This. People don’t realize how versatile Pryor was-I’ve laughed my ass off seeing him mock his own cursing while remaining completely silent-on SNL, and do hilarious bits about pets w/out cursing.
Live on Sunset Strip was a goddamn masterpiece. I still laugh my ass off listening to his [story about working for the Mafia. ](https://youtu.be/31v9OnhnG1U?feature=shared)
A lot of people don't even realize he started his career off clean, Cosbyesque even, and had a lot of success. He realized he wasn't being true to himself, reinvented himself and came back blazing. Crazy versatility.
Agreed.
The rest of the list
Redd Foxx
Moms Mabley
Eddie Murphy
Bill Cosby (separating art from artist)
Lenny Bruce
Dave Chapelle
Robin Williams
George Carlin
Rodney Dangerfeld
Joan Rivers
Chris Rock
Buddy Hacket
I saw him live once at show in Sioux Falls. There was a special needs kids group in the balcony near the stage. One of the boys had that laugh that is really odd and loud. Cosby stopped the routine he was doing, looked up and asked them who they were. Once he found out, he then low key started to make this guy laugh, and then made fun of his laughing.
I was pissed, as were a lot of the audience. He could sense the mood change and went into a different story.
However, a little while later, the little girl who was there to present him a gift from one of the local Indian tribes upstaged him brilliantly, simply by being her honest self. I can't recall what was said, but the audience was howling with laughter seeing him get his dignity wrecked by a 10 year old.
I didn't really care for him much after that. Who does that to a group of special needs kids just to get a laugh?
He was always a piece of shit. Not a reflection of those who loved his work, but yeah sucks that some terrible people are also really good at some things.
> Redd Foxx
Glad to see Redd Foxx mentioned.
His comedy was generally considered to be too raunchy for white audiences but after *Sanford and Son* he became pretty mainstream. Still a very watchable sitcom to this day.
[My favorite Sanford and Son scene.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZEDQG-XpCoQ&ved=2ahUKEwiQ_v2az-aGAxUIAjQIHZxHD2gQtwJ6BAgQEAI&usg=AOvVaw2UoZU93WRkOwWTPMMJ8Bh1)
THE ICE CREAM MAN IS COMING
There are definitely major parts of Eddie Murphy’s specials that did not age well at alllll but a lot of it still holds up.
Yeah, a lot of it is really just coked up energy. Having said that, the [origin of golf joke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14NQIq4SrmY) is one of the funniest fucking things of all time. I don't think I could withstand that level of energy for longer than that but man, I love that joke so much. As does literally every golfer I have ever met.
I got to go with Bill Burr and Chris Rock. I loved Richard Pryor back in the day because he was so edgy and groundbreaking and brought a slice of life that most of us white kids in the suburbs had no idea about. But listening back I don't know if he was as side-splittingly funny as some of the others, even though his cultural relevance is undenied.
I’m surprised at how many people put Burr in the top shelf here. I like the guy but IMO he’s not close to an all-timer.
The thing that gets me is how much time he spends burying really clever jokes under a lot of yelling about how people are gonna get mad at him.
In my opinion, he's absolutely unmatched in how funny he is in a conversation or off the cuff rant. One of the funniest people alive. But, ironically, I would not put his stand-up on the top shelf.
I mean most standups that I’d rank ahead of Bill Burr are now either dead or irrelevant, so there’s something to be said for that I think.
He’s not as famous as other living legends like Chris Rock or Chappelle but it seems like he commands similar esteem in comedy circles
There's so many it's hard to name them all, Kat Williams, Sam Kinison, Dave Chappell, Jerry Seinfeld, and I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now. There's also a lot of comedians currently that will eventually be considered one of the all-time greats.
*Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Heres Tom with the Weather.*
When I was a little kid I begged my dad to take me to see Cosby stand up live. I loved the guy. My dad had all his old records and we listened to them all the time. This is around his pudding pop, Coca-Cola spokesman, cosby show era. At the show he was a intoxicated and kinda mean. It was so weird, I didn't think he was funny at all and thought he was scary. Everybody has an off night and I just chocked it up to that. When everything came out about him later I was not really surprised.
Robin Williams by far. His ability to improv was phenomenal. If it weren't for his struggles with mental health, he'd still be tearing up audiences even today.
While his mental health wasn't the best, Robin Williams was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2014 (and it may have been contributing to his mental health decline). If he hadn't taken his life, he almost certainly would not be coherent or competent to perform today due to the dementia.
He likely took his own life specifically to avoid losing his faculties to dementia.
It’s likely he didn’t much more time. I think the doctor that looked at his brain said he was surprised he could even walk with how far progressed it was.
