
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or po... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 514 | Founded | 20 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureArts | |||

We discover what we believe might be the original recipe for Coca-Cola…and share it with you! When this episode first aired in 2011, it made international headlines. This, and another story about telling copies from originals.
Visit thisamericanlif... more
Sayre Quevedo’s invented a way to do a podcast that feels completely new. He’s been recording nearly all his conversations for years, and the result is something that captures a person’s life in a raw and complicated way that’s rarely heard. His new ... more
Nikole Hannah-Jones made an argument 10 years ago in The New York Times Magazine that became famous. She wrote about choosing a public school for her daughter, Najya, in one of the most racially and economically segregated school systems in the count... more
People braving the true final frontier — the gap between people born at slightly different times.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
(00:00:00) Prologue: Last fall, some NPR podcasts started getting my... more
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Such a powerful story about honestly reviewing our best intentions. Thank you to the Jones family for bringing this story public despite the surprise, painful ending. Najya may have a bestseller in her future...
Now to read the NYTimes story.
I loved this show so much but now so little is available to the commoners and the whole message is one of elitism. Other great podcasts have found better ways to capitalize. I’m disappointed in you, Ira.
I adore the show, listen religiously, but I am not into the AI sponsorship and ads!
Nicole Hannah jones’ story about her daughter’s horrible racist school made me unsub. I’m so tired of this liberal claptrap about how horrible it is to be black in America with zero sense of intellectual curiosity or interrogation. Just “white people bad black good.” Done! Have fun preaching to the choir.
This comment is for the narrator. You were not the selfish one. So much projection.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #62 | |
Apple Podcasts | #6 | |
Apple Podcasts | #47 | |
Apple Podcasts | #233 | |
Apple Podcasts | #5 | |
Apple Podcasts | #32 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for This American Life, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with This American Life:
1. Radiolab
2. The Moth
3. Fresh Air
4. Heavyweight
5. The Daily
This American Life launched 20 years ago and published 514 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for This American Life from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
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Recent guests on This American Life include:
1. Lex Cusack
2. John Resnickoff
3. Sayre Quevedo
4. Nikole Hannah-Jones
5. Nadia Bowers
6. Domingo Martinez
7. Henry Zhang
8. Kristen Roupenian
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.