My favourite is Ed Byrne.
“If some day you’re not feeling well, and you should remember some little thing I have said or done and if it brings a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart,
then my purpose as a clown as been fulfilled.”
Red SkeltonACH!! swacking head
I feel like a turnip.
I should’ve had him in my orginal list… I’ve got BOOKS on this guy, for Martha’s sake.
I second that motion.
Haven’t seen him mentioned yet, so I’d like to add Emo Philips to the list. I actually hold the honor of being made fun of by him – twice, at two different shows.
I remember The Amazing Johnathan, too – very funny the few times I saw him, but he seemed to dissappear quickly. For whatever reason I liked the bit he did where he’d have a foot on the base of the microphone and push the top of it towards the audience, letting it fall halfway before his foot brought it back. The reactions to that were hilarious.
Oh, one more. Comic hypnotist Tom DeLuca. Named College Entertainer of the Year a number of times. I’ve seen both him and Flip Orley, and Tom is by far the funnier hypnotist.
My mom has what I belive to every album Bill Cosby ever did. I grew up listening to 'em.
In the movie Hell is for Heroes, Newhart’s character uses his phone shtick to confuse the enemy.
- Bill Cosby
- Richard Pryor
- George Carlin
- Steve Martin
- Eddie Murphy
- Billy Connolly
- Bob Newhart
- Jack Benny
- Johnny Carson
- Dennis Miller
Richard Pryor - Hands down
Most of the young comedians just rehash his material.
I don’t know that I’d include Groucho Marx. He didn’t really do standup in the sense of going out on stage, by himself, and telling jokes or relating events. In movies and as a TV host he was incredible funny, but I don’t see him doing standup.
No one has mentioned Jonathan Winters, who was the biggest influence on Robin Williams and a slew of others.
My favorite - Richard Pryor.
plnnr, saw your post on preview, but I think Johnathan Winters deserves the mentions, so I’m going to go ahead with the post.
Okay, I haven’t seen him mentioned yet, but seeing old clips on the Lifetime “You’re almost dead so we’d better do something” Achievement Award for Johnathan Winters, I have to say he was hilarious. I’ve seen later work too, that was gut-busting good.
I will also have to second (or third) Bob Newhart’s standup.
GES
I really like the old Steve Martin albums and my mom had all of Bill Cosby too.
Nobody here has mentioned Bill Engvall and he is really, really funny in the Jeff Foxworthy way. Tim Wilson is another one, listen to his song “It’s a Sorry World” it is tooo funny.
I am also having a love affair with Eddie Izzard in my head these days.
Bill Hicks Enjoy [sub]or maybe get offended[/sub] 
Billy Connolly, who I’ve seen several times is very very good, as is Ed Byrne but Bill just slays me every time.
Smoke one for me Bill, RIP.
Well, now, they don’t all fit together, do they?
For edgy, Chris Rock, Eddy Murphy, George C. in his prime, and maybe he’s working on Prime+1.
For real life, I can’t see anyone besting Bill Cosby.
For pure wacky, Steven Wright, and Gallagher, if he’d even be a decent fit in this category.
Robin Williams and George Carlin used to be funny; Williams has lost his edge these days, and Carlin’s just a cranky old man. 
Oh well, time to go back to re-watching Aladdin and listening to Carlin’s old CDs…
Andy Kaufman really never did “standup” but his little routines on the Johnny Carson Show as well as other clubs were friggin’ halerious!
A lot of good ones have already been listed, so here’s a new name for the list: Dana Gould
A few years back I saw an HBO special of his, and I’m pretty certain I experienced minor brain damage due to a lack of oxygen from laughing so hard.
Maybe this is just because i’m not a Seppo Bastard <tm whoever said that in the ‘Tell Me About America’ thread> :), but I can’t really get into too many of the US comedians. Eddie Murphy’s early stuff (Raw, Delirious) was funny, Bill Cosby’s early stuff was pretty amusing too. But I find that the best comedians hail from the British Isles (Billy Connolly, Ed Byrne, Ben Elton, Frank Skinner etc).
Oh yeah, there are some good Aussie ones too - though the best Aussie ones usually work in pairs (Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, Lano and Woodley etc).
And plenty of singles -
Steady Eddy
Austen Tayshus
Adelaide boy Trevor Crooks
I can’t get into Chris Rock no matter how hard I try. I mean, all power to th’dude, he’s flyin’, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed Down To Earth if the rest of the audience and my wife hadn’t been laughing their asses off. I’m a sucker for canned laughter. I love that stuff!
SSssso, bearing in mind that I’ve most likely been influenced by the audience, I’m gonna have to say Shelley Berman for all-time, and Craig Ferguson for modern. Who is Craig Ferguson? Why, my dears, my loves, my pigsnies, you have a joy yet to taste…
Craig Ferguson did a movie called “The Big Tease” - a comedy about a Scottish hairdresser going to the US, the usual star cameo occasional gag stuff. I liked it but it hardly did him justice. He also showed up in Red Dwarf Series 2 as Lister’s Confidence. I imagine he’s done tons of other stuff. He had a show on British telly called The Ferguson Experience, but again, for the real gold you have to go deeper.
His earliest stage incarnation I know of was a guy called Bing Hitler, whose routine used to include announcing his hatred for the mafia, and immediately being shot dead. Thus, Mr Ferguson’s first official album was called “Mental Bing Hitler is Dead”, and his second “A Wee Stoatir”. I had these for years. I would happily kill for another copy. I don’t know if the guy only had two hours of material in him or if he’s still great (two hours is pretty good and he might well still be great; he has the charisma) but do anything you can to find these albums. Make yourself like them. He is a genius.
If anyone asks who Shelley Berman is, I must advise that you return to your own time. The twentieth century was wild and crazy, and the twenty-first is shaping up as a sequel.
ps: somebody immediately send me all of Steve Martin’s albums. I haven’t heard one. E-mail for my address and I’ll pay postage plus whatever. I must have them. I MUST.
pps: Rowan Atkinson never really did stand-up but his albums are a joy. Get Live in Belfast if you can. And Woody Allen’s stand-up is a lot better than the films, if you ask me. Which you haven’t… and Eddie Izzard. Find some stuff. the earlier the better. He’s terrific.
Bill Hicks, no question, was the best. He died way too soon.
I like George Carlin’s current evil thing (love the bit on kids), and I have every Eddie Izzard video made. Of course, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, and Dennis Miller are also on my list.
That’s just my opinion; I could be wrong.
(Sorry…)
Problem is the time period.
When Carlin 's AM/FM came out, that was was IT! But I agree, he’s just a cranky old man now. Still funny, but…
Thinking man’s humor: Steve Martin, “Some people have a way with words, some people…oh…not have way, I guess.”
And Dennis Miller.
I also second Wolfburg. That man is TOO funny! Never heard enough of him!
Pryor…again, in his day.
And if you haven’t heard him, find a copy of Brother Dave Gardner’s ‘Rejoice, Dear Hearts’. He was way, way ahead of his time. So many comics were influenced by him. Hell, Ray Stevens wouldn’t even have a career if it hadn’t been for him. Sadly, despite once being a big Vegas draw, he’s largely forgotten.
And Sam K. and Dennis Leary.