A year after stepping behind the mic as a host rather than a frontman, Billy Corgan is celebrating the first anniversary of The Magnificent Others, the wide-ranging podcast that has quietly become one of his most intriguing creative projects outside of The Smashing Pumpkins.
Launched last year, Corgan’s show has distinguished itself from the crowded podcast landscape by leaning less on celebrity chatter and more on probing, sometimes philosophical conversations about creativity, legacy, and the costs of making art. In its debut season, The Magnificent Others welcomed an eclectic roster of guests — from Gene Simmons, Tom Morello, and Pat Benatar to Malcolm McDowell, Penn Jillette, Carrot Top, and Michelin-starred chef Curtis Duffy — all filtered through Corgan’s distinctly earnest, occasionally cosmic perspective.
From the start, Corgan made clear that the show would be guided by his personal curiosities rather than algorithm-friendly bookings. “I’d like to celebrate people in the culture that I feel are either misunderstood or overlooked,” he said when the podcast launched. “I only want to talk to people that I am passionately interested in talking to.” That ethos has carried through conversations with everyone from REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin and The Doors’ Robby Krieger to younger artists like Yungblud, as well as outliers like Brady Bunch alum Susan Olsen.
As the podcast enters its second year, Corgan says he’s aiming even higher. “Given the tremendous support for my show’s first season, the goal now is to expand the reach and scope of our guests to something far more universal and dare I say, spiritual,” he explained — a fitting ambition for an artist who has long toggled between the sacred and the surreal.
The anniversary comes amid a typically busy period for Corgan. Over the past year, he oversaw the reissue of Machina for its 25th anniversary and spearheaded a sprawling 30th-anniversary celebration of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, complete with deluxe vinyl, archival live recordings, a one-of-a-kind performance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and even high-end chocolate collaborations.
Between running the NWA wrestling promotion, popping up for surprise sets at his Madame ZuZu’s Tea House in Chicago, and continuing to write and record new music, Corgan’s reach only seems to expand. With The Magnificent Others, he’s carved out yet another space — part confessional, part cultural salon — that feels very much in line with his restless, ever-evolving creative life.
Listen to the podcast here and watch the most recent episode with Gilles Mendel below:
