Don’t Trust The Best Of... Lists For Podcasting

BusinessMediaDon’t Trust The Best Of... Lists For PodcastingByFrank Racioppi,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Frank Racioppi is the owner of Ear Worthy, focusing on podcasts.Follow AuthorMay 18, 2026, 07:16am EDTGold star on a blue background as a reward. Top Performance Award. Winners Cup. Achievements. Victory. Goal achievement concept. Winner certificate. First place in a computer game. 3D rendering.gettyThe end of the year brings the inevitable BEST OF… lists for all forms of media. Best Books, Best Movies, Best TV Shows, and, of course, Best Podcasts. "Best of" lists are criticized for being subjective, biased toward popular or mainstream items, and reducing complex art or products to simplistic, arbitrary rankings. They often omit worthy, less-known options, prioritize clicks over quality, and create "winner-take-all" environments that overlook the nuance of individual taste. According to an NPR article, Best Of…Lists are essentially personal opinions disguised as objective rankings. They reflect the tastes of a few critics or algorithms rather than a true universal “best.”More egregiously, high-ranking items are often just popular, familiar, or aggressively marketed, rather than the best quality.As Linda Holmes of NPR once pointed out: “The entire ‘How can this be on your list and not that?’ sequence that repeats itself endlessly over and over at this time of year is based on the assumption that if my list would differ from your list, then I naturally conclude that your list is flawed in a way that requires an explanation.”Another inbred flaw of these lists is that they often focus on mainstream content, ignoring overlooked masterpieces or smaller, independent artists. In podcasting, for example, so many writers or social media gadflies publish the Best Of List as a recycled version of the Top Ten podcasts ranked by downloads. Song Exploder is the default setting for the best music podcast, while One...