There are countless podcasts making their presence known on the internet. Regardless of your interests, you can find a podcast (or 50) that you can quickly become addicted to and like your favorite television show, not be able to miss an episode of. Podcasts bring back the love of radio, where we pay more attention to the words people have to say than the pictures we’re seeing on a screen. But radio isn’t cool anymore, now that it has become a giant business of deception and the people have always been more entertaining than the hired hands telling the people what they want to listen to.

The question is–what podcasts do you listen to? What are the top-rated podcasts that have claimed the attention and hearts of those who have been listening to it since its inception and what podcasts should you be listening to that perhaps the rest of the internet world hasn’t caught on to yet?

Here are 5 podcasts that are entertaining, thought-provoking and just plain awesome. You’re bound to find one that fits well.

This American Life

This American Life is the most popular podcast in the country. It garners more than a half million downloads per episode and includes much of the same content heard on the This American Life public radio show that is broadcast on more than 500 stations.

This American Life is comprised of an array on non-fiction stories, investigative journalism, fiction, essays and experimental story telling. This American Life helped to launch the literary careers of David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and David Rakoff.

Muckmakers

Muckmakers is a blog dedicated to exposing corrupt politicians, businessmen, religious leaders, celebrities, or other public figures in the most brutally honest manner possible. It was created to inform the public of what is going on right under their noses and hopefully inspire and motivate people to want to do something about it.

The Muckmakers podcast has the same premise as the blog, where the two creators of the site can expand a little more on their thoughts and generally talk about what’s going on in the world. If you’re interested in politics and have a passion for analyzing everything from politics, religion and current events or just have a love of hearing about hot button debate issues, check it out.

WireTap

WireTap is a Canadian public radio show from Jonathan Goldstein, former This American Life producer. Like Jerry Seinfeld and Woody Allen, Goldstein takes an alter ego approach full of self-deprecating humor with the weekly installments of WireTap. In addition to discussing the minutiae of daily life, WireTap also features short stories.

The New Yorker Fiction Podcast

The New Yorker Fiction Podcast features both well-known and up-and-coming authors who read short stories they have picked by their favorite authors. The New Yorker Fiction Podcast is a great find for anyone who needs that literary pick-me-up.

Kink On Tap

Kink On Tap is a thoughtful, well thought out and captivating podcast that brings up topics like sexuality, society, culture, feminism and queer issues and activism. The two hosts of the podcast have weekly guests where they speak in-depth about issues the guest is intimately involved with.