Interested in true crime? Check out some of the genre's top podcasts

Since the 16th century, investigators and sleuths discussing crime have taken to pamphlets, news articles, and among the most popular forms today, TikTok, YouTube, documentaries and podcasts.

Today’s hosts who dive into the genre typically choose a case to cover, and conduct interviews with investigators, family members and other loved ones of the subject (usually a missing person or murder victim). They try to give listeners a rundown of the facts and theories about what became of the victims.

Listeners often take to platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts to get their true crime fix, and the platforms rank them daily, weekly and yearly.

Here’s more on the true crime genre, and a list of high-ranking true crime podcasts for June 2026.

Where did the true crime genre come from?

The true crime genre dates back to the 16th century, when people would publish pamphlets and street literature in Britain. The publications eventually became popular in the United States as literacy expanded, according to South Carolina’s College of Charleston.

During the 1800s, literary critics and writers published true crime essays where they discussed crime perpetrators and societal views of said crimes, experts from the college said. Among the first true crime books to be published was New York Times journalist Edmund Pearson’s “Studies in Murder.” The book included details about the Lizzie Borden murder case, in which Borden was accused of murdering her family with an axe.

In 1988, one of the first true crime film documentaries was filmed, called “The Thin Blue Line.” The documentary was based on Randall Dale Adams, who was tried and convicted in the killing of Texas police officer Robert Wood. The following year, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned his conviction.

Why do people like true crime?

While true crime documentaries and podcasts are popular now, those who make them have faced some criticism, including arguments that the genre desensitizes people to tragedy and what victims faced, according to the College of Charleston.

Whitney Phillips, an associate professor of information politics and media ethics at the University of Oregon, has researched internet trolling, malicious online activity and the ethics of subjects such as true crime, per the university.

By her definition, true crime is content about violent, nonfictional events that have specific characteristics that make it appeal as entertainment to audiences, she said on the college's website.

Per Phillips, one of the reasons people enjoy true crime is because they like watching cases get solved while feeling as if they’ve contributed or participated from home.

From pamphlets to conventions, podcasts, and more

Audiences and their fascination with the true crime genre have led to conventions such as CrimeCon, an annual event with speakers and awards.

Topics discussed at the annual convention include the latest crime cases, advanced scientific techniques, television shows and documentaries. Attendees get to interact with speakers, podcasters, and other community members. This year's event was in May in Las Vegas and featured events focusing on criminal profiling, as well as a look at the Alex Murdaugh case and its latest developments.

"Despite that, hardly a day goes by that our team doesn’t think about the fact that the things we cover often involve the worst day of someone’s life," organizers wrote on the convention's website. "Respect for victims, families, and law enforcement is always at the forefront of everything we do and we take this responsibility very seriously."

Today, true crime podcasts are often hosted by content creators, police departments, and even news outlets such as “20/20” and “Dateline NBC.”

Leading both Apple Podcasts and Spotify on Friday, June 26 was “Crime Junkie,” hosted by Indiana-based advocate Ashley Flowers and her best friend Brit Prawat. The pair post new episodes every Monday, covering cold cases, missing people, and community heroes, per the podcast’s website.

Another podcast, “Morbid,” came in at no. 2 for Spotify’s true crime category on June 26. The show is hosted by autopsy tech. Alaina Urquhart-White and hairstylist Ash Kelley.

“It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos,” the podcast’s hosts wrote on Spotify’s website. They added that “Morbid” focuses on true crime, history, and has a “heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.”

Here are more of the most popular true crime podcasts on YouTube, AppleTV, and Spotify this month.

YouTube (June 15 to June 21, 2026)

• No. 1 – "Dr. Insanity Podcasts"
• No. 2 – "Rotten Mango"
• No. 9 – "48 Hours"
• No. 24 – "Serialously with Annie Elise"
• No. 26 – "MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories"

Spotify (June 26)

• No. 1 – “Crime Junkie”
• No. 2 – “Morbid”
• No. 3 – “Rotten Mango”
• No. 4 – “Dateline NBC"
• No. 5 – “Last Podcast On The Left”

Apple Podcasts (June 26)

• No. 1 – “Crime Junkie”
• No. 2 – “Dateline NBC”
• No. 3 – “Morbid"
• No. 4 – “Five Miles From Home"
• No. 5 – “The Last 12 Weeks"

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].