50 replies to this topic

[MattDrufke]

Okay, here's what's shaking... I was at my niece's birthday party tonight, and my father-in-law (cool as hell guy, by the way) and I were talking about the passing of George Carlin. He asked me where I placed him in the list of all-time great stand-up comedians, and I told him that I had Carlin 4th, behind Cosby, Pryor, and Bruce (in that order). So then we started making a list of our favorite stand-ups. Fast forward 2 hours later, and a group consisting of me, my in-laws, my wife, and a party guest have isolated ourselves in a corner and are debating over the definitive top 20 list. I've decided to expand this. My plan is to make the list of the top 100 stand-up comics, which I will then turn into a 10-disc set counting them down. I know any list is going to forget people. So to help, everyone just start naming comics you love. I don't want to post any as the purpose of this thread is more of a gathering rather than a "X is better than Y" poopfest. So... ready? Begin!

[Origin]

Bob Sagat Carrot top Gallagher Kathy Griffin

[theremin]

1) Bill Hicks 2) Everyone else.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Mitch Hedberg Chris Rock Bill Hicks

[Ogawa]

Steven Wright.

[no magnets]

dave chappelle, steve martin, eddie murphy, brian regan, jerry seinfeld... and, of course, lenny bruce and bill hicks, as mentioned.

[DrAftershave]

my top five: 1) Sam Kinison 2) Bill Hicks 3) Andrew "Dice" Clay (go ahead and hate me) 4) George Carlin 5) Richard Pryor honorable mention: Steven Wright

[Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ҈҉Ѡ]

choices are basically the same as everyone else's. fucking hate Bill Hicks though.

[velocity]

In no order:

Mitch Hedberg
Chris Rock
Bill Hicks

Steven Wright.

steve martin, eddie murphy, jerry seinfeld...

Throw in Cosby, Foxx, and Richard Lewis.

I would argue that despite the importance of what they said onstage, neither Carlin nor Bruce was particularly "funny."

[coolrock]

Great suggestions, kids, especially if you go under the assumption that (with the exception of the obligatory sacred cow Lenny Bruce---does anybody really think he is funny, or is he the Pet Sounds of stand-up?) stand-up comedy was instituted in 1981. No love for the Catskills? Take your life--------please. 1. Rodney Dangerfield 2. Henny Youngman 3. Richard Pryor 4. Don Rickles 5. Woody Allen

[Rob Gordon]

Robert Klein needs to be in here. Maybe Albert Brooks. And going way old school, perhaps Bob Newhart, after all his albums topped the chart for the year in the early 60's. And Jonathan Winters.

[MattDrufke]

Here was the rough list I made last night: Allen, Steve Allen, Woody Attell, Dave Anderson, Louie Barr, Roseanne Berle, Milton Black, Lewis Borge, Victor Brenner, David Breuer, Jim Brooks, Albert Bruce, Lenny Burns, George C.K., Louis Carey, Drew Carlin, George Carrey, Jim Carvey. Dana Chapelle, Dave Cosby, Bill Cross, David Crystal, Billy Dangerfield, Rodney DeGeneres, Ellen Diller, Phyllis Foxx, Redd Gallagher Garofalo, Janeane Goldberg, Whoopi Goldthwait, Bobcat Gottfried, Gilbert Hackett, Buddy Hedberg, Mitch Hicks, Bill Hope, Bob Izzard, Eddie James, Kevin Jeni, Richard Kaufman, Andy Keillor, Garrison King, Alan Kinison, Sam Lawrence, Martin Leary, Dennis Lehrer, Tom Letterman, David Lewis, Richard Maher, Bill Mason, Jackie Martin, Steve McDonald, Norm Merman, Eugene Miller, Dennis Miller, Larry Murphy, Eddie Newhart, Bob Oswalt, Patton Phillips, Emo Pollack, Kevin Pryor, Richard Quinn, Colin Reiser, Paul Rickles, Don Rock, Chris Rodruigez, Paul Romano, Ray Ross, Jonathan Sahl, Mort Seinfeld, Jerry Shandling, Gary Silverman, Sarah Skeleton, Red Stewart, Jon Sykes, Wanda Williams, Robin Winters, Jonathan Wright, Steven

[James D]

Can't believe no-one has mentioned Bily Connolly yet.

[James D]

Amazing story teller.

[throughsilver]

his popularity baffles me. he's pretty good, but then so is dom irerra, and nobody's calling him the greatest stand-up ever

[musicgurl]

For me... Chris Rock Eddie Murphy Eddie Izzard and a lot of you may disgree but I enjoy Bill Maher

[theremin]

Are there any UK'ers on that list? Ricky Gervais (3 great stand-up dvds). Dylan Moran.

[theremin]

and a lot of you may disgree but I enjoy

Bill Maher

Clearly a very funny guy. Points lost because it seems like all of his standup material seems to be derived from his TV show now. Not even sure I'd consider him stand-up any longer.

[theminimumcircus]

Bob Newhart, no question. Richard Pryor, obviously. Woody Allen I like but his schtick never seemed to stand up for an entire routine. Ten minutes in I kind of want him to go away. And though pretty obviously derived from Pryor it's awfully hard to ignore Eddie Murphy's energy. Jesus what a performer he was.

[norton]

Yep, Bob Newhart was the first guy that came to mind when I saw the title of this thread. Just a naturally funny guy. He doesn't need to be outrageous or vulgar, he just tells a funny story.