OT: Your Top 5 Comedians Ever

[NickKnight 1]

#1. George Carlin.

The rest in no particular order:

Abbott & Costello - who's on. first.
Henry Youngman Now, take my wife please.
Rowan and Martin _Knock knock
Amos and Andy, Who said dat
when I said who dat. (radio)
Al Jolson You ain't seen nothing
yet.

 

[batts]

In no particular order:
Eddie Murphy
Henny Youngman
Don Rickels
Rodney
Chappel
Robin Williams
Chris Rock
Woody Allen

 

[batts]

I can’t believe I forgot Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers!

 

[198hamilton]

If you're into comedians I highly recommend Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

 

[Kbee3]

I can’t believe I forgot Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers!

Actually, my original Top Five were:
1. Richard Pryor
2. Richard Pryor
3. Richard Pryor
4. Richard Pryor
5. Richard Pryor

 

[Roy_Faulker]

Ralphie May - definitely in my top five with:

Robin Williams
Eddie Murphy
2 other funny guys lol

 

[BigEastPhil]

Two that haven’t been mentioned :
Sebastian Maniscalco
Richard Jeni

jim gaffigan
Steven wright
Robin Williams

Richard Jeni used to hang out on my street where I lived in Brooklyn. I remember him getting his ass kicked in once by a neighbor. Lol. He was a few years older than me. I didn’t know him well but I didnt remember him being the type that would be destined for stardom. I knew his brother somewhat well who was my age. Shame about his passing. His real last name was Colangelo. RIP.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Huge standup fan. I can't narrow my list to a top 5. Enjoyed the comedy of everybody listed thus far. One comedian whose name has not been mentioned and is one of my all-time faves is Dennis Wolfberg. If you're not familiar with him, be sure to check out some of his clips on YouTube. Unfortunately, we lost him way too soon. He died from cancer at 48 in 1994.

This online description of Wolfberg nailed his persona.

Style isn't everything in comedy, but it helps. In the case of the erudite ex-school teacher Dennis Wolfberg, it wasn't just the manner in which his vivid descriptions emerge, it's the punctuation. The punch lines explode from his lips like the words of a professional wrestler with a microphone in hand.

Wolfberg was what many comics who came after him wanted to be: an all-around great stand-up comic. Wolfberg used vocal contortions, bulging eyes and short bursts of energy to frame some of the best-crafted material in the world. He was a consummate comic who, even after he became famous, frequently returned to the stage to work out new material.

More often than not the stage he returned to, and the stage that comics wanted to see him on, was The Comic Strip. It was more than a club for Wolfberg, it was a gym. He seemed to be putting new material through its paces every time he hit the stage. Comics would crowd into the sound booth or flood the balcony to watch him. Some nights there would be more comics than audience members.

Wolfberg was fresh every time you saw him. He kept himself interested by constantly bringing new material and new life into his act; you could watch him dozens of times and never see the same set twice. His love for stand up was evident every time he stepped on stage.

 

[ImBadRU]

Pryor
Chappelle
Bernie Mac
Paul Mooney
Moms Mabley

 

[RUforJERSEY]

Not one mention for Kevin Hart. I must say he's better in movies than on stage.

 

[Kbee3]

I can't stand Kevin Hart....not funny at all.

 

[sunsetregret]

1. Eddie Murphy
2. George Carlin
3. Bill Cosby
4. Richard Pryor
5. Dave Chappelle

 

[mdh2003]

It’s amazing how few of you were able to follow the simple instructions. Some named 1, some named 6, some named even more, some named people who were not stand up comedians. Seriously, we cannot have this type of disorder on this board. The correct answer is:

1. George Carlin
2. Dave Chappelle
3. Chris Rock
4. Louis CK
5. Mitch Hedberg
5.a. Norm MacDonald
5.b. Richard Pryor
5.c. Sarah Silverman
5.d. Gaffigan
5.e. Newhart
5.f. Redd Foxx
5.g. Seinfeld
5.h. Kaufman
5.I. Wanda Sykes
5.j. Mike Birbiglia
5.k. Rupert Pupkin
5.l. Dangerfield
5.m. Steve Martin
5.n. Shandling
5.o. Patton Oswalt
5.p. Eddie Murphy
5.q. Rickles
5.r. Billy Connolly
5.s. Wright
5.t. Lenny Bruce
5.u. Woody Allen
5.v. Mort Sahl
5.w. Robin Williams
5.x. Aziz Ansari
5.y. Tom Lehrer
5.z Cosby

Pretty close to my list.

