Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Standups of All Time
 

Okay, I did a search for "comic" and "standup" and didn't find this. Each day this week a round-table of comics including Mario Joyner, Dom Irerra, Judy Gold, and some scrub I've never heard of along with a more popular comic would discuss (i.e., kiss the butt of) 20 comics counting down from 100.


1. Richard Pryor
2. George Carlin
3. Lenny Bruce
4. Woody Allen
5. Chris Rock
6. Steve Martin
7. Rodney Dangerfield
8. Bill Cosby
9. Roseanne Barr
10. Eddie Murphy
11. Johnny Carson
12. Jerry Seinfeld
13. Robin Williams
14. Bob Newhart
15. David Letterman
16. Ellen DeGeneres
17. Don Rickles
18. Jonathan Winters
19. Bill Hicks
20. Sam Kinison
21. Dennis Miller
22. Robert Klein
23. Steven Wright
24. Redd Foxx
25. Bob Hope
26. Ray Romano
27. Jay Leno
28. Jack Benny
29. Milton Berle
30. Garry Shandling
31. George Burns
32. Albert Brooks
33. Andy Kaufman
34. Buddy Hackett
35. Phyllis Diller
36. Jim Carrey
37. Martin Lawrence
38. Bill Maher
39. Billy Crystal
40. Mort Sahl
41. Jon Stewart
42. Flip Wilson
43. Dave Chappelle
44. Joan Rivers
45. Richard Lewis
46. Adam Sandler
47. Henny Youngman
48. Tim Allen
49. Freddie Prinze
50. Denis Leary
51. Lewis Black
52. Damon Wayans
53. David Brenner
54. DL Hughley
55. Alan King
56. Colin Quinn
57. Richard Jeni
58. Larry Miller
59. Gilbert Gottfried
60. Jeff Foxworthy
61. Bobcat Goldthwait
62. Eddie Griffin
63. Jackie Mason
64. Richard Belzer
65. Cedrick the Enter.
66. Shelley Berman
67. Kevin Pollak
68. Dave Attell
69. Pat Cooper
70. Wanda Sykes
71. Red Buttons
72. Bernie Mac
73. Billy Connolly
74. Paul Rodriguez
75. Eddie Izzard
76. Robert Schimmel
77. Paul Reiser
78. Sinbad
79. Dom Irrera
80. Bobby Slayton
81. Dick Gregory
82. Howie Mandel
83. Norm MacDonald
84. Drew Carey
85. David Cross
86. Jay Mohr
87. Brett Butler
88. Paula Poundstone
89. Kevin James
90. Dana Carvey
91. Jim Breuer
92. Louie Anderson
93. George Wallace
94. David Alan Grier
95. Andrew 'Dice' Clay
96. Joey Bishop
97. Sandra Bernhard
98. Louis CK
99. Janeane Garofalo
100. Gallagher

What do you think of the list so far? I think it's pretty good. The old-school guys like Youngman are a little too low, though, and Sam Kinnison and Clay had pretty much the same act but Kinnison is top 20 somehow probably since he's dead (I don't know who ripped off who).

Edit: comedy central just added 40-21 on their website.

I think if Richard Pryor isn't #1 I call shenanigans. I think the top five in order should be Pryor, Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Robin Williams, and Chris Rock.

Other comics that will be on the top 20: Letterman, Cosby, Murphy, DeGeneres, Kinnison, Dangerfield, Woody Allen, Roseanne

I've set up a season pass, and should have all episodes by this weekend. I'm looking forward to watching this.

I just noticed Carrot top hasn't appeared yet. I don't think he belongs in the top 20. I saw him live and he sucked. Then again, seeing Carlin live in the front row has spoiled it for every comic I'll ever see for the rest of my life.

Robert Schimmel should be much, much, much higher than #76

Good to see Chappelle at 43 :up:

i wonder how high eddie murphy will be
top ten id say

I was going to make a joke about Gallagher but he's actually on the list. But its open season on Bob Saget!

Good list, although the order is obviously subjective. If it were MY list, Andy Kaufman would be in the top five easily.

I agree with Charlie.

Here's to hoping that Mitch Hedberg shows up. He's a bit younger than most of those guys. But funnier than 90% of them. :cool:

And I think it's a given that Richard Pryor will be #1.

Bill Hicks, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby all belong on that list. I'd also argue for David Spade and Dane Cook.

Dane Cook should be Top 20 rotfl :lol:

*rips off shirt* **** YOOOOOUUUUUUU! :lol: That guy is awesome.

Yes he definitely needs to be in there. He is one of the only comics that my friends and I can watch over and over again.

"Don't touch me Grandpa. Nanna's a cheating whore."

"Officer I was in my kitchen cleaning a plate. I heard it so I came out. Tell him what you told me. Tell him what you told me. That's not what he told me."

They are. They are all in the top ten. Well except David Spade and Dane Cook. They aren't anywhere. The top three were Steve Martin, George Carlin and Richard Pryor at number #1. Big surprise.

I'm watching the show right now and Steve Martin was #6... I wouldn't say that's the top three...

Oh my mistake. I'm right about #2 and #1 though.

So Bill Hicks got his recognition? Good.

