# 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523 "2004-04-17T14:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/21 "2004-04-17T18:15:51Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Which then made me wonder why Johnny Carson really made the list - he’s funny, yes, and he’s an icon, no doubt, but I don’t call his monologues standup as such. Letterman and Leno I could see, since they have their roots in standup, but Carson? Carson was a mediocre stand-up comedian, at best. However, he was at his absolute funniest when his monologue was dying. I have _never_ seen another person react with such aplomb and hilarity to win the audience over to their side like Carson. From reaching up and pulling down the boom mike to announce “Attention K-Mart Shoppers” to his arrangement with his piano player to start playing “Tea for Two” when he was bombing big time, he was the best and funniest at what he did. Damn, I miss Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![Scoo8b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scoo8b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoo8b)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/22 "2004-04-17T19:19:04Z")
I think Pryor is better than Carlin. Carlin started out as a really good stand-up, but his most recent CD’s are horrible. Nothing but complaining like a little baby… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/23 "2004-04-17T19:25:47Z")
> [@Scoo8b](#): > > I think Pryor is better than Carlin. Carlin started out as a really good stand-up, but his most recent CD’s are horrible. Nothing but complaining like a little baby… I saw Carlin on Leno a few months ago. It looked as though he was trying to get back to his old style of humor - everyday annoyances, words, etc. He fell flat on his face. It was sad because some of his best work is centered around words and their misuse and abuse. His bit about airline language was great. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/24 "2004-04-17T20:16:17Z")
Can someone post the top 20? The list only goes back to 21. I’m guessing these guys are in the top 20: Richard Pryor Steve Martin Bob Newhart Johnny Carson Dave Letterman Lenny Bruce Robin Williams George Carlin Bill Cosby Chris Rock Jerry Seinfeld Eddie Murphy Henny Youngman Rodney Dangerfield And I no that they were already chosen earlier, but I think Steven Wright and Garry Shandling both belong in at least the top 20, and maybe the top 10. For years after they first ‘broke through’, those two were absolutely hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/25 "2004-04-17T20:45:18Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Can someone post the top 20? The list only goes back to 21. > > I’m guessing these guys are in the top 20: > > Richard Pryor > Steve Martin > Bob Newhart > Johnny Carson > Dave Letterman > Lenny Bruce > Robin Williams > George Carlin > Bill Cosby > Chris Rock > Jerry Seinfeld > Eddie Murphy > Henny Youngman > Rodney Dangerfield > And I no that they were already chosen earlier, but I think Steven Wright and Garry Shandling both belong in at least the top 20, and maybe the top 10. For years after they first ‘broke through’, those two were absolutely hysterical. If today follows the pattern of the week’s episodes, Comedy Central will have the rest of the list up by this evening. Henny Youngman was on the list, but I believe further down than the top 20, otherwise I’m pretty sure everyone you listed was indeed top 20. I dunno how I forgot Robin Williams, Steve Martin and Bill Cosby in my earlier postings (it’s the lack of caffeine, I tell ya!) I have to disagree with whoever said Carlin’s not so funny anymore. In a career as long as his has been (we’re talking 40 years plus!) anyone would be bound to drop a few duds along the way. Let’s see how funny we all think Adam Sandler, or even Chris Rock, is in 20 years. Carlin has staying power - he’s had highs and lows, but he is still sharp on topical stuff as well as everyday observational crap. ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/26 "2004-04-17T20:47:35Z")
I’m still trying to find out how on earth Roseanne Barr could have been placed higher on the list than Robin Williams. I know some people aren’t big Robin fans but side by side, is there really any comparison between the two? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/27 "2004-04-17T21:04:13Z")
