Top 5 Comedians- Current and All-Time

Are we just limiting this to stand up commedians? Here are some of my faves:

Mitch Hedberg
Louis Black
Norm MacDonald
Todd Barry
Brian Regan

People that crack me up:

Stewart Lee
Louis C.K
George Carlin
Doug Stanhope
Bill Hicks
Richard Pryor

love the Black Books love here. What a fantastic show that was

The best standup I’ve seen in the last year or two was Dimitri Martin.

Carlin was funny in the 70’s but his later stuff just kind of turned into angry philosophical ramblings. I’ve heard similar things about Lenny Bruce toward the end, his comedy routines just turned into rants about his legal problems.

Rodney Dangerfield, Louis Black, Richard Pryor, Norm McDonald, Dana Carvey (This one special they used to air every five minutes on Comedy Central), Mitch Hedberg, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart.

Ray Romano is other lame sitcom person who I hear was really good in his standup days. And David Letterman.

Norm is great… And while we’re on ex-Weekend update guys… Colin Quinn is the greatest person on the internet right now.

Carlin in the 80’s essentially predicted the next thirty years of comedy. Observational comedy doesn’t exist without his work from the 80’s-90’s.
Which essentially means Black, McDonald, Hedberg, Seinfeld, Rock and Stewart owe their entire success to Carlin in a period most agree he wasn’t even at his top.

^That was after about a twenty-minute opening in which he didn’t stop for a second.

“You ever fall asleep on a late afternoon and wake up after dark… and you don’t know what goddamn day it is?”

Rodney Dangerfield
Eddie Murphy
Mitch Hedberg
Monty Python
Dave Chapelle
Benny Hill
Seinfeld
Three Stooges
Alexei Sayle/ The Young Ones
Louis CK
Billy Connolly- many years ago I had a quick chat with this tall fella struggling up a hill in San Fran- the funniest time I’d ever have while waiting for a green light.

I’m glad no one here likes Dane Cook…

Wu: And let’s not forget A. Whitney Brown.

I’m surprised that the predictably blustery Rodney Dangerfield is getting so much love here.

I know this isn’t one person, but collectively Arrested Development represents the most hilarious thing that’s come along in ages for me.

Woody Allen
The Marx Brothers
The Three Stooges
Monty Python
The Goodies
The Goons
Bill Cosby
Alexei Sayle
The Young Ones
Miranda Hart
Judith Lucy
Jerry Seinfeld
Dylan Moran
French and Saunders
Catherine Tate
Lenny Henry
Norman Gunston
Lenny Bruce

1. Bill Hicks
2. Bill Hicks
3. Bill Hicks
4. Bill Hicks
5. George Carlin

Above and beyond:
Jonathan Winters

Daniel Kitson
Stewart Lee
Bill Hicks
Richard Pryor
Lenny Bruce

And that’s missing out so, so many.

Current: All of the candidates in the Republican primary. Comedy gold.

Current:
Louis CK
Patton Oswalt
Ricky Gervais
Maria Bamford
Rory Scovel

Favorites:
Louis CK
Chris Rock
Ricky Gervais
Steve Coogan
Patton Oswalt
Reggie Watts
Steven Wright

All-Time:
George Carlin
Bill Hicks
Richard Pryor
Steven Wright
Chris Rock
Dave Chappelle

Agree on all points with CAIT’s list.

INGRID BERGMAN’s is great too.

Larry David always makes me laugh…don’t think anyone mentioned him.

There is a disgusting lack of Peter Sellers in this thread.

I have been loving Dylan Moran’s stand up for the last year or so (and this coming from someone that isn’t really into stand up). But this thread has encouraged me to check out Black Books. Only about halfway through the first series, but so far it is fantastic!!! So thanks :)

no order

Dangerfield
Sellers
Chappelle
Candy
Allen
Cosby

I don’t know how he managed to enter every single Young Ones episode and make it even madder than it was before. A near-impossible feat. Is his stand up any good?

Good point. I love all of the Young Ones posts.

I love his Russian landlord character that always tried to pretend he wasn’t Russian at all. “Ooooh Coca Cola! Symbol of free west!”

ALL TIME:

1 BILL HICKS
2 DOUG STANHOPE
3 GEORGE CARLIN
4 LOUIS CK
5 GILBERT GOTTFRIED

I’ve had a beer with Stanhope. Nice guy.

1. George Carlin
2. Lenny Bruce
3. Richard Pryor
4. Bill Hicks
5. everybody else

Current: Louis CK, then i would say 2 Spanish guys which are not even known here so…

All time: Larry David / Bill Hicks (2 of my biggest idols ever)

I also like Mike Judge, Trey Parker and the old Woody Allen.

George Carlin is number one. Undoubtedly. After that, there’s a bunch of comedians that can make me laugh. But no one comes close to what Carlin could do. Matt Parks’ list is solid.

All time:

1. George Carlin
2. Everybody else

Now:

1. Dara O’Briain
2. Everybody else

*Matt’s list is indeed rock solid.