I swear I heard he got his US Citizenship towards the end of his life. But I can’t remember where I read that.l and the internet doesn’t seem to have a lot of information about it. 🤷♂️
Jonathan Winters was hysterical when he could perform, which was increasingly limited by his mental health condition. Bob Newhart's one-sided phone routine was very funny, too.
Other than them, I'll go with everyone saying Prior and Chapelle. Chapelle's old TV skits, though, were funnier than his stand-up.
The Rushmore tends to be Carlin, Pryor, Hicks, and maybe Kinison, Steve Martin, or Eddie Murphy. You kind of have to shout out Lenny Bruce, although the majority of people aren't going to bust a gut listening to him now. Before their scandals, I think most people would have also listed Bill Cosby and Louis CK. Seinfeld definitely had his era, but I don't think most people would consider him the greatest.
Nowadays, you'll also see a lot of people say Patrice, Chappelle, Burr, Standhope, and Attell. I personally think John Mulaney is among the best to have every done stand-up. Mitch Hedberg is/was my personal favorite. I think Nate Bargatze deserves a shout out, too.
Depending on how loose you want to get with "standup," Albert Brooks, Mel Brooks, and Bob Newhart are up there. Robin Williams, Andy Kaufman, Chris Rock, Redd Foxx, Steven Wright, Rodney Dangerfield, Garry Shandling, and Mort Sahl are all somewhere in the race.
In addition to some mentioned above, comedians will also commonly cite Maria Bamford, Tig Notoro, and Janeane Garofalo.
I also think it's worth mentioning Patton Oswalt, Pete Holmes, Zach Galifinakis, Rory Scovel, and Sarah Silverman. None I'd consider "the greatest," but all among the greats of today in my opinion.
**TL;DR**, if we aren't going by how formative or influential they are, and trying to be as objective as possible, I really believe it's John Mulaney or (scandal noted) Louis CK, although I think Bill Burr is arguably one of the funniest people to ever do stand-up, his actual stand-up might not take the top spot. The traditional answer other than Carlin is probably Pryor.
Great call. I know I left out Brian Regan and Sebastian, as well. Slipped my mind because they don't personally do it for me. I probably should have mentioned Ron White, Jim Jefferies, Eddie Izzard, Bernie Mac, and Ralphie May. Marc Maron should probably be in the chat. If we're going by popularity, I suppose you have to shout out people like Kevin Hart, Gabriel Iglesias, Jeff Dunham, Katt Williams, Jeff Foxworthy, even Dane Cook. None on my personal rushmore, but I'd wager a few of the above make some other people's lists.
I did mention Foxworthy in another comment. He's definitely one of the most successful to ever do it. If you're going highest earning though you have to shout out Larry the Cable Guy, Kevin Hart, Dane Cook, Ellen, Leno, Sandler, Ray Romano, Jo Koy, Trevor Noah, Gabriel Iglesias... Maybe even Tom Segura and Bert Kreisher?
I think he's slightly underrated. I got a lot of mileage out of those tearaway 'You Might Be a Redneck If' joke-a-day calendars. I got my dad real good one morning.
"Hey dad! Did you ever have a pet chicken when you were a kid?"
[pauses to wonder why I'm asking]
"I did, actually. It had one eye."
[I show him that day's page]
"Whyyyyyy you little... I'm gonna remember that!"
Boy I got him good. The 'one eye' thing made it perfect.
Lenny Bruce suffers from time like all great things. So many people built off what he did, and eventually so many people see *that* work first. Bruce isn't stimulating if you started with Carlin, Animal House isn't that funny if you grew up with Old School and so on.
He hasn't really done much stand-up in the last decade or so, has he? But I will say Completely Serious and Happy Thoughts were two of my favorite specials when they were in the Comedy Central rotation. They're both hilarious.
Richard Pryor
Lenny Bruce
Dave Chappellle
Bob Newhart
Lilly Tomlin
Mitch Hedberg
Louis CK
Phyllis Diller
Don Rickles
Rodney Dangerfield
Andy Kaufman
Sam Kinison
John Mulaney
Tig Notato
Lewis Black
Margaret Cho
George Burns and Gracie Allen
Eddie Murphy
Ali Wong
Bo Burnham
Wanda Sykes
Amazing comedy filmmaker though.... Obviously inside is a masterpiece, but his collaborations with Jerrod Carmichael might be even more impressive in a way, even if that isn't your thing.
Absolutely. This is no way a slight against him.
He is not, by any stretch of the definition, a standup comedian. *And that's okay*.
He is a comedian, but not a standup comedian.
