Before things get contentious, let’s remember that comedy is subjective. What one person finds funny could be so egregiously offensive to another person that it changes them forever. Stand-up comedy is an art form of being in the moment, but the best comedians can mine those moments and uncover lasting human truths. But at its worst, it’s juvenile, puerile and off-putting.
Sure, some names stand out and have stood the test of time. Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, the list goes on and on, but there are also very funny comedians working today who have yet to reach that status. However, we’re talking “of all time” here, so while a “newer” comic like Sam Morril or Mark Normand are incredibly funny, they’re working their way up to that level of status.
We should also recognize that stand-up is popular all around the world but, for the sake of this list, we’ll be focusing entirely on American stand-up. Anyway, here are the picks for the 11 funniest comedians of all time in no particular order.
Norm Macdonald
No one else mastered the art of irreverence, misdirects and an instantly recognizable cadence the way Norm did. He turned “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live into must-watch TV, and then got fired for making a joke about OJ Simpson. He then came back to host the show and insulted it during his monologue, claiming that he didn’t get funnier to get on the show, it just got worse. Later in life, he had one of the best podcasts to ever exist. RIP.
Eddie Pepitone
Pepitone is not what you would call a “household name,” but ask any comic worth his salt in this world, and they will cite Pepitone as an influence. Always on the verge of “making it,” he’s been the star of his own documentary, has a Netflix special and he’s been murdering stand-up for almost 50 years. If you ever get a chance to catch him live, DO IT, you will not be sorry.
Richard Lewis
With his recent passing, it feels like the world finally gave Richard Lewis his due. Not that he needed it, he’s been performing ever since he broke through in the ’70s and became one of the most prolific comics of the ’80s. He mastered an acerbic, sarcastic wit that was often imitated but never duplicated. Through his early sitcom, to movies, to Curb Your Enthusiasm, he was one of a kind. RIP.
Steven Wright
A phenomenal stand-up and writer, Steven Wright wrote the wave of quiet, thoughtful deadpan delivery to fame and fortune. His low voice and deliberate slow pacing made him one of the most recognizable comics that ever held a microphone. His hair made bald guys think they could pull off the horseshoe. He’s also a kickass fiction writer, with his latest novel Harold written from the perspective of a third grader.
Joan Rivers
What can you say about Joan Rivers? She was the absolute queen, from her start in black-and-white talk shows to her brutal takes on the red carpet awards circuit, she’s always been ready with a joke. She worked harder than everyone and often said she had to because she wasn’t as respected as her male peers. Rivers unfortunately passed away about a decade ago from a botched routine endoscopy. RIP.
Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac was the definition of funny. Some people try to be funny, and some people just are, the way water is wet and the sky is blue. He never sounded like he was “doing” stand up, he was a gifted storyteller who used his instrument to its full capacity. His hilarious bits about taking his sister’s kids was eventually made into one of the funniest sitcoms ever. RIP.
Mitch Hedberg
There was no one else like Mitch Hedberg in the 2000s. His one-liners, delivered in his trademark stoner cadence, found humor in the most innocuous things. Some of his classic lines include “an escalator can never break” and “waffles are like pancakes with syrup traps” and “I wish they made fajita cologne” are easy to remember, and just as hilarious.
Dave Attell
If you made an action figure of a stand-up comedian, it would be Dave Attell. He’s a road dog that loves to work where stand-up lives, in the clubs. His caustic delivery is so conversational but direct, and his joke writing works in a way that makes your brain see wider and wider kaleidoscopes of humor. Keep an eye out for his Netflix special Dave Attell: Hot Cross Buns, releasing on March 26.
Bill Burr
If you ask this writer, Bill Burr is the greatest working stand-up today, and still a top five all-timer. The way this man can take a topic everyone dislikes, and then turn it into something an audience cheers for, is remarkable. He does comedy on the same level that Picasso hit the bottle oops I mean painted. If you’re not familiar with the legendary helicopter story, do yourself a favor and watch it.
Robin Williams
This one’s too easy, but it’s easy to forget how manic, wild, and off-the-cuff Robin Williams stand-up was when he performed. He’d do 18 characters in one breath all while dancing around like a hula girl. He even found a way to make his alcoholism funny, something that is not easy to do. Like Burr, he performs on a level that’s sort of baffling. He was the type of talent that only comes around once a generation.
Don Rickles
The insult king! One of the pure joys of stand-up is when a performer moves so quickly that you feel like you could never stump them. Don Rickles would get away with things no mere mortals would ever dare say or do. He somehow found a way to grin his way through the insults in a way that made him extremely likable. That’s the thing about the greats, they make it look easy. No one made it look easier than Rickles.