Top 10 Apple Podcasts — Top Shows (US) — May 7, 2026

As of May 7, 2026, Apple Podcasts' US rankings reveal a significant shift in listening habits: news and true crime still dominate, but audiences are increasingly splitting their attention between hard news, serialized narrative, and personality-driven shows. The Daily maintains the #1 spot as morning news remains essential, but the real surprise is Love Trapped—a serialized dating drama from iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts—climbing to #5, signaling growing appetite for scripted storytelling on the platform. This shift matters because Apple ranks by total unique listeners (not just downloads or viral moments), capturing what millions of Americans genuinely prioritize hearing daily. The list reflects fragmented consumption: listeners juggle news (The Daily, Up First), narrative crime (Crime Junkie, Dateline NBC), celebrity-hosted entertainment (Good Hang with Amy Poehler at #6), and emerging independent voices like Mick Unplugged at #9. For podcast creators and studios, these rankings underscore that sustainable audience building beats viral spikes—consistency and host personality now compete equally with breaking news cycles. All data is aggregated from Apple Podcasts' daily unique listener counts.