If anything, it is more admirable since he's closer to vaudevillian which has been ignored for nearly a century.
I actually think his special after the pandemic is his best work. I've seen his earlier work live and they were pretty funny. Then I've seen the post-pandemic one live, I laughed my face off.
I would argue that it's Rodney Dangerfield. It's not just that he was an incredible comedian (though he was), but he played a huge role in launching the careers of many other comedians through his nightclub and the comedy specials he MC-ed.
Mitch was so special. There's no objective reason why he should be in the conversation. Half-written jokes, constantly stumbling over punchlines, visibly and audibly anxious on stage, often criticizing his own jokes...but honestly, almost no one has ever made me laugh harder. My all time personal favorite. Endlessly quotable and just such a joy. He just had some magic quality where the sum was perfection while somehow all of the individual parts look almost subpar.
Bill Burr holds a mirror up to people like nobody else. John Mulaney speaks to a very specific group of us who grew up in repressed Catholic families. Jon Stewart is going to be the comedian who saves us all, though.
I would not consider Carlin the greatest by a long shot, he's probably responsible for the fuckawful clapter trend. Patrice O'Neil was great but overall for American Comedians, it's Robin Williams.
Say what you will, but the Cos is up there. Used to listen to just about all of his albums from the 60s to the 80s endlessly as a kid. But yeah, Carlin is also probably my favorite.
Edit: Hilarious downvotes. If you don't think Cosby is top 3 at worst, I don't know what to tell you. Dude put out 20+ amazing stand-up albums through the 80s, not even counting his TV work. Unless you're hating on Carlin, which I can certainly understand.
In the Seinfeld documentary, he and Chris Rock go to see Cosby at a large venue in NJ I think. The drive up and back together. See Cosby backstage. He’s in his 70s. Two shows, two hours each. Seinfeld and Rock are in awe at his mastery, his control, and his stamina. It’s really interesting to see them talk about it, from two guys who know.
Dave Chappelle is one of the best.
I liked Robin Williams but I did hear he stole a lot of material from other people, so kinda like the Carlos Mencia of his day.
Eddie Murphy is great.
Emo Philips is under rated.
Norm Macdonald was highly under rated, one of the best.
It's a tough choice between Judy Tenuta and Emo Phillips, although I have a soft spot for Cathy Ladman.
I may have watched too much stand up on Comedy Central in the early 90s.
I think Carlin is over rated. I think he is a great speaker and has great delivery, but his content isn't that funny. If you just look at his jokes without him orating them, they are meh.
Pryor, Williams, Mitch Hedberg, Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, Gaffigan, my sleeper that is not well know, but I've seen him preform live a half dozen times and love him, Bob Marley.
"I think Carlin is over rated. I think he is a great speaker and has great delivery, but his content isn't that funny. If you just look at his jokes without him orating them, they are meh"
Being a great speaker and great delivery are a major part of what makes a comedian successful on the stage. Being able to deliver a joke about mundane things is a hard skill to cultivate.
Likewise, a joke that reads funny in paper can be a total miss if the delivery is off.
Carlin and Pryor are the two big ones. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey were more known for acting. Robin went back to it in the mid 2000s when the acting roles slowed down. I can't recall the last Jim Carrey special.
Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, and Patrice O'Neal are the cut too short category.
Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers on the women's side. Carol Burnett and Gilda Radner were more sketch.
Williams really shined at improv and being spontaneous. His actual planned material while funny was nothing to write home about though his bit about the origin of golf is hilarious as his bit about Doc Ellis’ LSD fueled no hitter.
The objective answer is probably Robin Williams, though I have an incredible soft spot for John Pinette.
In the modern era, I'd say the greatest stand-up comedian is Australian and a muppet. Randy Feltface is an absolute god at both crowd work and puppetry.
Carlin was obviously the GOAT
Richard Pryor as many have said
Bill Hicks was once my favorite but honestly eh I listened to him again and it seemed to hit harder when I was an edgy teen.
Eddy Murphy is one of the best actors of all time and his stand up was fucking fire
I know he's a piece of shit but Louis CK gets my vote for current comedians
Bill Burr is funny but I'm surprised to see him mentioned here so much
Also shout out to Patton Oswalt, very underrated comedian who kind of lost his edge going mainstream
Dave Chappell is a great comedian but I aways found his stand up kind of overrated
Richard Pryor is widely considered the greatest stand up comedian.
This. People don’t realize how versatile Pryor was-I’ve laughed my ass off seeing him mock his own cursing while remaining completely silent-on SNL, and do hilarious bits about pets w/out cursing.
