Rank #1: StoryCorps 537: Never Say Goodbye
A special announcement from our podcast team about some exciting changes ahead. Plus, a StoryCorps classic: the love story of Danny and Annie Perasa.
Rank #2: StoryCorps 536: Little Kids, Big Problems
In a grown-up world, kids often have no choice but to go along with the course charted by the adults around them. This means that kids are subject to grown-up problems, often in ways they can't understand until much later in their lives. This week, we'll hear what it's like to be a kid caught up in a tangle created by adults.
Rank #3: StoryCorps 440: On the Other Side of Death
StoryCorps and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum are recording one interview for each person lost on 9/11/2001. In this episode, you'll hear from family and friends remembering loved ones, including the first official victim of the attacks, NYFD Chaplain Father Mychal Judge.
Rank #4: StoryCorps 535: Remorse
This week we bring you the second radio documentary from Chicago teenagers LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, called Remorse: The 14 Stories of Eric Morse. In 1996, LeAlan and Lloyd investigated the death of Eric Morse, a 5-year-old boy dropped from a high-rise window, and uncovered the scars it left on their community.
Rank #5: StoryCorps 518: The Conversation
A father speaks with the school shooter who killed his son.
Rank #6: StoryCorps 534: Ghetto Life 101
In 1993, teenagers LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman recorded a week of their lives on Chicago's South Side. Working with StoryCorps founder Dave Isay, LeAlan and Lloyd produced a documentary they called Ghetto Life 101, one of the most acclaimed programs in public radio history. To mark the 25th anniversary, we bring you a special presentation of Ghetto Life 101.
Rank #7: StoryCorps 477: Looking Out
This week, we hear three stories from people who did not have much themselves, but looked out for others who needed some extra help.
Rank #8: StoryCorps 453: Do-Over
To kick off the New Year, stories of people who have started over, turned the page, and wiped the slate clean. They did this sometimes to follow a dream, other times to escape bad ones.
Rank #9: StoryCorps 528: Allie n Steve
What do you do when your parent changes in some pretty significant ways? This week StoryCorps and Invisibilia both look at that very question by telling different parts of the same story.
Rank #10: StoryCorps 526: A Parent's Job
A parent's profession has an undeniable impact on their kids — both good and bad. This week, three stories about the things we learn from our parents' work.
Rank #11: StoryCorps 525: The Good, Right, Honest Thing
It takes courage to speak up — especially when there's the risk that no one will believe you. In this episode, three women who had to face that risk, and came forward despite the potential consequences.
Rank #12: StoryCorps 529: Where the Giant Mushrooms Grow
With nuclear weapons back in the headlines, fears of a new Atomic Age are creeping in again. This week, three stories about The Bomb, from people who experienced it first-hand.
Rank #13: StoryCorps 510: Head First
As students head back to college this week, we pay tribute to undergrads who are the first in their family to go — and the people who provided the necessary kick in the pants to get them there.
Rank #14: StoryCorps 522: Honestly Now
There's something about a StoryCorps booth that lets people be more candid than they usually are — and this is especially true of parents and their kids. In this episode, some of the most honest interviews we've ever recorded.
Rank #15: StoryCorps 439: Space Men
With the total solar eclipse coming up, an encore presentation of this episode about people who have their eyes on the stars, from a street-corner astronomer to an astronaut.
Rank #16: StoryCorps 531: Legacies of Love
So much of parenting is dealing with the unexpected and having to figure things out as you go. In this Mother's Day episode, we hear from moms whose decisions left a lifelong impression on their kids.
Rank #17: StoryCorps 523: Years in the Making
Not all love stories start with a lightning strike. For Valentine's Day, stories of relationships that took years to blossom and have stood the test of time.
Rank #18: StoryCorps 457: Eternally Eight
On June 5, 1989, Sean Smith fatally shot his younger sister, Erin, while playing with his father's gun. Now in his 30s, Sean speaks with with his mother, Lee, about this devastating accident.
Rank #19: StoryCorps 444: Your Biggest Fan
A StoryCorps booth can be a great place to let someone know, "Hey, I'm your biggest fan." We'll hear from a doorman at the Plaza Hotel in New York, friends who were reunited after 40 years, and a pilgrimage to find a reclusive author.
Rank #20: StoryCorps 517: Fighting It Every Day
The current opioid epidemic has been called the deadliest drug crisis in American history. In this episode, we listen to people who come from some of the hardest hit areas of the country.
