Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups 10+ years later

Comedy Central put out their list of 100 greatest comedians sometime back in 2004. More then ten years later, how do you look at such list?

-Just using the 100 names here (no additions or subtractions), who moves up on your list, who moves down?

-Pre-2004, who is a name you are surprised didn't make the list. Is it Mel Brooks, is it Paul Mooney? Mitch Hedberg? Whoopi Goldberg?

-Post-2004, who came in the comedy world and now deserves a spot in a new top 100 list? Katt Williams, Russell Peters, Kevin Hart, Daniel Tosh?



1. Richard Pryor
2. George Carlin
3. Lenny Bruce
4. Woody Allen
5. Chris Rock
6. Steve Martin
7. Rodney Dangerfield
8. Bill Cosby
9. Roseanne Barr
10. Eddie Murphy
11. Johnny Carson
12. Jerry Seinfeld
13. Robin Williams
14. Bob Newhart
15. David Letterman
16. Ellen DeGeneres
17. Don Rickles
18. Jonathan Winters
19. Bill Hicks
20. Sam Kinison
21. Dennis Miller
22. Robert Klein
23. Steven Wright
24. Redd Foxx
25. Bob Hope
26. Ray Romano
27. Jay Leno
28. Jack Benny
29. Milton Berle
30. Garry Shandling
31. George Burns
32. Albert Brooks
33. Andy Kaufman
34. Buddy Hackett
35. Phyllis Diller
36. Jim Carrey
37. Martin Lawrence
38. Bill Maher
39. Billy Crystal
40. Mort Sahl
41. Jon Stewart
42. Flip Wilson
43. Dave Chappelle
44. Joan Rivers
45. Richard Lewis
46. Adam Sandler
47. Henny Youngman
48. Tim Allen
49. Freddie Prinze
50. Denis Leary
51. Lewis Black
52. Damon Wayans
53. David Brenner
54. DL Hughley
55. Alan King
56. Colin Quinn
57. Richard Jeni
58. Larry Miller
59. Gilbert Gottfried
60. Jeff Foxworthy
61. Bobcat Goldthwait
62. Eddie Griffin
63. Jackie Mason
64. Richard Belzer
65. Cedrick the Enter.
66. Shelley Berman
67. Kevin Pollak
68. Dave Attell
69. Pat Cooper
70. Wanda Sykes
71. Red Buttons
72. Bernie Mac
73. Billy Connolly
74. Paul Rodriguez
75. Eddie Izzard
76. Robert Schimmel
77. Paul Reiser
78. Sinbad
79. Dom Irrera
80. Bobby Slayton
81. Dick Gregory
82. Howie Mandel
83. Norm MacDonald
84. Drew Carey
85. David Cross
86. Jay Mohr
87. Brett Butler
88. Paula Poundstone
89. Kevin James
90. Dana Carvey
91. Jim Breuer
92. Louie Anderson
93. George Wallace
94. David Alan Grier
95. Andrew 'Dice' Clay
96. Joey Bishop
97. Sandra Bernhard
98. Louis CK
99. Janeane Garofalo
100. Gallagher

I see Louis CK bumping up a lot if this were made today.

Dice is too low on the list...toilet humor but he was a big fckin deal during his time

glad to see Kinison has a decent spot, always felt he was underrated


Carlin always been overrated IMO...not [I]that[/I] funny, likes to spout politics too much...never been big on him

Chris Rock definitely a stand up legend

Chappelle jumps up a bit because of a little bit more Chappelle's Show (already started but not complete as of 2004) and the legend that he has become overall since then, even though he has actually done very little in terms of comedy since 2004.

Cosby just recently did a stand up btw...a heckler yelled "YOU ARE A RAPIST!!!" in the middle of the show and had to be escorted out

[QUOTE=The Macho Man]Gallagher making the list is proof there is no where near 100 good stand ups[/QUOTE]

I saw Gallagher once for free at a county fair. Most offensive comic I have ever seen (not funny, just offensive), and it was in front of children. It was like watching 9erempire on stage rant about how terrible Muslims are. Also, some dumb girl ran up a plastic tarp covered in whip cream and smashed fruit after Gallagher specifically told the crowd not to come that direction, and snapped her ankle. The show was put on hold for about 20 minutes as an ambulance showed up.

[QUOTE=They Won]Chappelle jumps up a bit because of a little bit more Chappelle's Show (already started but not complete as of 2004) and the legend that he has become overall since then, even though he has actually done very little in terms of comedy since 2004.[/QUOTE]
Chappelle Show has nothing to do with his stand up. Though I can't remember is "For What It's Worth" premiered after or before this.

[QUOTE=TylerOO]I see Louis CK bumping up a lot if this were made today.[/QUOTE]
How much higher? Above Tim Allen?

[QUOTE=~primetime~]Dice is too low on the list...toilet humor but he was a big fckin deal during his time

glad to see Kinison has a decent spot, always felt he was underrated


Carlin always been overrated IMO...not [I]that[/I] funny, likes to spout politics too much...never been big on him

Chris Rock definitely a stand up legend[/QUOTE]
How high would you put Dice Clay? Denis Leary?

I think Kinison is at a great spot, perfect even, #20.

Carlin overrated. How far back would you slide him? Out the top ten? Top 30?

[QUOTE=Myth]I saw Gallagher once for free at a county fair. Most offensive comic I have ever seen (not funny, just offensive), and it was in front of children. It was like watching 9erempire on stage rant about how terrible Muslims are. Also, some dumb girl ran up a plastic tarp covered in whip cream and smashed fruit after Gallagher specifically told the crowd not to come that direction, and snapped her ankle. The show was put on hold for about 20 minutes as an ambulance showed up.[/QUOTE]
Was it Gallagher's brother?

But seriously, his act is sometimes raunchy. He doesn't just smash fruit.

CK would rise over 50 spots, Ron White would make it, and Jeff Foxworthy probably rise.

[QUOTE=Kblaze8855]CK would rise over 50 spots, Ron White would make it, and Jeff Foxworthy probably rise.[/QUOTE]
I always though Ron White was the best of the Blue Collar guys. Of course Jeff Fox is more influential.

[QUOTE=L.Kizzle]How high would you put Dice Clay? Denis Leary?

I think Kinison is at a great spot, perfect even, #20.

Carlin overrated. How far back would you slide him? Out the top ten? Top 30?[/QUOTE]
Dice should be top-50 IMO, I was around during his time and he was extremely popular. He was very influential IMO, he took 'toilet humor' to the next level. EVERYONE my age knows [I]"so I had my tongue up this chick's ass..."[/I]. As silly and immature as that line is, it is a classic moment in stand-up.

Carlin I would probably put somewhere 10-20 range...around 15 or so. It's impossible to deny his impact at stand-up but he is always top-5, even #1 overall on these lists. It's too high IMO. He isn't the GOAT.

George Carlin should clearly be #1. I think the Richard Pryor thing was to be politically correct. No one has a body of work like Carlin.

[QUOTE=~primetime~]Dice should be top-50 IMO, I was around during his time and he was extremely popular. He was very influential IMO, he took 'toilet humor' to the next level. EVERYONE my age knows [I]"so I had my tongue up this chick's ass..."[/I]. As silly and immature as that line is, it is a classic moment in stand-up.

Carlin I would probably put somewhere 10-20 range...around 15 or so. It's impossible to deny his impact at stand-up but he is always top-5, even #1 overall on these lists. It's too high IMO. He isn't the GOAT.[/QUOTE]
Toilet humor was being done a few decades before Dice. You can go back to Lenny Bruce, Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor and guys not here like Rudy Ray Moore and Blowfly.

But Dice was huge, like almost Rock Star status. Maybe even the first Dane Cook. Dice sold out Madison Square Garden in the 80s. Not even Eddie Murphy did that (though he could have.)

I suspect if you polled the people on the list....and they knew nobody would know how they voted...1 and 2 would still be the same. But Carlin might win.

[QUOTE=bagelred]George Carlin should clearly be #1. I think the Richard Pryor thing was to be politically correct. No one has a body of work like Carlin.[/QUOTE]
Politically correct about what? It's comedy.

Most list Pryor and Carlin at #1/#2. And I agree.

[QUOTE=bagelred]George Carlin should clearly be #1. I think the Richard Pryor thing was to be politically correct. No one has a body of work like Carlin.[/QUOTE]
How is it 'politically correct' to put Pryor at #1?

My biggest beef with Carlin is just the simple fact that he didn't make me laugh as hard as many of those others...

Rock brought up controversial shit too only he had me dying when he did it...and Rock has a large body of work. Rock > Carlin for me

Louis CK would probably be in the 5-7 range. Letterman and Roseanne bumped down. Kevin Hart would move into 50-75 range.

No one other than CK and Kevin Hart have really made a big push from a stand up perspective the past 10 years. Tosh is from his show; he still doesn't have a standout special.

Rodney is my favourite

Katt Williams? The Pimp Chronicles was great, but he fell off pretty quickly. does he make the top 100? or how about Russell peters?

Sarah Silverman would be somewhere 85-100. Maybe higher.

Surprised by the lack of Mitch Hedberg

Just me personally would like to see Bruce Bruce,mooney ,Aries spears, george Lopez in a new list.

