The podcast newsletter Podcasts We Text About did a huge round up of which podcasts made the most year-end best of lists. And Fela Kuti: Fear No Man was the best of the best — on ten best-of lists and #1 on three of them.
In today’s New Yorker magazine, media critic Sarah Larson called Fela Kuti: Fear No Man the #1 podcast of 2025!
She writes:
This fall, Jad Abumrad, the creator of “Radiolab,” “More Perfect,” and “Dolly Parton’s America,” released a mighty biographical podcast about Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer. The show took three years to make. Abumrad and his team travelled to London, Paris, L.A., and Lagos, interviewing Fela Kuti’s loved ones; talking to musicians and admirers, from Obama to Flea; and digging up context about Nigerian art, politics, and social history. The result is bursting with life, humor, pain, interesting ideas, and, of course, sharp, catchy, hypnotic music. Abumrad, who loves a far-out groove, has a ball re-creating the textures of Kuti’s sonic and quasi-meditative greatness; a recurring metaphor about cycles builds throughout the series, just like one of its subject’s long, looping riffs. Kuti was also a vital dissenter during an oppressive Nigerian regime, and was often the target of government retribution; I can’t think of another show that’s both danceable and, by its end, profoundly heartbreaking.
December 2nd, 2025
Released mid-summer, Doctor’s Orders has been sitting just one spot from the top of the Apple Podcasts charts since its debut. It’s already racked up millions and millions of downloads and is now in active negotiations for tv and film adaptation.
September 3rd, 2025
An amazing honor — our show Pulse: The Untold Story just won a Peabody Award!
When I started Western Sound, one of my big goals was to get a load of incredibly smart and talented people in a room together and see what could happen. This year’s TWO Peabody nominations for Pulse and Ripple — shows run on shoestring budgets I might add — are a testament to how well that worked. Beyond my wildest dreams.
I’ll be forever grateful to all the amazing producers / editors / sound designers / APs & PAs that have come through my doors over the years. It really is an incredible feat to have accomplished so much with you.
But especially singling out Trevor Aaronson for his fearless reporting, and Colin McNulty for his vision and stewardship of the story, and Alex MacInnis for his beautifully designed soundscape and score. It really is an amazing listen.
May 8th, 2025
Not one but TWO Western Sound shows are 2025 Peabody Award nominees!
Pulse: The Untold Story, reported, written and hosted by Trevor Aaronson, and Ripple, reported, written and hosted by Dan Leone. Both these shows are incredible works of audio journalism that push the boundaries of what our medium can do. And both shows are the result of incredible reporting efforts that never would have happened without our wonderfully supportive partners at Audible and APM Studios.
If you haven’t listened to these shows, now’s a great time. Ripple is free on all platforms. Pulse: The Untold Story is “Only on Audible” and if you don’t have an account, hit me up for a code to listen for free.
Keep your fingers crossed — Peabody winners are announced on May 1.
April 23rd, 2025
We’re very excited that our podcast Ripple has brought home the 2025 Ambie award for Best Original Music and Sound Design! The Ambies are sort of like the Oscars for podcasting, so this is a huge honor for Western Sound and Dan Leone — creator, host, and composer / sound designer for Ripple.
March 31st, 2025
Our podcast slash audiobook Into the Madness — out now on Audible — reached number 8 on this week’s best-selling audiobooks chart! If you haven’t listened, hit us up for a code so you can listen for free (even without an Audible subscription).
March 4th, 2025