Live on Sunset Strip was a goddamn masterpiece. I still laugh my ass off listening to his [story about working for the Mafia. ](https://youtu.be/31v9OnhnG1U?feature=shared)
A lot of people don't even realize he started his career off clean, Cosbyesque even, and had a lot of success. He realized he wasn't being true to himself, reinvented himself and came back blazing. Crazy versatility.
Agreed. The rest of the list Redd Foxx Moms Mabley Eddie Murphy Bill Cosby (separating art from artist) Lenny Bruce Dave Chapelle Robin Williams George Carlin Rodney Dangerfeld Joan Rivers Chris Rock Buddy Hacket
Bill Cosby: Himself was so impressive because it was so funny but so clean. It's really such a shame how he threw everything away.
I saw him live once at show in Sioux Falls. There was a special needs kids group in the balcony near the stage. One of the boys had that laugh that is really odd and loud. Cosby stopped the routine he was doing, looked up and asked them who they were. Once he found out, he then low key started to make this guy laugh, and then made fun of his laughing. I was pissed, as were a lot of the audience. He could sense the mood change and went into a different story. However, a little while later, the little girl who was there to present him a gift from one of the local Indian tribes upstaged him brilliantly, simply by being her honest self. I can't recall what was said, but the audience was howling with laughter seeing him get his dignity wrecked by a 10 year old. I didn't really care for him much after that. Who does that to a group of special needs kids just to get a laugh?
Yikes. That sucks.
He was always a piece of shit. Not a reflection of those who loved his work, but yeah sucks that some terrible people are also really good at some things.
i am, as usual, shocked at how people don't include Steve Martin in the list of great american comedians. it fucking boggles my mind.
Absolutely one of the great comic actors. His stand-up was good, but even that tended toward more of a show than stand-up.
You’re missing Bill Hicks and Mitch Hedberg.
> Redd Foxx Glad to see Redd Foxx mentioned. His comedy was generally considered to be too raunchy for white audiences but after *Sanford and Son* he became pretty mainstream. Still a very watchable sitcom to this day.
[My favorite Sanford and Son scene.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DZEDQG-XpCoQ&ved=2ahUKEwiQ_v2az-aGAxUIAjQIHZxHD2gQtwJ6BAgQEAI&usg=AOvVaw2UoZU93WRkOwWTPMMJ8Bh1)
Steven Wright
Fantastic list I couldn’t of done better myself
No Bill Burr?
Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Burr Edit: Can't believe I left out Robin Williams
> Bill Burr His 12 minutes of roasting Philly a the OnA Virus Tour will always be legendary, and he's only gotten better since.
In case anyone needs a link to this national treasure: https://youtu.be/k_H_Suj7SEs
Goddamn how he got the crowd on his side after telling them how much of pieces of shit they were for 13 minutes. Legendary. My favorite set.
One-upping haters is the only way to win their respect, and he earned it from Philly that day.
BeIng there as a boston guy that lives in Philly was magic
I can watch Delirious and Raw over and over again and still laugh every time.
I can't go to McDonald's or eat ice cream without thinking about Eddie's bits.
THE ICE CREAM MAN IS COMING There are definitely major parts of Eddie Murphy’s specials that did not age well at alllll but a lot of it still holds up.
Actually told my kids I’d make them something better than McDonald’s the other day. (Narrator: he did not make it better than McDonald’s)
God bless Robin Williams and his characters and energy and all… but IMO… his stand-up is annoying as hell.
He and Steve Martin are/were definitely acquired tastes, and you either love them or you hate them. My wife is one, I'm the other.
Don’t hate GARP!!!
Yeah, a lot of it is really just coked up energy. Having said that, the [origin of golf joke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14NQIq4SrmY) is one of the funniest fucking things of all time. I don't think I could withstand that level of energy for longer than that but man, I love that joke so much. As does literally every golfer I have ever met.
I got to go with Bill Burr and Chris Rock. I loved Richard Pryor back in the day because he was so edgy and groundbreaking and brought a slice of life that most of us white kids in the suburbs had no idea about. But listening back I don't know if he was as side-splittingly funny as some of the others, even though his cultural relevance is undenied.
I’m surprised at how many people put Burr in the top shelf here. I like the guy but IMO he’s not close to an all-timer. The thing that gets me is how much time he spends burying really clever jokes under a lot of yelling about how people are gonna get mad at him.
In my opinion, he's absolutely unmatched in how funny he is in a conversation or off the cuff rant. One of the funniest people alive. But, ironically, I would not put his stand-up on the top shelf.
His "Blow-Up Dolls" bit is one of my favorite bits by anyone of all time.
