Meghan Markle Dethrones Joe Rogan Atop Spotify

Joe Rogan has been king of the Spotify podcast charts for most of three years, but those charts now have a ruling queen instead. Meghan Markle was No. 1 on the platform's rankings Thursday, two days after the debut of her Archetypes podcast, reports The List. The Joe Rogan Experience was No. 2. Markle interviewed Serena Williams on her debut show, whose theme focuses on modern women battling sexist labels. The big question now is whether Markle's show will remain on top once the novelty wears off.

As Forbes notes, Rogan has been occasionally knocked out of the No. 1 spot over the last few years, though he has always returned to the top. The big money involved: Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify in May 2020 that reportedly pays him up to $200 million. Markle and husband Prince Harry signed a three-year deal later that same year for $18 million. In addition to the US, the duchess' podcast was No. 1 in the UK, Australia, Ireland, and Canada.

The key to the show's success may be younger listeners, per I News. "Older traditionalists don’t get Meghan but Gen Z does,” reputation management expert Mark Borkowski tells the outlet. “There are millions of young people across the world who share Meghan’s values and they want to hear her unfiltered and her celebrity mates. It’s still a potent brand for Spotify.” (More Meghan Markle stories.)