List Envy
93 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -High Fidelity meets Bullseye in this funny and fascinating list-building podcast. Each week, host Mark Steadman talks to a new guest, and together they collaborate on a top-five list, with the topic chosen by the guest.
Some episodes will have you screaming into your earbuds asking “why did Mark pick that?”, while others give you a whole new world to explore. Subjects range from science and tech, to food, travel, pop culture and the human mind.
Guests have included inventors, comedians, musicians, scientists, and Hollywood screenwriters. New episodes come out every Tuesday.
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Episodes
46: Top 5 modern indie bands
May 31, 2021 23:00 - 50 minutes - 24 MBIndie music blogger Kamala Adams joins Mark to discuss all things modern indie, and to define what “modern” means. Kamala’s picks In order of discussion: Porridge Radio Despite Mark’s apparent ignorance, this band did crop up in the previous episode, but he had apparently forgotten. Regardless, Porridge Radio are Kamala’s current favourite band. Wolf Alice Initially on first blush, Kamala wasn’t a big fan of Wolf Alice, but they’re a varied band, and eventually they won her ov...
45: Top 5 albums of 2020
May 24, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBMark talks vinyl and hunts down new music to enjoy, with music podcaster Elliott Farrar. Elliott’s picks In order of discussion: Weird!, by Yungblud Elliott picked Yungblud’s second studio album for the way the artist’s message of “you do you” bleeds through. Girlfriends, by Girlfriends Pop punk is back, in the form of Travis Mills and Nick Gross’ project, which may have a limited shelf-life, given Mills’ busy career. Grime MC, by Joe Actually released right at the end of 20...
Top 5 ways to procrastinate
April 27, 2021 00:00 - 52 minutes - 24 MBMark is joined by super-talented singer-songwriter Bryony Williams. Bryony realised she could sing in her early teens, and spent most of her mid-to-late teens honing her craft. At nineteen she was in the electro-pop duo Field Harmonics, and has been recording solo since 2018. Bryony's picks In order of discussion: Cleaning Number one – with not so much a bullet as a scented wet wipe – for Bryony, and for so many, is cleaning. It's a great way to see a problem and eliminate it with extreme...
44: Top 5 ways to procrastinate
April 27, 2021 00:00 - 52 minutes - 24.3 MBGuest Bryony Williams Your favourite rockstar with a watergun, once compared to a young Fiona Apple. @bryonywilliams | Linktree twitter.com Mark is joined by super-talented singer-songwriter Bryony Williams. Bryony realised she could sing in her early teens, and spent most of her mid-to-late teens honing her craft. At nineteen she was in the electro-pop duo Field Harmonics, and has been recording solo since 2018. Bryony’s picks In order of discussion: Cleaning Number one – ...
43: Top 5 positive tech developments for musicians
April 20, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 34.3 MBGuest Ella Gregg Founder of artist management and development company 321 Artists. twitter.com 321 artists Mark kicks off a music mini-season with artist manager Ella Gregg, who’s been supporting emerging music artists since she was a teenager. Tech has always been an important aspect of Ella’s work, including her early days helping artists get their work played in films or adverts. Ella’s picks In order of discussion Livestreaming Over the lockdown period, artists have ne...
Top 5 positive tech developments for musicians
April 20, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 34 MBMark kicks off a music mini-season with artist manager Ella Gregg, who's been supporting emerging music artists since she was a teenager.
42: Top 5 fictional librarians
March 30, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 30 MBGuest Owen Stephens Librarian. “What else is there to say?” twitter.com Overdue Ideas | Ideas linking Libraries, Computing, E-learning, and anything else that springs to mind. Many people are intrigued by the depiction of their profession in popular fiction, and none more so than librarians, like this week’s guest Owen Stephens. Owen’s picks In order of discussion: Bunny Watson The TV company researcher and librarian played by Katharine Hepburn in the 1957 film Desk Set is ...
Top 5 fictional librarians
March 30, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 29.7 MBMany people are intrigued by the depiction of their profession in popular fiction, and none more so than librarians, like this week's guest.
Top 5 biopics
March 23, 2021 00:00 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MBMark and podcaster + web developer Aaron Conway rank the best films about real people.
41: Top 5 biopics
March 23, 2021 00:00 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MBGuest Aaron Conway Co-host of The Third Wheel podcast. Aaron Conway | Developer, Designer, one or the other. The Third Wheel twitter.com Whether they cover an entire life or centre on a pivotal moment, biopics are often Oscar fodder, and are frequently conic. In this episode, Mark and podcaster and web developer Aaron Conway get straight down to business, ranking the best biopics around. Aaron’s picks In order of discussion: The Social Network Aaron goes straight in with t...