The top 5 everyone keeps missing is Woody Allen. I think he was 4. I really had no complaints with the list. It wasn’t most influential, It was just greatest. And it seems pretty obvious that the people they interviewed were other standups. Which is why Colin Quinn ranked so high. People seem to hate him but for some reason other comics just love him. On the other hand it was funny how many comics don’t like Sinbad but the public does love him. Standups just seem to be a pretty insular group they have their favorite who they hang around with and other are ostrasized from the group. That is those who aren’t real standups who have paid their dues. Like Dat Phan on that show. I was surprised Seinfeld ranked 12th I really had him in the top 5 and would have put my 5 like this Cosby, Carlin, Pryor, Seinfled and Roc. Since I’m so young though it’s really only Carlin whom I view as a standups. Those others are either movie stars or sitcom stars. It’s hard to think of them as standups. Cosby and Carlin are real close. Is it the rolling on my bedroom floor listening to Cosby’s records or listening to Carlin’s routines on a scrambled HBO signal and laughing. Tough call for me. Would have bumped Stephen Wright about a dozen points too. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/28 "2004-04-17T21:37:33Z")
Comedy Central’s list has been updated. The ones we all keep missing are Ellen Degeneres, Sam Kinison, Jonathan Winters, Bill Hicks, David Letterman and Woody Allen. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/29 "2004-04-17T23:06:36Z")
I enjoyed the show. It helped me to understand why some comedians that I didn’t really appreciate should be appreciated. As a side note, I thought it was really well-produced as well. My only criticism of the show was that I wish that the roundtable/narrator could have established the criteria by which the comedians were ranked and referred to them when they talked about each comedian. I think just about everybody I thought was exceptional made it on the list, though there were a lot of comedians I was surprised to see make the list, and **many** I thought were frustratingly mis-ranked. In some cases, it was certainly a case of personal preference (I love Janeane Garofalo) but in other cases, the ranking was just 100% Baffling (#9 Rosanne Barr). Like any artistic endeavor, comedy is highly subjective and to create a “correct” listing is fool’s play. Just watch some of VH1’s attempts. This reminds me of a special-edition magazine Entertainment Weekly published at the turn of the century titled “The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.” Allow me to skirt copyright laws and quote some excerpts from the introduction from that piece: > [@](#): > > Lists are silly. There, we said it. You know it, we know it, and you’re still flipping through this book, aren’t you? Because making lists—and arguing over them—is some kind of fundamental, genetically encoded human itch. …[snip]… Because if making a Greatest Movies list is a patently absurd exercise, it’s also inherently useful. This is the parlor game that prompts memory and appreciation, nudges us toward a shared set of creative benchmarks, and, perhaps most important, can be passed on to the moviegoing neophyte with the words “Start here.” It’s that concept… that drives the book you’re holding. ---
**Author:** ![bookbuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bookbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbuster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/30 "2004-04-17T23:43:39Z")
Ellen DeGeneres beats Bill (f\*cking) Hicks. :dubious: Actually, if I saw a comic get onstage and say, “Ellen DeGeneres is a better comedian than Bill Hicks” then **that** comic should make the top 100 easily. Booo. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/31 "2004-04-18T03:43:23Z")
Bill Hicks and Ellen DeGeneres are 2 very different types of comedians. Both very funny but in an opposite way. Bill was a very real what’s happening now kinda guy. Ellen had an insane persona which never let you feel comfortable with where you stood but filled with this loopy logic. She’d make some comment and suddenly force you to see what she was talking about in a completely different manner. I probably became aware of both of them around 1990. To me he was treading more common grounds but she was really doing something new. That’s why I’d rank her ahead of him. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/32 "2004-04-18T04:08:39Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > ACK! Mods, help. I stuck this in the wrong place. Meant to put it in Cafe Society. > > I blame insufficient caffeine intake. Gotcha ya. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/33 "2004-04-18T05:20:43Z")
