Last night I watched some George Carlin stand-up comedy which led me to thinking who is the best stand-up comic of all time? I think that Eddie Murphy Raw would be considered one of the best individual performances, though it has been a while since Eddie has done any stand-up. It was somewhere around the Nutty Professor that he ceased being funny. Chris Rock and Russell Peters are the two active comics who can draw the biggest crowds. Lots of people like Richard Pryor, but personally I never found him to be all that funny.
Comedy Central ranks the top 20 as:
20. Sam Kinison
19. Bill Hicks
18. Jonathan Winters
17. Don Rickles
16. Ellen Degeneres
15. David Letterman
14. Bob Newhart
13. Robin Williams
12. Jerry Seinfeld
11. Johnny Carson
10. Eddie Murphy
9. Roseanne Barr
8. Bill Cosby
7. Rodney Dangerfield
6. Steve Martin
5. Chris Rock
4. Woody Allen
3. Lenny Bruce
2. George Carlin
1. Richard Pryor
Here a few of my favourite clips.
Bob Newhart
ReplyDeleteDennis Miller
ReplyDeleteRussel Peters is a one track comic and if he wasn't Indian he wouldn't be funny at all. George Carlin got to full of himself in the later years.
Dennis Miller in "The Rants" days and Mitch Hedberg.
ReplyDeleteRodney Dangerfield
ReplyDeleteRon James,
ReplyDeleteFunny and his History Degrees from Acadia, really paid off with his History Jokes.
Mitch Hedberg
ReplyDeletethat list is all wrong Robin williams should be number 1 in my opinion and Bill Cosby number 2
ReplyDeleteI never really knew George Carlins comedy style. but there is no one funnier then Robin Williams.
I would say Rodney dangerfield is my number 3 Pick.
Billy Connolly should be on the list somewhere. Anytime I've seen him live I've walked way with my stomach hurting from laughing so much.
ReplyDeletePlus he's been doing it for over 30 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjdmZLnfEuE&feature=related
Tim Allen was pretty good too.
Chris Rock, economist:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m37JkkGjAY
Jonathan Winters.
ReplyDeleteNo love for Andrew Dice Clay...
ReplyDelete