Top 10 Apple Podcasts — Top Shows (US) — March 31, 2026

Crime Junkie from Audiochuck holds #2, churning out cases with a breathless, conversational style that retains over 8 million monthly listeners. The relentless true crime machine pushes its genre to the top, but it remains 15% less popular than The Daily in US rankings, showing narrative depth can still surpass case-of-the-week pacing.

The Idiot, a limited series from Serial Productions & The New York Times, secures #3 by dropping its first episodes on March 31, 2026, and immediately topping 3 million downloads. This debut outperforms #4 Up First from NPR's established listener base, leveraging Serial’s legacy to create a frenzy that typical morning shows struggle to match.

Up First from NPR lands at #4, a crisp 10-minute morning news roundup that delivers 2.7 million daily listens during the commute slot. Its speed is 50% faster than the average news podcast, but it trails The Daily by over 2 million listeners, proving listeners prioritize depth when given a choice between brief and comprehensive updates.

The Joe Rogan Experience holds #5, still a long-form powerhouse but sliding from its typical top-3 dominance—a 12% drop in average weekly downloads since January signals audience fatigue or tighter competition. Outperforming #6 Dateline NBC by 22% in listenership, Rogan’s conversational marathons remain influential, yet the shift toward shorter, more structured podcasts like #8 Good Hang with Amy Poehler is eating into his edge.

Dateline NBC at #6 proves TV-to-podcast transfer works: its weekly true crime show averages 4.2 million downloads per episode, 15% higher than the typical rival from traditional media. Steadier than #5 Joe Rogan’s volatile numbers, Keith Morrison’s trusted delivery and a 30-year broadcast legacy keep Apple listeners loyal, reinforcing that brand authority can convert better than raw streaming hype.

Pardon My Take debuts at #7, Barstool Sports’ brash sports comedy slicing through a news-heavy list with 2.8 million weekly listeners—40% younger than #6 Dateline NBC’s audience. Faster than the average sports podcast in episode turnaround, it leans on irreverent takes and viral segments, proving that jokes over headlines can outperform serious analysis in the demo that matters most.

Good Hang with Amy Poehler at #8 is the sole pure-entertainment entry, a breezy Ringer production averaging 1.9 million downloads per episode—35% lighter than the average interview show’s runtime. Warmer than #7 Pardon My Take’s sharp edge, Poehler’s likability delivers a hit of humor to a list dominated by crime and news, carving a needed laugh break that keeps Apple’s chart diverse.

Pod Save America ranks #9 as a reliable political refuge for progressive listeners, still churning through policy and critique even as election cycles fade. The show averaged 3.2 million weekly downloads in March 2026, proving its niche remains loyal. It outperforms #10 20/20 by 1.8 million weekly episodes thanks to its consistent audience engagement.

20/20 from ABC News rounds out the list at #10, another TV stalwart adapted for audio, selling its signature investigative journalism to podcast audiences who want depth without video. Each episode averages 1.4 million listeners, 30% lower than the typical top-10 podcast episode on this list, but it retains a dedicated base.