[QUOTE=Rondooooooooooo]Jim Carrey is on the list, I never seen any of Jim Carrey stand up, any good?[/QUOTE]
He's very physical. Does a few impressions. Not top 100 material IMO.

[QUOTE=the mesiah]Just me personally would like to see Bruce Bruce,mooney ,Aries spears, george Lopez in a new list.[/QUOTE]

Maybe someone will make a list of top 100 comics from 2008.

[QUOTE=~primetime~]My biggest beef with Carlin is just the simple fact that he didn't make me laugh as hard as many of those others...[/QUOTE]

Have you ever heard Carlin's early stuff?

Join the Book Club
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyEf1_jBqSM[/url]

[QUOTE=L.Kizzle]-Pre-2004, who is a name you are surprised didn't make the list. Is it Mel Brooks, is it
[/QUOTE]

Mel Brooks was more of sketch comedian.

Do you think Patton Oswalt would make that list today?

I got tickets to see for Christmas and he was great.

[QUOTE=DeuceWallaces]Louis CK would probably be in the 5-7 range. Letterman and Roseanne bumped down. Kevin Hart would move into 50-75 range.

No one other than CK and Kevin Hart have really made a big push from a stand up perspective the past 10 years. Tosh is from his show; he still doesn't have a standout special.[/QUOTE]
CK top 5-7 all time? I can see him somewhere around the 20-25 mark. Hart can be behind Sinbad.

I like Letterman but not over Don Rickles or Jonathan Winters.

Not sure how Rosane was over Phyllis Diller or Joan Rivers.

Tosh can be inserted right in front of Jim Breuer.

[QUOTE=That_Admiral]Katt Williams? The Pimp Chronicles was great, but he fell off pretty quickly. does he make the top 100? or how about Russell peters?[/QUOTE]
Katt Williams in his short peak was probably as hot as Dice Clay (poor mans Dice Clay) in the late 80s. Somewhere towards the end of the list, if that.

How the fvck did DeGeneres make the list? #16 no less...

To me, Don Rickles is the funniest person that ever was. And a quicker wit than anyone hands down. Everything that came out of his mouth was hysterical.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-wYLl71GA[/url]


Johnny Carson ahead of him on that list? Watch this vid and you tell me who was funnier.

And Ellen Degeneres in front of him? Ridiculous and insulting.

Rickles. :bowdown:

[QUOTE=DeuceWallaces]Sarah Silverman would be somewhere 85-100. Maybe higher.[/QUOTE]
Where would you rank here with the likes of Brett Butler, Paula Poundstone, Sandra Bernhard and Janeane Garofalo who are 85-100 on the list? Or Wana Sykes who's around 70?

[QUOTE=DeuceWallaces]Maybe someone will make a list of top 100 comics from 2008.[/QUOTE]
Maybe hopefully they will still leave off Silverman off that list as well.

[QUOTE=TylerOO]I see Louis CK bumping up a lot if this were made today.[/QUOTE]

yea he's the best new guy, I think. I mean he's not new, but new to me. All of the dudes who you watch who were around in the 80s/90s.. beyond them, he is the best.

-Smak

[QUOTE=the mesiah]Just me personally would like to see Bruce Bruce,mooney ,Aries spears, george Lopez in a new list.[/QUOTE]
Only Paul Mooney belongs here. And he worked with Richard Pryor, he didn't write his stand-up material. What he did write for Richard was sketches and bits he performed on SNL and the Richard Pryor Show. For example, Mooney wrote the "Word Association" bit on SNL. He created the Homey the Clown character from In Living Color.

Lopez, maybe; though if Paul Rodriguez is #74, Lopez is way behind him. I'm not sure if George Lopez funnier than John Leguizamo?

Bruce Bruce is not even the funniest black fat guy around. Faizon Love > Corey Holcomb > Craig Robinson > Lavel Crawford. Well him and Lavel are about even.

Aries Spears material isn't too strong, not top 100 strong anyway. He does great impressions though.

[QUOTE=Cactus-Sack]How the fvck did DeGeneres make the list? #16 no less...[/QUOTE]

She was one of the biggest comics of the 80's and 90's.

Oh yeah, and Gaffigan would be somewhere in 50-75.

[QUOTE=Cactus-Sack]How the fvck did DeGeneres make the list? #16 no less...[/QUOTE]


Ellen is a legend bro.

I like Ellen, but she shouldn't be at 16.

They got the females all wrong here. I think Ellen is better than Roseanne. Maybe Rose was a little more influential than Ellen ... And speaking of influence, they have Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers. They should have been right along with their male cohorts from that era

Other female stand ups that should have been included:

Moms Mabley
Lily Tomlin
Carol Burnett
Vicki Lawrence
Marsha Warfield
Whoopi Goldberg
Rita Rudner
Susie Essman
Kathy Griffin