Top 5 subtly life-changing non-fiction books
March 16, 2021 00:00 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MBJournalist Eliza Lita is a self-confessed bookworm, but her early reading focused more on non-fiction work. As a result, she's picked up a wide variety of useful knowledge, and kept her curiosity alive. She and Mark share an appreciation for good crime fiction, and Eliza has some tips to help Mark finish the books he keeps starting. Eliza's picks In order of discussion: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Eliza's first pick is life-changing for her, in a less-than-subtle ...
40: Top 5 subtly life-changing non-fiction books
March 16, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 4.31 MBGuest Eliza Lita Europe Editor for The Meridian magazine. Top writer in Books and Reading on Medium. Eliza Lita – Editor and freelance journalist twitter.com Journalist Eliza Lita is a self-confessed bookworm, but her early reading focused more on non-fiction work. As a result, she’s picked up a wide variety of useful knowledge, and kept her curiosity alive. She and Mark share an appreciation for good crime fiction, and Eliza has some tips to help Mark finish the books he...
39: Top 5 rewards of urban walking
March 02, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 20.7 MBGuest Sue Burlton Paediatric ICU nurse passionate about her career and her children. twitter.com Mark is joined by nature lover and avid walker Sue Burlton, and together they uncover the joys of a good stretch of the legs. If you’re planning a stroll, this will make excellent accompaniment. Sue’s picks In order of discussion: Wildlife You might be surprised how much wildlife is available for you to see, even in an urban space, so let the dog off the lead for a bit and take a...
Top 5 rewards of urban walking
March 02, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 20.3 MBUncovering the joys of a good stretch of the legs.
Top 5 point-and-click adventure games
February 23, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.2 MBDeveloper of horror video games Valerie Paris joins Mark to discuss point-and-click adventure games you'll remember, and one or two you'll never forget.
38: Top 5 point-and-click adventure games
February 23, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.5 MBGuest Valerie Paris Creator of games, immersive media, and broken dreamthings. twitter.com Valerie Paris - itch.io Developer of horror video games including Butterfly Collector, Valerie Paris joins Mark to discuss point-and-click adventure games you’ll remember, and one or two you’ll never forget, no matter how hard you try. Valerie is too young to have played many of these games when they originally came out, but has made up for that Valerie’s picks In order of discussion: ...
Top 5 tips for working in the creative sector
February 16, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 38 MBHow to survive in a world where your parents told you to have a fallback job, in case the dream didn't work out.
37: Top 5 tips for working in the creative sector
February 16, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 38.3 MBGuest David Webb Creative Director at WeAreBeard. twitter.com WEAREBEARD - Design, branding & development Worcester Mark is joined by the Creative Director at Worcester-based design, branding and development agency WeAreBeard, Dave Webb, to share his top tips for working in the kind of field that your mum told you you should have a backup for. Dave remembers the first day he was praised for drawing something good, instead of being made to feel like he was falling behind ac...
36: Top 5 time-travel romance films
January 26, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.4 MBGuest Karl Hodge University Course Director, and former tech journalist, currently researching VR and narrative. twitter.com Time-travel films are often about fixing the big things, so says this week’s guest, Karl Hodge, but time-travel romance films address the small things that keep us awake at night. Mark and Karl begin by looking at some of Christopher Nolan’s work, from Memento to Tenet, and trying to figure out whether they qualify as time-travel films. Groundhog Day Th...
Top 5 time-travel romance films
January 26, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MBIt's About Time to take the Time Traveller's Wife Back to the Future Lake House. Warning: Safety Not Guaranteed.
35: Top 5 people from Birmingham
January 19, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.5 MBGuest Rusty Nails Musician, DJ, producer, dreamer! One third of Titans of Doom. Rusty Nails | Free Listening on SoundCloud twitter.com This week’s guest is musician, DJ and producer Kevin Kerr, and on the list is top people from Birmingham in the UK, or as we have them, Brummies. Benjamin Zephaniah Kevin’s first pick is the poet and performer who might be best known to non-UK listeners as the priest in Peaky Blinders, but Benjamin’s words have touched both he and Mark, which ...
Top 5 people from Birmingham
January 19, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBMusicians, comedians and chocolatiers make the long list of famous Brummies.
34: Top 5 moments of anarchism
January 12, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 40 MBGuest Liam Barrington-Bush Helping keep neighbourhoods undesirable. Hip-hop. Anarchism. Community is the answer. twitter.com more like people » Anarchists in the Boardroom | more like people This week’s guest is Liam Barrington-Bush, a Bristol-based activist who helps organisations think more like people, and has loads of real-world experience of how people can govern themselves, build their own systems, and get closer to achieving what they want, without having those s...
Top 5 moments of anarchism
January 12, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 39.7 MBLiam and Mark discuss moments in modern history where people took things over together.
