culture that’s a really fun listen. And they get good guests.
What didn’t I ask you that I should have?
Kirk is taller than Tom.
1. The Case of the Missing Hit - Reply All Podcast
Starting off with a bang, this was the first episode I listened to from that Reddit thread, and I’ve never laughed so hard at a podcast episode.
My husband heard me cackling and wondered what was wrong with me.
What it’s about: A listener calls in because he’s got a pop song from the 90’s stuck in his head. The problem? He can’t find the song on any streaming platform, and when he Googles the (very unique) lyrics, absolutely nothing comes up. But he knows it existed. Or does he?
Ivy’s thoughts: What I love about this episode is the utterly absurd lengths this man, Tyler, and the host, PJ, go to to uncover this lost song. It just keeps getting more and more ridiculous as the story unfolds, and the payoff is just so freaking satisfying!
You might dig this if: You’re a music fan. And if you love 90s music, this is a must-listen.
Other banger episodes from Reply All:
2. The Living Room - Love and Radio Podcast
This episode affected me so much that the second I finished listening, I immediately set up my tripod and started recording a Tiktok video about it.
It’s one I’ll likely remember for the rest of my life, and it’s less than 30 minutes long.
What it’s about: A new mother living in a city apartment realizes she can see clearly into a neighbor’s apartment. She starts watching the young couple that lives there, and as she watches, a very dramatic event unfolds.
Ivy’s thoughts: Have you ever been on a night walk, and walked past a house that’s well lit on the inside and the curtains are drawn back? You can’t help but look, just for a second. What are they watching on TV? What are they doing inside their little hidden lives? That’s the vibe of this story. I started the episode feeling intrigued, and ended it feeling emotionally moved.
You might dig this if: You love deeply human stories.
Other banger episodes from Love and Radio:
I’ve only listened to one other one: The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt. It was…something. Haha. Another quick and interesting listen.
3. Case #2 - Britney - The Mystery Show Podcast
This podcast is a cult classic for a good reason, and it only has 6 episodes total! I’ve seen countless comments on my Tiktok channel and on Reddit mourning its short-lived run.
What it’s about: An author of an under-read novel is feeling down about herself, only to stumble upon a paparazzi photo of one of her favorite celebrities coming out of a restaurant, with the book under her arm. She simply has to know if this celebrity read it, and more importantly, if she enjoyed it.
Ivy’s thoughts: What really makes this episode and every other episode of Mystery Show special, is the host, Starlee Kine’s unique and endearing personality. I’m in awe of the way she’s able to deeply connect with every “side character” in this story, sometimes in just a few minutes. This story itself is funny, absurd, and has an amazing payoff.
You might dig this if: You’re a millennial, are intrigued by celebrities, or just love a damn good story.
Other banger episodes of Mystery Show:
4. Gregor - Heavyweight Podcast
Heavyweight is one of the most recommended podcasts by my Tiktok followers, and I can see why.
Most of them have trouble picking a favorite - they insist every single episode is excellent.
What it’s about: Gregor is going through a midlife crisis, and the only thing he thinks will help is getting some CDs back from a friend he lent them to decades ago. The thing is, that friend is a mega celebrity, and these CDs were instrumental to his success.
Ivy’s thoughts: I resonate a lot with Gregor’s story - just the deep need to feel like you’ve made an impact on the world. Both Gregor and the host, Jonathan Goldstein, have very quirky personalities which makes the journey to get these CDs back a hilarious, delightful ride.
You might dig this if: Again, you’re a music lover, and again, if you listened to music in the 90s/early 2000’s.
Other banger episodes of Heavyweight:
Another Roadside Attraction (I balled my eyes out after listening to this one - it was so moving!)
5 - The Buried Bodies Case - Radiolab Podcast
I couldn’t end my list without mentioning Radiolab - it rivals Heavyweight for being the most recommended podcast by my Tiktok followers. And there are so many absolutely incredible episodes to devour.
What it’s about: A criminal defense attorney’s client discloses a shocking, devastating secret. But it’s what the attorney does with that information that’s even more shocking. This case has actually been used in law schools to educate students.
Ivy’s thoughts: This was another one I ran to Tiktok to post about. It was just so thought provoking. At first I was appalled by the attorney’s decision, but by the end of the episode I understood it.
You might dig this if: You love true crime stories, and/or stories that make you think/question your own morals and beliefs.
Other banger episodes of Radiolab:
That’s all I got for you all today, and before you scramble to add all these to your Spotify playlist…I gotchu!
All these episodes can be found on my Spotify playlist, GOATed Podcast Episodes. It’s my attempt at compiling all my followers’ recommendations into one place.
Enjoy, and I’d love it if you would join my journey to finding and listening to the greatest podcast episodes of all time on my Tiktok channel, Watch&Listen.
Tiktok is my home, and it’s the best place to view my content (the comments are gold!). But if you don’t use Tiktok, I recently started reposting my videos to Instagram - so you can follow me there too. I currently only have like two followers there (Thanks Lauren and Wil!!).
Anyways, I hope you love these recs!
PS - I gotta know…what do you think is the greatest podcast episode of all time? If you’d be so kind to comment about it, I’d absolutely LOVE to listen.
Thrilled to see one of my fav Love and Radio episodes on this list! I’d also recommend The Truth’s Pariah 💜
Heading off to listen to Love and Radio 'Living Room' right now. Love the idea of going to reddit for the best pods ever. 💀 Check out Memento Morbid podcast! Fascinating, poignant, and surprisingly life-affirming conversations about death, the human condition, and life’s great mysteries. Hosted by Morbid Anatomy founder Joanna Ebenstein. https://substack.com/@mementomorbid