Top 5 Stand-Up Comedians, All-Time
1) Bill Cosby
2) Jerry Seinfeld
3) Mitch Hedberg
4) Dave Chappelle
5) Steve Martin
Runners up: Chris Rock, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, Demetri Martin
Posted on March 25, 2008, in Pop Culture. Bookmark the permalink. 52 Comments.
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Bob Newhart should be (at least) number 2.
Is there no love for Lenny Bruce?
1. George Carlin
2. Bill Cosby
3. Sam Kinison (sp?)
4. Dave Chapelle
5. Jim Gaffigan (I just really like the guy)
Lenny Bruce was many things, but he wasn’t all that funny.
No Robin Williams love? Eddie Murphy? C’mon.
My personal faves are:
1) Emo Philips
2) Steven Wright
3) Mitch Hedburg
4) Jim Gaffigan
5) Demetri Martin
Oh yeah, Eddie Murphy should be on there. But certainly not Robin Williams.
What’s sad about this list is that there are no women on it.
My experience with this genre is admittedly very limited but I hear Dane Cook is the funniest comedian alive right now.
All-time:
1. Richard Pryor
2. Bill Hicks
3. Rodney Dangerfield
4. Bob Newhart
5. Don Rickles
Current:
1. Louis CK
2. Patton Oswalt
3. Zach Galifianakis
4. Paul F Tompkins
5. Todd Barry
I’ve probably seen 3+ hours of Bill Hicks routine, and I’ve never cracked a smile once. Aren’t comedians supposed to be funny? He was Bill Maher #1.
I’d choose:
Seinfeld
Louis CK
Hedburg
Oswalt
and Maria Bamford, who is totally awesome.
Most people have never heard Bob Newhart, but they had one of his bits from some talk show in the 60′s. The guy was great.
Robin Williams in his coked up peak was hilarious. I can’t believe folks are hating…
That’s the problem with comedians these days — none of them perform while high on coke.
I don’t really get Seinfeld. And the Dane Cook comment above was, really, a crack at that whole brand of humor.
But then again, I’m someone who actually finds Dennis Miller funny (or did — haven’t seen of his stuff for more than a decade).
Steven Wright is hilarious, but to me the truly great stand-up comedian has some edge and narrative flow to his routines. But I think that I think that mainly because Richard Pryor was considered the funniest guy alive when I was a kid and so that type of humor (and Bill Cosby’s gentler version) is what I tend to think of as the highest form of stand up.
Brian V. nails it.
What Clark said.
I’m frankly surprised to see all the Seinfeld love. Bruce and Carlin don’t really make me laugh, but I can appreciate that they had some talent. Seinfeld is just abysmal (IMO, of course).
The toughest time…in anyone’s life…is when you have to kill a loved one just because they’re the devil. — Emo Phillips
How many comedians have you guys seen live? I’ve only seen Steven Wright and Emo.
We’re going to see Eddie Izzard in May. I’m very psyched.
Seinfeld is just abysmal (IMO, of course).
See, and I just can’t see how Hicks’ adolescent, misanthropic rants could be funny to anyone. People’s senses of humor just vary so widely. You want to know who the most popular comedian in the nation is? Larry the Cable Guy.
I’ve seen Carlin live and he is at the top all time for me. Though, he has lost his touch these last few years.
I don’t understand why people like Gaffigan. Every time I see him he seems to just be doing his high pitched whisper voice.
Just reading “high pitch whisper voice” makes me laugh.
“Hot Pockets!”
Seinfeld had a great sitcom, but I find his stand up very ordinary. I only laughed once or twice during his last HBO special.
I love Cosby’s old stuff, Pryors old stuff and anything by Dave Chappelle or Chris Rock.
My current favorite that is still performing is probably Patton Oswalt
See, and I just can’t see how Hicks’ adolescent, misanthropic rants could be funny to anyone. People’s senses of humor just vary so widely.
I agree, you can’t argue humor. However, I would take umbrage with your description of Hicks. I’ll give you the misanthropic thing, because he does veer that way at times, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near as bad as a Carlin or a David Cross. Yes, Hicks is angry, but if you listen to what he says, you’ll realize his anger is intercut with a real positivity, i.e. he’s mad because he loves the world and wants it to be a better place. I don’t get anything of the sort from George Carlin – I get the sense he’s mad just because he’s a hateful, bitter person.
Describing Hicks as adolescent is completely baffling to me. I actually think his material is pretty sophisticated. As far as taking a big-picture look at the world (how it works and why it works the way it does), he’s pretty much unparalleled in my opinion.
1. Richard Pryor
2. Rodney Dangerfield
3. George Carlin
4. Chris Rock
5. Woody Allen
Also:
6. Steve Martin
7. Bill Cosby (in the 60s-early 70s)
8. Robin Williams
9. Bill Hicks
10. Bob Newhart
I think the big question is what comedians really broke new ground. Who are the comics that other comics owe great debts of gratitude to? That’s why Pryor has to be number one. He changed stand-up forever.
Flip Wilson makes the cut. My single favorite comedy routine is “Cowboys and Colored People.”
Others:
Newhart
Kinison
Hicks
Murphy
Dave Mordal is the funniest guy I’ve seen recently
I’m glad Woody Allen finally showed up on someone’s list. I think he belongs in the Top 5 somewhere.
I say Pryor, Carlin (in his prime, which he’s way past now), and Rock because they had the ability to sometimes actually change the way people think while making them laugh. Pryor again for ending self-censorship in comedy. Woody Allen for introducing surrealism — no Woody, no Robin Williams, Emo Phillips, or Mitch Hedberg. And Rodney just for being the best ever at the old-fashioned one-liner style. He deserves respect for that.
Woody did stand up?
Yes. Woody Allen did stand up. Among other things.
My top 5 (no order) of recent years
1. Jim Gaffigan
2. Mitch Hedberg
3. Frank Caliendo (even though he’s getting a bit old now)
4. Maria Bramford
5. Dmitri Martin
Up-and-coming: Ralphie May, Kyle Cease, Jeff Dunham, Mitch Fatel
Mind you, a lot of these guys come off of what I see on Comedy Central (which is hit-and-miss) and what I heard on Lampoon Comedy Radio (XM)
Top 5 Classic Comedians
1. Pryor
2. Cosby
3. Dangerfield (the king of 1-liners)
4. Carlin
5. Newhart
Robin Williams was a bit much for me – always yelling and tough to follow
Larry the Cable Guy is someone I can take in 2-minute bursts – if that
I’ve never even heard of Mitch Hedberg. Hrm.
Gotta admit, Bill Cosby and Steve Martin are both great to listen to. Dane Cook makes me cringe. I enjoyed Seinfeld’s routines well enough, but all-time favorite? eh. Richard Pryor definitely deserves to be up there, too.
Of the new guys, personally, I like Bill Engvall.
I like Bill Engvall too because a lot of the stuff he talks about (like family situations) are really true-to-life
Seinfeld isn’t TOO bad (I’m not sure on my comedian history, but it seems like he developed his own style of comedy)
Hedberg is adicting, and a lot of people emulate his style (though hard to duplicate)
FHL, you need some Hedberg, stat!
Brian V. – Hicks had quite the cult following in my high school – so maybe that’s where the “adolescent” came from.
I’ve always thought of him as an angry druggy blaming the establishment for his inability to get a decent job with his psychology degree. I just never found him that insightful – but that might be because by the time I discovered him that general attitude had already permeated young, liberal society.
I have to say, I’m glad no one has mentioned Jeff Dunham. The amount of time I want to spend with a person is inversely proportional to how much that person laughs at a Jeff Dunham routine.
Never mind, someone did mention Dunham. I just can’t get enough of that dead terrorist dummy! /slaps knee
I’ve always thought of him as an angry druggy blaming the establishment for his inability to get a decent job with his psychology degree.
Actually, by the time he began doing stand-up, he neither drank nor did drugs. He did advocate the use of drugs, particularly psychedelics, in his act, though.
“Angry about his inability to get a decent job” couldn’t be further from the truth.
Again, not trying to change your mind. I’m just saying.
Some that haven’t been mentioned (and maybe shouldn’t be, but I can’t resist):
Andy Kaufman, Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay, Ray Romano (don’t hate b/c of the sitcom), Dom Irrera.
Top women comedians: Janeane Garofalo, Sarah Silverman, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Ellen DeGeneres, Rosanne Barr
Oh, and Gallagher.
…Carrot Top
…Pauly Shore?
and last, but not least, howie mandel.
Brian – Oh, I never meant to imply that he was that guy, I was just saying he reminded me of “that guy”. He was obviously a pretty successful dude.
Mitch Hedburg died recently (tragically young). I think of his as very influenced by Steven Wright and Emo.
Come on – Howie Mandel? It’s amazing one guy got so much milage out of blowing up a glove on his head. He was a good actor but a terrible comedian.
Andy Kaufman isn’t really stand up comedy – as I see it. Almost more performance art. But I love his Mighty Mouse bit on SNL. Although it’s one of those things, like Monty Python, that works best late at night when you are way too sleep deprived.
Of course I’m sticking with Robin Williams. (Warning foul language ahoy)
Dang. All my YouTube links got deleted by the comment filter. Urrrrgggh.
Clark, I think you have a login — just go in and release your own comments!
I don’t actually laugh outloud to any stand-up comedian more than I do with chris rock. Classic Cosby, Carlin, or Murphy can be great. And a lot of the new sort-of-indie guys (like Patton Oswald) are great too. But when it comes to actually laughing outloud, sitting on my couch, not in a comedy club, no one touches Rock.
Chris Rock is great for his political commentary. He does a great job of skewering everyone and making people laugh while he does it.
How do you not have Eddie Murphy on there? Kuri, Murphy doesn’t even make your top 10 but Robin Williams does?
Personally, you can’t have Richard Pryor on a list and not have Eddie Murphy. Eddie took Richard’s gig even further.
This is a crime.
I had the “privilege” of seeing Jeff Dunham on YouTube last night at a gathering of friends. Some of it was pretty funny, particularly Walter. (Achmed was more amusing because of his expressions.)
Alright, you’ve convinced me, I’ll look for some Hedberg tonight. =)
Most of the names that I would have brought up have already been mentioned. The only one I can think of though, that didn’t make my list, even though he’s more known for his TV work (namely co-creating and writing most of Seinfeld and of course Curb Your Enthusiasm) than his stand-up stuff, is Larry David.
This guy just really cracks me up. Even on Letterman he kicked ass!
Apart from that, here’s my top 4 list (I couldn’t come up with a fifth guy that I would want to single out), ranked by how hard they usually make me laugh:
1. George Carlin
2. Bill Hicks
3. Mitch Hedberg
4. Russell Peters (I can’t believe no one has mentioned him. Okay, it’s all racial/cultural humor, but it’s still brillant!)
And a couple of thoughts on the way out, Columbo-style so to speak:
Does anyone share the impression that Demetri Martin is trying a little too hard to be the next Mitch Hedberg to actually be funny? His jokes are excellent – it’s him that sucks, leaving him somewhere in midfield overall. Almost tragic. (IMO of course)
And just for the record: The “hot pockets”-dude doesn’t even make me smile, let alone laugh. I really don’t get that guy.
Carlin, funny, bright, thought provoking, and was still rockin till he died.