Top 5 golden-age arcade games
January 05, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 35.1 MBToday Mark is talking the golden age of arcade games, which ran from 1979 til around 1983. Mark and Nick start with their own childhood arcade memories, and Mark gets quizzical about the American quarter as a "unit of fun". As this was recorded during the Quarantimes, conversation inevitably turned to the decline in in-person entertainment like arcades and cinemas. Pac-Man Nick's first pick is the 800lb gorilla in the arcade, a game in which many other video game historians aren't in love. ...
33: Top 5 golden-age arcade games
January 05, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 35.4 MBGuest Nicholas Bond Creator of the Retrogame Deconstruction Zone, focusing on early 1982. twitter.com Retrogame Deconstruction Zone Today Mark is talking the golden age of arcade games, which ran from 1979 til around 1983. Mark and Nick start with their own childhood arcade memories, and Mark gets quizzical about the American quarter as a “unit of fun”. As this was recorded during the Quarantimes, conversation inevitably turned to the decline in in-person entertainment like arc...
Spooky stories: Part 2
December 31, 2020 00:00 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBTom and Cat rejoin Mark to finish listing terrifying tales.
32: Spooky stories: Part 2
December 31, 2020 00:00 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBGuests Catherine Turner Cat presents Cat’s Cabinet of Curiosities with Tom Clabon, a show about conspiracy theories, cults, cryptozoology, crime and conundrums. Cat's Cabinet of Curiosities Cat's Cabinet of Curiosities (@catscabinet_pod) | Twitter Tom Clabon Co-producer of Cat’s Cabinet of Curiosities. general comedy/films/music person. Tom Clabon (@tom_clabon) | Twitter Mark is joined once more by Cat Turner and Tom Clabon to swap spooky stories. If you haven’t alre...
Spooky stories: Part 1
December 22, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MBformer guests Cat and Tom join Mark to hold torches up to their faces and get scared silly.
31: Spooky stories: Part 1
December 22, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 21.8 MBGuests Catherine Turner Cat presents Cat’s Cabinet of Curiosities with Tom Clabon, a show about conspiracy theories, cults, cryptozoology, crime and conundrums. Cat's Cabinet of Curiosities Cat's Cabinet of Curiosities (@catscabinet_pod) | Twitter Tom Clabon Co-producer of Cat’s Cabinet of Curiosities. general comedy/films/music person. Tom Clabon (@tom_clabon) | Twitter List Envy is back in the new year with a new slate of guests and lists. To get us back into the s...
Top 5 UK garden birds
March 24, 2020 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBMark chats with casual birder Suzy Buttress about features, song and flight.
30: Top 5 UK garden birds
March 24, 2020 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBGuest Suzy Buttress Birdwatcher, nature lover, and host of the Casual Birder podcast. The Casual Birder Podcast Suzy Buttress (@suzybee_2) • Instagram photos and videos Mark chats with casual birder Suzy Buttress about features, song and flight. Suzy has specific criteria she uses to judge the quality of birds (which makes her a List Envy natural): song, plumage, behaviour and impact on the garden. She also provides some great advice if you’re looking to feed the birds, withou...
Top 5 films about computers
March 10, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBMark is joined by podcaster and self-confessed computer nerd Nick Moreton, to talk about films where people talk about mainframes and UNIX systems.
29: Top 5 films about computers
March 10, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBGuest Nick Moreton Coder, teacher, punk, tea lover. You Don't Look Like A Runner Nick (@NGMoreton) on Twitter Mark is joined by podcaster and self-confessed computer nerd Nick Moreton, to talk about films where people talk about mainframes and UNIX systems. There are quite a few swears in this episode, and more than a little discussion about a mutual friend, co-host of Nick’s podcast and Mark’s, and previous List Envy guest, Jon Hickman.. Honourable mentions Her The Ter...
Top 5 Bond villains
March 03, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBWe look down the barrel of a gun, at a besuited comedy magician called Thom Peterson. He enters centre-frame, aims his gun and fires. Red washes over the screen. Fade to black.
28: Top 5 Bond villains
March 03, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBGuest Thom Peterson Humour, mystery and downright stupid stuff! That’s his middle name….erm…..names. Thom Peterson (@AmazingGuyMagic) on Twitter www.AmazingGuy.com We look down the barrel of a gun, at a besuited comedy magician called Thom Peterson. He enters centre-frame, aims his gun and fires. Red washes over the screen. Fade to black. Thom maintains that magicians just want to be Bond, and who can blame him? He and Mark talk about their favourite — and least-favourite — Bo...
Top 5 journalism films
February 25, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 53.5 MBMark gets to the truth, with political podcaster Karin Robinson, as they share their lists of films about the people who keep the presses running.