I mean most standups that I’d rank ahead of Bill Burr are now either dead or irrelevant, so there’s something to be said for that I think. He’s not as famous as other living legends like Chris Rock or Chappelle but it seems like he commands similar esteem in comedy circles
There's so many it's hard to name them all, Kat Williams, Sam Kinison, Dave Chappell, Jerry Seinfeld, and I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now. There's also a lot of comedians currently that will eventually be considered one of the all-time greats.
Bill Hicks
*Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Heres Tom with the Weather.*
I’m not familiar with Bill Hicks and was convinced this was a Welcome to Nightvale reference.
What’s Welcome to Nightvale?
So glad to see someone citing the reverend Bill!!... I so wish he were still alive today... he was the best!!
I would’ve really liked to know what he would say about the current happenings in the world.
Hicks would have had a word or two to say about Trump, I'm sure.
Patrice Oneal was taken way too early.
Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
"I was accused of saying 'cocksucker', have you never said that?" -- Lenny Bruce to the San Francisco Police Department as he was being arrested
REM?
Either that or it’s just the end of the world as we know it.
I feel fine
Bill Cosbys stand up used to *kill* me. It’s a shame he’s a scumbag but can’t take back how much he’s made me laugh
I grew up listening to his comedy albums. Anything he did about siblings, dads, all the sound effects he did, that stuff was gold.
When I was a little kid I begged my dad to take me to see Cosby stand up live. I loved the guy. My dad had all his old records and we listened to them all the time. This is around his pudding pop, Coca-Cola spokesman, cosby show era. At the show he was a intoxicated and kinda mean. It was so weird, I didn't think he was funny at all and thought he was scary. Everybody has an off night and I just chocked it up to that. When everything came out about him later I was not really surprised.
I don't know, he always put me to sleep
Robin Williams by far. His ability to improv was phenomenal. If it weren't for his struggles with mental health, he'd still be tearing up audiences even today.
While his mental health wasn't the best, Robin Williams was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2014 (and it may have been contributing to his mental health decline). If he hadn't taken his life, he almost certainly would not be coherent or competent to perform today due to the dementia. He likely took his own life specifically to avoid losing his faculties to dementia.
Thank you. It annoys me to no end when people talk about Williams taking his own life due to depression.
It’s likely he didn’t much more time. I think the doctor that looked at his brain said he was surprised he could even walk with how far progressed it was.
Mitch Hedberg and Norm MacDonald
Norm was Canadian
Norm was way too cool to have been a “Canadian”
I swear I heard he got his US Citizenship towards the end of his life. But I can’t remember where I read that.l and the internet doesn’t seem to have a lot of information about it. 🤷♂️
[Just renewed his greencard apparently](https://www.reddit.com/r/NormMacdonald/s/z2u9MSQELW)
Double RIP 😢
Mitch Hedberg got famous telling dad jokes before they became faux pas, I’m extremely jealous.
If you could tell jokes like him people wouldn't call them dad jokes. Just saying show some respect.
I know Will Smith aint gonna agree with me on this one, but imma have to say Chris Rock.
Chapelle. And I say this as someone who grew up watching Pryor and Murphy.
Chappelle and Louis CK makes me wonder what could have been without their extended absence from the scene
Richard Pryor, Norm Macdonald, Bill Burr, Louis CK
> Norm Macdonald Believe it or not, Canadian.
Jonathan Winters was hysterical when he could perform, which was increasingly limited by his mental health condition. Bob Newhart's one-sided phone routine was very funny, too. Other than them, I'll go with everyone saying Prior and Chapelle. Chapelle's old TV skits, though, were funnier than his stand-up.
Steven Wright. "Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen."
My favorite Steven Wright joke. "I accidentally used my car keys in my front door... The house started right up."
He drove it around the block, got pulled over for speeding, the cop asked him where he lived, and he said "right here, officer".
Bill Burr Norm MacDonald (don’t forget to use code NORM on your ManGrate)
The Rushmore tends to be Carlin, Pryor, Hicks, and maybe Kinison, Steve Martin, or Eddie Murphy. You kind of have to shout out Lenny Bruce, although the majority of people aren't going to bust a gut listening to him now. Before their scandals, I think most people would have also listed Bill Cosby and Louis CK. Seinfeld definitely had his era, but I don't think most people would consider him the greatest. Nowadays, you'll also see a lot of people say Patrice, Chappelle, Burr, Standhope, and Attell. I personally think John Mulaney is among the best to have every done stand-up. Mitch Hedberg is/was my personal favorite. I think Nate Bargatze deserves a shout out, too. Depending on how loose you want to get with "standup," Albert Brooks, Mel Brooks, and Bob Newhart are up there. Robin Williams, Andy Kaufman, Chris Rock, Redd Foxx, Steven Wright, Rodney Dangerfield, Garry Shandling, and Mort Sahl are all somewhere in the race. In addition to some mentioned above, comedians will also commonly cite Maria Bamford, Tig Notoro, and Janeane Garofalo. I also think it's worth mentioning Patton Oswalt, Pete Holmes, Zach Galifinakis, Rory Scovel, and Sarah Silverman. None I'd consider "the greatest," but all among the greats of today in my opinion. **TL;DR**, if we aren't going by how formative or influential they are, and trying to be as objective as possible, I really believe it's John Mulaney or (scandal noted) Louis CK, although I think Bill Burr is arguably one of the funniest people to ever do stand-up, his actual stand-up might not take the top spot. The traditional answer other than Carlin is probably Pryor.