Somewhat dissapointing that my favorite comedians (Brian Regan, Mitch Hedberg) didn't make the cut...

I like Chris Rock, but not enough to rank him at #5 of all time.

I'm just glad Lewis Black is on the list somewhere. Mitch Hedberg is really funny, but he's also still developing his act, IMO. If you listen to his first CD "Strategic Grill Locations" and then listen to his new one, "Mitch Altogether," he sounds WAY different... he talks about twice as fast, and doesn't sound like he's stoned off his ass.

Yeah, Brian Regan's one of my favorites too.

What I find sad about that list is there are a good number of names on there of people who I like, but I've never seen them do stand up. I guess some of them don't do stand up any more, and their classic material that got them on the list isn't available on DVD. I think stand up...GOOD STAND UP...is always good to revisit and hate it that particular genre isn't so widely available on DVD and promoted.

Back in "the day" of VHS, I recall sections in stores devoted to stand up comedy tapes. Now you get a smattering of DVDs, usually best of and not focusing on one particular talent, and they are buried in general comedy sections, so if you don't know the title you're looking for, you may miss it all together. And I've only seen the Best of the Improv DVDs and the Platinum Comedy Series. I know there are others out there, but really not much bringing the work of these past greats back to the public view.

I saw Chris Rock live at my college back in '97 right before he truly broke out. He wasn't that great and Mario Joyner who opened for him was much funnier. That being said "Bigger and Blacker" was money. Can't wait to see his new special either.

No Emo Philips??!??

someone post the top 20

1. Richard Pryor
2. George Carlin
3. Lenny Bruce
4. Woody Allen
5. Chris Rock
6. Steve Martin
7. Rodney Dangerfield
8. Bill Cosby
9. Roseanne Barr
10. Eddie Murphy
11. Johnny Carson
12. Jerry Seinfeld
13. Robin Williams
14. Bob Newhart
15. David Letterman
16. Ellen DeGeneres
17. Don Rickles
18. Jonathan Winters
19. Bill Hicks
20. Sam Kinison

Cool, I got 4 out of the top 5 right. :up: Although I do think that Woody Allen is overrated. Then again, I think he was first to start the self-deprecating type of routine.

Edit: Glaringly missing (along with Emo Phillips): Margaret Cho

How in the hell is Dane Cook NOT on this list?!?!? :eek: -eek-

Whoever made this list did a pound of blow before making it. -ohbfrank-

chris rock is 3 spots higher than bill cosby?!?! ummmm.... ok.

Yeah. Lists are always made for controversy. The controversy here is that the list was probably made by a group of people under 30 years old. Chris Rock in the top 10? WTF? Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and George Burns that far down? Right... :rolleyes: That is like saying Bob Hope is just barely better than Ray Romano and Jay Leno.

These shows are worth watching for the clips, not the order of things.

Bill Hicks should be ranked a bit higher IMHO. Brian Regan should be somewhere on the list. Barr and Rock aren't worthy of the top ten.

It was nice to see Eddie Izzard get recognition. The panel showed why he has trouble getting recognition in the states, as all they could do was focus on his being a transvestite instead of talking about his superb sense of comedy.

I think Bill Hicks and Eddie Izzard should have been ranked higher, but I'm just happy that they even made the list.

I have a couple problems with this list first of all Martin Lawrence should be a lil bit higher just based off of "You So Crazy" imo one of the rawest comedy standups ever. Another thing is where is John Legiuzmo? Who gives better stand ups than John? Also Bernie Mac should be higher his stand up is better than anything he does on tv or in movies.

Way overrated, he gets TV show and he's instantly top 50?

I disagree his stand up act is funny as hell (and has been for years). I personally think he's funnier than Chris Rock (who I don't think belongs in the top 10)

Eddie Murphy and Bill Hicks should both be higher up on the list and I don't think Roseanne even deserves a Top 50 spot.

Thanks for posting the full list rabbit.

4. Woody Allen, way over rated.

5. Chris Rock, also overrated. He had one great special, and a mediocre follow up. It couldn't be because CC plays them to death.

15. David Letterman, WAY WAY over rated. He's a funny guy, but a horrible stand up.

23. Steven Wright, A classic, great standup. He should be in the top 15, maybe top 10.

41. Jon Stewart, He was good but there are much better standups below him.

46. Adam Sandler, again, standup was not his strong point.

58. Larry Miller, way underrated. A great stand up, should be top 20 at least.

73. Billy Connolly, Now this is just a travesty. Billy has done a ton of great standup.

89. Kevin James. I think the only standup I've seen him do was his CC special last year, and that blew. Maybe he was better before KoQ or maybe it's because his special was a CC production.

99. Janeane Garofalo, another case of a poor standup given credit for other areas, where she actually has talent.

100. Gallagher, I guess the poor "prop comic' needed to be represented. Props aside Gallagher is a decent standup, he probably would have done much better on the list if it wasn't for the props.

Notably absent: The Amazing Johnathan , another lowly prop comic.

What about Carrot Top or the Amazing Jonathan?

I agree, Chappelle's half hour HBO special he did in 97 was the first time I saw him and I thought he was hilarious. He has only gotten better since. The Comedy central show has brought him mainstream attention but he has been killing at standup for a looooong time.