1. George Carlin
2. Dave Chappelle
3. Chris Rock
4. Richard Pryor
5. Jerry Seinfeld
5.a. Don Rickles
5.b. Norm MacDonald
5.c. Jim Gaffigan
5.d. Eddie Murphy
5.e. Bill Burr
5.f. Robin Williams
5.g. Steven Wright
5.h. Mitch Hedberg
5.i. Steve Martin
5.j. Rodney Dangerfield
5.k. Dennis Miller
5.l. Sam Kinison
5.m. Brian Regan
5.n. Colin Quinn
5.o. Ricky Gervais
5.p. Woody Allen
5.q. Joe Rogan
5.r. Doug Stanhope
5.s. David Cross
5.t. Daniel Tosh
5.u. Dane Cook
5.v. Bob Newhart
5.w. Mike Birbiglia
5.x. Lisa Lampanelli
5.y. Louis Black
5.z. Louis CK

 

[MidwestKnights]

Self explanatory.

George Carlin
Billy Connolly
Robin Williams
Dave Chappelle
Wanda Sykes

 

[mildone]

Self explanatory.

Mine:
Dave Chappelle
Bill Burr
George Carlin
Eddie Murphy
Robin Williams

That’s a pretty good list. After giving it some deliberation, I can’t come up with a better top five, so I’m gonna second yours.

I’m surprised at the lack of love for Bill Burr in this thread. He’s hilarious.

 

[wcfan10]

Rodney Dangerfield
Don Rickles
Dennis Miller
Dave Attel
Brian Regan
Steven Wright

Honorable Mention
Robin Williams
Dana Carvey
Richard Pryor
Jeffrey Ross
Eddie Murphy
Nick Dipalo
Steve Rizzo

+ Lewis Black. My favorite and better than all the others...

 

[tico brown]

That’s a pretty good list. After giving it some deliberation, I can’t come up with a better top five, so I’m gonna second yours.

I’m surprised at the lack of love for Bill Burr in this thread. He’s hilarious.

There's some listed by others that had me saying HOW THE HELL I FORGET ABOUT HIM? But thanks.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Bill Cosby
Eddie Murphy
Robin Williams
Rodney Dangerfield
Louie Anderson

 

[CapeKnight]

Love comedians, been lucky enough to see many of my favorites in person, including:
Georg Carlin,
Steve Martin,
Jim Gaffigan,
Lewis Black,
Dom Irrea,
Mike Birbiglia,
Brian Regan,
Diane Ford (in New Brunswick),
The Smother's Brother's (in New Brunswick),
Louie Anderson
Kevin Meeny (in Princeton)
Judy Gold

Who would I love to see in person?
John Mulaney
Maria Banford
Tom Papa

Speaking of Papa, who's from Passaic, his special "You're Doing Great" is fantastic. Currently on Netflix and filmed at NJ PAC, his rant on Staten Island alone is worth the view.

Cheers.

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

1) Lucille Ball

2) Richard Pryor

3) Eddie Murphy

4) George Carlin

5) Carol Burnett

 

[zgoru]

Sam Kinison
Robert Schimmel - "I came like the 4th of July"

 

[RutgersMO]

Self explanatory.

Mine:
Dave Chappelle
Bill Burr
George Carlin
Eddie Murphy
Robin Williams

Bill Cosby
Woody Allen
Lewis Black
Robin Williams
Sam Kinison

MO

 

[RutgersMO]

Bill Cosby
Woody Allen
Lewis Black
Robin Williams
Sam Kinison

MO

Saw Robin Williams in Newport Beach CA in 1977. Fantastic.

Cosby played my freshman prom @ RU Newark (the old Essex House) before I transferred to New Brunswick.

And have Lewis Black live twice, in Vegas @ the Mirage / in LA (forgot the theatre).

I wish I had seen Sam before he was taken from us....he was my favorite.
Love his take on the bible/ what if there was a Mrs. Jesus.

MO
PS Wait a minute...I forgot Gilbert Gottfried ...especially his joke about " Death or Ugu" / "the Aristocrats".

Death or Ugu

 

[Eaton Beaver]

Roast Host Jeff Ross

Sal Governale was really good on the Howard Stern roasts. Especially the one when he mixed in Howard.

 

[bethlehemfan]

No Rodney?

No respect. No respect at all!

 

[mikebal9]

Sam Kinison
Robert Schimmel - "I came like the 4th of July"

"Those aren't tears on your belly, baby."

 

[RU Golfer]

Carlin
Sebastian Maniscalco
Ron White
Rodney
Lisa Lampanelli

 

[Purple-Ed]

Richard Jeni used to hang out on my street where I lived in Brooklyn. I remember him getting his ass kicked in once by a neighbor. Lol. He was a few years older than me. I didn’t know him well but I didnt remember him being the type that would be destined for stardom. I knew his brother somewhat well who was my age. Shame about his passing. His real last name was Colangelo. RIP.

Richard Jeni would be in my top 5.

 

[hoquat63]

Didn’t see these guys on any list
Old timers:
Red Skelton
JackieGleason (if you include sitcoms)

 

[LeapinLou]

There are so many great ones. I wouldn't put him in my top five but I'm surprised nobody has yet listed Foster Brooks. He's off the charts in those Dean Martin roasts.

1. Robin Williams
2. Rodney Dangerfield
3. Don Rickles
4. Richard Pryor
5. Jim Gaffigan