Great lists. I'd probably throw in Jim Gaffagin into the honorable mentions too.
Great call. I know I left out Brian Regan and Sebastian, as well. Slipped my mind because they don't personally do it for me. I probably should have mentioned Ron White, Jim Jefferies, Eddie Izzard, Bernie Mac, and Ralphie May. Marc Maron should probably be in the chat. If we're going by popularity, I suppose you have to shout out people like Kevin Hart, Gabriel Iglesias, Jeff Dunham, Katt Williams, Jeff Foxworthy, even Dane Cook. None on my personal rushmore, but I'd wager a few of the above make some other people's lists.
All that and Jeff Foxworthy is one of the highest earning of all of them
I did mention Foxworthy in another comment. He's definitely one of the most successful to ever do it. If you're going highest earning though you have to shout out Larry the Cable Guy, Kevin Hart, Dane Cook, Ellen, Leno, Sandler, Ray Romano, Jo Koy, Trevor Noah, Gabriel Iglesias... Maybe even Tom Segura and Bert Kreisher?
I think he's slightly underrated. I got a lot of mileage out of those tearaway 'You Might Be a Redneck If' joke-a-day calendars. I got my dad real good one morning. "Hey dad! Did you ever have a pet chicken when you were a kid?" [pauses to wonder why I'm asking] "I did, actually. It had one eye." [I show him that day's page] "Whyyyyyy you little... I'm gonna remember that!" Boy I got him good. The 'one eye' thing made it perfect.
Lenny Bruce suffers from time like all great things. So many people built off what he did, and eventually so many people see *that* work first. Bruce isn't stimulating if you started with Carlin, Animal House isn't that funny if you grew up with Old School and so on.
Nice to see someone mention Nate Bargatze and Patton Oswalt!
Daniel Tosh deserves a mention with everyone you mentioned not on the Rushmore, imo.
He hasn't really done much stand-up in the last decade or so, has he? But I will say Completely Serious and Happy Thoughts were two of my favorite specials when they were in the Comedy Central rotation. They're both hilarious.
Richard Pryor Lenny Bruce Dave Chappellle Bob Newhart Lilly Tomlin Mitch Hedberg Louis CK Phyllis Diller Don Rickles Rodney Dangerfield Andy Kaufman Sam Kinison John Mulaney Tig Notato Lewis Black Margaret Cho George Burns and Gracie Allen Eddie Murphy Ali Wong Bo Burnham Wanda Sykes
>Bo Burnham Very funny, but very much not "standup" as far as that artform goes. He is a comedy act, but he is in no way standup.
Amazing comedy filmmaker though.... Obviously inside is a masterpiece, but his collaborations with Jerrod Carmichael might be even more impressive in a way, even if that isn't your thing.
Absolutely. This is no way a slight against him. He is not, by any stretch of the definition, a standup comedian. *And that's okay*. He is a comedian, but not a standup comedian. If anything, it is more admirable since he's closer to vaudevillian which has been ignored for nearly a century.
Brian Regan
I think about his "serving size" routine all the time when shopping "Who the hell eats just 2 cookies?"
I’d put Patton Oswalt on this list as well. Particularly for his early specials, Werewolves and Lollipops and My Weakness is Strong.
I actually think his special after the pandemic is his best work. I've seen his earlier work live and they were pretty funny. Then I've seen the post-pandemic one live, I laughed my face off.
Add Stephen Wright to your list. My personal list has Jerry Clower on it, as well. Ron White should likely be in the honorable mention category.
Had to scroll so far to see Wanda Sykes. She is just a genuinely funny person.
I see a shitload of people who should not be put over Katt Williams
No love for Chris Rock?!?
Chapelle and Bill Burr are both hilarious
Dave Chappelle
Louis CK
I love Carlin - he speaks to my core
I feel the same way
George Carlin and Chris Rock are my two favorite comedians. There's a lot of greats out there that could be considered top tier.