I was wondering why I hadn’t seen a thread on this. At the end of the credits each night they ran this: > [@](#): > > Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time was created in conjunction with talent managers, club owners, and television executives. > > It is far from perfect and only meant to celebrate comedy. Once I saw Robert Klein, Steven Wright, Bob Hope and Dennis Miller all in the top 25 but not the top 20 I knew I was in for some ulceration on Friday night (which turned out to be tonight because I had to tape the show). People like Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison and even David Letterman are more comedian’s comedians than major stand-up stars with lasting careers. Even Leno haters have to concede that his stand-up career was longer, more popular, and far more a part of his comedy life than Letterman’s or Carson’s. Is Chris Rock really better than Eddie Murphy or did Murphy just get out of the business too early? So what happens if Rock drops stand-up for movies? Do they send up to the second 20 when they redo the list in 5 years? Only 9 women total, 5 in the top 80, led by Roseanne? And why were there no multi acts, not a one? Hello? The Smothers Brothers? Mike Nichols and Elaine May? Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks? Cheech and Chong even. The Firesign Theatre for sure. Sure, I know that the only reason for a list like this is to get people to argue over it. And I could have a lot more fun doing so if it weren’t so late. I’ll just say that Don Irrera can come up with funny quips and comebacks and that Mario Joyner should seriously think about a different line of work. And I would pay better money for the outtakes than I would for the show itself just because you know, you gotta be absolutely sure, that they hated some of those 100 and had some rotten mean dirty things to say about them. As they must have about Colin Quinn, a total disgrace at #56. He’s got to have something on the Comedy Central bosses. He’s just got to. There’s no other explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/34 "2004-04-18T05:51:43Z")
American Comedy Award Winners. See if the absence of some of these names starts anything. ```auto ** Male Stand-up Female Stand-Up** 1987 Robin Williams Lily Tomlin 1988 Robin Williams Lily Tomlin 1989 Robin Williams Roseanne 1990 Jeff Foxworthy Rita Rudner 1991 Dennis Wolfberg Ellen De Generes 1992 Bill Engvall Cathy Ladman 1993 Richard Jeni Pam Stone 1994 Carrot Top Margaret Cho 1995 George Wallace Margaret Smith 1996 Brian Regan Kathleen Madigan 1997 Craig Shoemaker Wendy Leibman 1998 Jeff Dunham May Ellen Hooper 1999 John Pinette/Robert Schimmel Etta May/Felicia Michaels 2000 [none] [none] 2001 Lewis Black Wanda Sykes ``` ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/35 "2004-04-18T05:59:12Z")
Hunh. Why didn’t we have any in 2000? John Pinette is very good, but he is a one-noter, and after about fifteen minutes, you can’t stand his voice any longer. Same goes for Gilbert Gottfried. I’d have liked to see Rita Rudner make the top 100 - she has a knack for delivering a second punchline that always makes me giggle. I like Margaret Cho, but so far haven’t seen anything really breakthrough from her. CARROT TOP? Now THAT’S a joke. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/36 "2004-04-18T06:00:47Z")
The thing about Colin Quinn is he was pretty damn funny if you saw him in person at a club. But if anyone is judging him from his SNL Weekend Update days well… …shit. WU during his reign was really, really awful. I mean usually just not funny at all. I heard that they were using phoned and faxed in jokes from chucklehead viewers over the stuff written by the professional writing staff. Blame both Quinn and Lorne Michaels for that. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/37 "2004-04-18T06:39:55Z")
Rosanne Barr even being on the list is shocking. Knock her out of the top 20 and put Redd Foxx or Bob Hope in. With that change, I’m fine with the top 20. I’ve never liked Ray Romano as a stand up comedian (like the show though), Martin Lawrence has weak material, Sinbad has never been funny. Guys like Paul Rodriguez, Eddie Izzard, and Billy Connolly (61-80 range) should be in the 21-40 range. George Wallace seems very low at 93. My problem is that, as a Canadian, I’ve grown up listening to a lot of Canadian stand up comedians who i personally find a lot funnier than most on that list. Did I miss Rich Little somewhere? How about the Smothers Brothers (they aren’t canadian I don’t think, just realised I didn’t see them)? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/38 "2004-04-18T10:44:22Z")
I’m bemused by that list, as are previous posters. Why not just label it ‘American Stand Up Comics Since 1980’? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/39 "2004-04-18T11:53:06Z")
Since 1980? Maybe you just don’t know who these people are? I mean #5 Chris Rock is the first 90s comic and #9 Roseanne is the first real 80s comic. I see tons of people from the 70s and 60s. In fact the first 4 on the list I’d say are 70s, 70s, 60s, 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523/40 "2004-04-18T12:02:29Z")
Not on topic but related. [This](http://www.florentinefilms.com/sherman/current.html) should be interesting. > [@](#): > > **Stand Up** : Roger Sherman and Ken Burns plan to team up to produce a history of stand up comedy. Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld are slated to be executive producers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-greatest-stand-ups-of-all-time/240523.md?page=3)