27: Top 5 journalism films
February 25, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 53.8 MBGuest Karin Robinson Host of the Primarily: 2020 podcast. Former Democrats Abroad UK Vice Chair. Edelman UK Planning Director. Mum. Cat lady. Primarily: 2020 • A podcast on Anchor Karin Robinson (@karinjr) on Twitter Mark gets to the truth, with political podcaster Karin Robinson, as they share their lists of films about the people who keep the presses running. Karin hosts the Primarily 2020 podcast, which tracks the ongoing story of the Democratic primaries (the thing where t...
No episode klaxon
February 20, 2020 19:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBNo episode this week due to technical issues. We should be back and podcasting again in a week or so, but if you’re interested in the many and varied problems Mark’s had trying to get the laterst episode up, then have a listen. Also if you’re curious about how Mark thinks about the show going forwards, stay tuned. If you’re interested, Mark put this episode together mostly on his iPad. He recorded the audio on the Mac, ‘cos that’s where his posh mic sits, but did all the mixing an...
Top 5 geek things that aren’t geeky
February 11, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBComedy writer and performer Steve Dawson gets nerdy — but not really that nerdy — and talks about the culture and stereotypes around the word “geek”.
26: Top 5 geek things that aren’t geeky
February 11, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBGuest Steve Dawson Writer (Walliams & Friend, Saturday Night Takeaway, Big School, Dawson Bros Funtime, Mitchell and Webb), Director (Groove Armada, FoD), Host of the Mind Canyon podcast. Steve Dawson (@SDawsonBros) on Twitter Dawson Bros. Comedy writer and performer Steve Dawson gets nerdy — but not really that nerdy — and talks about the culture and stereotypes around the word “geek”. But also there’s lots of stuff with lasers and electronic music. Steve talks about the boo...
Top 5 types of graphics most often misread
February 04, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 53 MBMark gets political and data-visual with data visualisation expert, Alberto Cairo.
25: Top 5 types of graphics most often misread
February 04, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 53.3 MBGuest Alberto Cairo Knight Chair at the University of Miami. New book: “How Charts Lie” (WW Norton). Previous: “The Truthful Art” (2016). Consultant and freelancer. Alberto Cairo (@AlbertoCairo) on Twitter The Functional Art: An Introduction to Information Graphics and Visualization Mark gets political and data-visual with data visualisation expert, Alberto Cairo. Alberto has a journalism degree and worked as a graphic designer for many years. He now teaches the subject, and q...
Top 5 ways to eat potatoes
January 28, 2020 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41.6 MBNewsletter editor, event organiser and podcast wonder Arielle Nissenblatt joins Mark to discuss an often maligned tuber.
24: Top 5 ways to eat potatoes
January 28, 2020 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41.9 MBGuest Arielle Nissenblatt Founder of the Earbuds Podcast Collective, co-creator of the Outlier Podcast Festival, a lover of license plates and roller blading. EarBuds Podcast Collective Arielle Nissenblatt (@arithisandthat) | Twitter Newsletter editor, event organiser and podcast wonder Arielle Nissenblatt joins Mark to discuss an often maligned tuber. Arielle grew up almost exclusively on potatoes, although she admits her palate has broadened slightly since then. If you ever ...
Top 5 literary heroines
January 21, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBMark is joined by one half of the literary podcast Your Own Words, Becky Graham, to swap notes on badass women from the printed page.
23: Top 5 literary heroines
January 21, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBGuest Becky Graham Co-host of the podcast Your Own Words. Your Own Words Mark is joined by one half of the literary podcast Your Own Words, voracious reader and Danish furniture fan, Becky Graham, to swap notes on badass women from the printed page. A “sincere” apology The first discussion topic caused both guest and presenter to embark on a number of attempts at Irish accents. These were not successful, and all parties apologise for the inconvenience. This episode contains a...
Top 5 under-appreciated female authors
January 14, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBWriter and podcaster Sara-Mae Tuson kicks off a double-bill of brilliant women in literature. This week, Mark and Sara-Mae discuss under-appreciated female authors.
22: Top 5 under-appreciated female authors
January 14, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBGuest Sara-Mae Tuson Writer of young adult novels, producer for a boutique podcast company, copywriter and editor. Fable Gazers Season 2: Heyer Today Sara-Mae Tuson (@saramaetuson) | Twitter Writer and podcaster Sara-Mae Tuson kicks off a double-bill of brilliant women in literature. This week, Mark and Sara-Mae discuss under-appreciated female authors. Sara-Mae is a writer who’s turned her natural storytelling abilities into podcasting magic. Her previous work, The Sugar Baby...
Top 5 Cannon films
January 07, 2020 16:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBThrill to the sounds of podcaster and movie-lover Ben Smith, sharing his top five shlockbusters with Mark Steadman. You won’t believe your ears! List Envy, in select theatres now.