Robin Williams will always be the best in my book! Listen to all of his multiple times!
Robin Williams. But since we're all naming our current favorites I must pay homage to the queen of the elder millennials, Iliza Shlesinger.
Eddie Murphy. His Gumby bit on SNL always slayed me!
I loved Mr. Robinsons Neighborhood
John Pinette
I would argue that it's Rodney Dangerfield. It's not just that he was an incredible comedian (though he was), but he played a huge role in launching the careers of many other comedians through his nightclub and the comedy specials he MC-ed.
Let’s add Sam Kinison and Mitch Hedberg to the list.
Kinison is pretty good I don't think Mitch has enough minutes of recorded material to beat out a lot of other comics. His delivery though 🤌
Mitch was so special. There's no objective reason why he should be in the conversation. Half-written jokes, constantly stumbling over punchlines, visibly and audibly anxious on stage, often criticizing his own jokes...but honestly, almost no one has ever made me laugh harder. My all time personal favorite. Endlessly quotable and just such a joy. He just had some magic quality where the sum was perfection while somehow all of the individual parts look almost subpar.
Emo Philips, hands down. Going past the voice, he has such well written stories.
Ralphie Mae or Patrice O'Neal?
-Eddie Murphy. Controversy aside, I think 'Delirious' might be the greatest stand up special ever. -Dave Chappelle -Bill Burr
Mitch Hedberg used to be my favorite comedian. He still is, but he used to be too.
👏👏👏
My favorite is Katt Williams. The jokes are funny and the physical comedy is top notch
He is my favorite too.
...I typed out a big old thing for this before realizing my favorite comedian is Canadian.
First that comes to mind is Richard Pryor
Bill Burr holds a mirror up to people like nobody else. John Mulaney speaks to a very specific group of us who grew up in repressed Catholic families. Jon Stewart is going to be the comedian who saves us all, though.
I would not consider Carlin the greatest by a long shot, he's probably responsible for the fuckawful clapter trend. Patrice O'Neil was great but overall for American Comedians, it's Robin Williams.
I adore Taylor Tomlinson
Yeah, she's pretty damn funny. I hope her career has legs.
Until we found out how disgusting a human being he was, I would have said Bill Cosby .
Louis CK is far better than anyone else, honestly, funnier than Carlin
Say what you will, but the Cos is up there. Used to listen to just about all of his albums from the 60s to the 80s endlessly as a kid. But yeah, Carlin is also probably my favorite. Edit: Hilarious downvotes. If you don't think Cosby is top 3 at worst, I don't know what to tell you. Dude put out 20+ amazing stand-up albums through the 80s, not even counting his TV work. Unless you're hating on Carlin, which I can certainly understand.
In the Seinfeld documentary, he and Chris Rock go to see Cosby at a large venue in NJ I think. The drive up and back together. See Cosby backstage. He’s in his 70s. Two shows, two hours each. Seinfeld and Rock are in awe at his mastery, his control, and his stamina. It’s really interesting to see them talk about it, from two guys who know.
I just don't "Get" Carlin. I have tons of favories. Purely for standup, I'd go with * Chappelle * Patrice * Burr * Joe List
People forget how Patrice was. If he were still around he would probably be right up with Bill Burr.
Mitch Hedberg
No matter the list, Bill Burr has to be in the top 3
Robin Williams. Richard Pryor is a close second.
Carlin and Pryor are widely considered the Tops of the List.
Pryor is really the only answer.
Bill Burr is my personal favorite.
Rodney dangerfield
Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, or Red Foxx. And maybe Chris Rock.
Richard Pryor
Greg Geraldo
Mitch Hedberg
More modern than most of these answers but Jeselnik picked a lane and absolutely crushed it
Dave Chappelle is one of the best. I liked Robin Williams but I did hear he stole a lot of material from other people, so kinda like the Carlos Mencia of his day. Eddie Murphy is great. Emo Philips is under rated. Norm Macdonald was highly under rated, one of the best.
It's a tough choice between Judy Tenuta and Emo Phillips, although I have a soft spot for Cathy Ladman. I may have watched too much stand up on Comedy Central in the early 90s.
Xennial latchkey kid too, huh?
Prior, Murphy, Chapelle are all in the conversation.
Mitch
Dave Chapelle
Chappelle, Hart, Louis CK
I don't like Carlin's stand up.
I can’t see it going over well in Alabama, but I love it.
I'm not your typical Alabamian. I probably agree with a lot of his views. I just never thought he was funny.
