Noted MAGA conspiracy theorist Joe Rogan has trumped one of the world’s most popular newspapers to take the top spot on Apple Podcasts.
The Joe Rogan Experience, which has for the past five years reigned supreme on Spotify, now ranks as the most streamed show on the platform based on listenership since the start of 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
That’s seen The New York Times’ podcast, The Daily, nudged down to second place, followed by The Mel Robbins Podcast, Crime Junkie and Dateline NBC at third, fourth and fifth respectively.
It’s a marked improvement in performance for Rogan, who’d previously occupied third place on the platform’s listings, with this year’s widely shared interview with tech tycoon and newfound icon of the online far right, Elon Musk, charting especially well.
That sit-down with the Tesla founder sparked particular controversy for what critics described as Rogan giving unchecked room for Musk to defend giving a Nazi salute at President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier in January.
Musk poured further fuel on the fire by airing conspiracy theories around Fort Knox’s gold reserves, mischaracterizing Social Security in the U.S. as somehow representing a “Ponzi scheme,” and making provocative comments about the future of sex with robots.
Nor is it the first time Rogan has courted scandal with guests on his podcast, whom he very often affords a platform to speak with minimal effort to fact-check their claims.
The Joe Rogan Experience drew special controversy for spreading COVID-19 falsehoods and conspiracy theories in the midst of the pandemic, with the public backlash prompting musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to pull their music from Spotify in protest against being featured on the same platform as the podcaster.
The post Joe Rogan Dethrones This Popular Podcast to Secure Top Spot appeared first on The Daily Beast.