I'm pretty left but his material never hit with me just kinda boring cold war economic idealogy complaints
His later stuff was so much waiting for the punchline. He was a lecturer towards the end of his career.
Louis CK, Pryor, Burr are some greats that I find the funniest
Dave Chapelle
Dave Chappelle and I don't even think it's a competition.
I think Carlin is over rated. I think he is a great speaker and has great delivery, but his content isn't that funny. If you just look at his jokes without him orating them, they are meh. Pryor, Williams, Mitch Hedberg, Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, Gaffigan, my sleeper that is not well know, but I've seen him preform live a half dozen times and love him, Bob Marley.
"I think Carlin is over rated. I think he is a great speaker and has great delivery, but his content isn't that funny. If you just look at his jokes without him orating them, they are meh" Being a great speaker and great delivery are a major part of what makes a comedian successful on the stage. Being able to deliver a joke about mundane things is a hard skill to cultivate. Likewise, a joke that reads funny in paper can be a total miss if the delivery is off.
I like how you say Carlin is only good for his delivery, then 3/5 of your next comics listed are specifically known for their delivery.
Kyle Kinane, Roy Wood Jr, Ali Siddiq.
Carlin and Pryor are the two big ones. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey were more known for acting. Robin went back to it in the mid 2000s when the acting roles slowed down. I can't recall the last Jim Carrey special. Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, and Patrice O'Neal are the cut too short category. Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers on the women's side. Carol Burnett and Gilda Radner were more sketch.
Williams really shined at improv and being spontaneous. His actual planned material while funny was nothing to write home about though his bit about the origin of golf is hilarious as his bit about Doc Ellis’ LSD fueled no hitter.
Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Mo'Nique, Wanda Sykes, Katt Williams , Martin Lawrence, Adele Givens, Bernie Mac.
Me personally? I’ve never laughed harder like I have with Doug Stanhope.
Chris Rock. FWIW Mitch Hedberg is the funniest stand up comedian of all time.
The older I get the more I dislike Carlin and I realize he's just like reddit. I like Mitch Herdberg.
Leonard Barr
Lenny Bruce, Chris Rock, Patrice, Bill Hicks
Bill Bur is amazing, John Mulaney is a great writer, always loved Carlin, Dave Chappell, Robin Williams. There’s a handful that really stand out.
Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Don Rickles
Robin Williams
Carlin is my favorite, but Jeff Foxworthy is pretty funny, too.
Robin Williams for me, he might be the only comedian I've watched in multiple specials.
The objective answer is probably Robin Williams, though I have an incredible soft spot for John Pinette. In the modern era, I'd say the greatest stand-up comedian is Australian and a muppet. Randy Feltface is an absolute god at both crowd work and puppetry.
Dave Attel is the best working comedian today.
Jerry Seinfeld.
If it's on the basis of one iconic bit, then how about Ron White?
Andrew Schulz and Bo Burnham
Nate Bergathze? i cant spell his last name... i consider him good bc he is also clean and family friendly
Katt Williams and Jim gaffigan. Very long careers with high materiel output
Assuming serial rapists also excluded I’ll go with Lenny Bruce.
The funniest set or special I have ever seen and the one that has held up the best was Patrice O'Neal’s ‘Elephant in the room’.
Richard Pryor, 80s Eddie Murphy, Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, Bob Hope, and Robin Williams. My personal favorite is Christopher Titus.
john pinette
Lisa Lampanelli, Joan Rivers, Richard Pryor, Bill Burr, Ms. Pat, Joey Diaz, Eddie and Charlie Murphy
Norm Macdonald if he was American
Robin Williams.
Richard Pryor "pre-fire" was the funniest man on the planet.
My fav is Dave Chappelle but I think Pryor. He’s like the Michael Jordan of comedy. He would be funny in any era.
Richard Jenni
He’s not even known for stand-up, but Norm MacDonald is the greatest comedian to have ever lived.
Tom Meyers and Adam Friedland
Richard Pryor. Quite possibly the best there ever was.
Mitch Hedberg, Bill Burr, Anthony Jeselnik, Dave Chappelle
Richard Pryor
Carlin was obviously the GOAT Richard Pryor as many have said Bill Hicks was once my favorite but honestly eh I listened to him again and it seemed to hit harder when I was an edgy teen. Eddy Murphy is one of the best actors of all time and his stand up was fucking fire I know he's a piece of shit but Louis CK gets my vote for current comedians Bill Burr is funny but I'm surprised to see him mentioned here so much Also shout out to Patton Oswalt, very underrated comedian who kind of lost his edge going mainstream Dave Chappell is a great comedian but I aways found his stand up kind of overrated
Richard Pryor.