top 3 stand up comics of all time. what are your pics.

[simon482]

just got sucked into the youtube vortex. carlin sucked me in. anyway just wanted to know what you guys pick as your top 3. at most 2 honorable mentions. lets not get crazy.

1- george carlin
2- sam kinison
3- lewis black

mentions for chris rock (bring the pain) and eddie murphy (raw and delirious). oh and rodney dangerfield.

yeah i know i broke my own rule but it's my thread, i can do what i want.

 

[Questor]

just got sucked into the youtube vortex. carlin sucked me in. anyway just wanted to know what you guys pick as your top 3. at most 2 honorable mentions. lets not get crazy.

1- george carlin
2- sam kinison
3- lewis black

mentions for chris rock (bring the pain) and eddie murphy (raw and delirious). oh and rodney dangerfield.

yeah i know i broke my own rule but it's my thread, i can do what i want.

George Carlin. Pure comedic genius. He is head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[tml]

1.George Carlin.In a league of his own.
2.Rodney Dangerfield. Old school.
3.Jerry Seinfeld. Clever material and great delivery.

 

[bvz]

1. George Carlin
2. Rodney Dangerfield
3. Don Rickles

 

[Butler1000]

George Carlin
Richard Pryor
Robin Williams

How you guys forgot Pryor is beyond me

 

[FatOne]

Sarah "Oh God please let them find semen in my dead grandmother's vagina" Silverman
John "Salad is not food, salad is a promissory note for food. " Pinette of Chinese Buffet fame.
Andrew Dice "If I spend 5 bucks on a chick, I'll drop a load in her presence" Clay. Although he pulled a Steven Seagal by turning into a sad and pathetic shadow of his former self.

For musical comedy

Jon "Show me your genitals" Lajoie
Garfunkel and Oates "Fuck me in the ass because I love Jesus"
and the Lonely "Jizz in my pants" Island group.

 

[DanJ]

Sam Kinison
George Carlin
Robert Klein

 

[sharpbloke]

richard pryor
george carlin
tie between chris rock and eddie murphy

 

[Geoff]

Red Skelton

 

[Tangwhich]

How you guys forgot Pryor is beyond me

Easily. I listen to stand up comedy constantly and that guy is so unfunny it's embarrassing. He was great in movies, but his stand up is the absolute worst I've ever heard.

 

[green1bean]

Billy Connelly
George Carlin
Sam Kinison

 

[dirkd101]

Carlin, Pryor and Rickles

I am adding a 4th, Lenny Bruce. I didn't put him in my 3 because I satyed with more mainstream and commercially successful guys.

 

[bobistheowl]

Sam Kinison
Lenny Bruce
Jackie Mason

 

[las venganza]

Without a doubt:

Richard Pryor
Eddie Murphy
Andrew Dice Clay

 

[Mr Bret]

I'll keep my list limited to those I've seen live.
Bill Cosby - makes you feel like he's talking to you personally. Makes all his jokes sound like actual stories or anecdotes that really happened.
Jerry Seinfeld - so smooth in his delivery. Ties dozens of jokes that could all stand on their own together to make for one big joke. Every observation is something most people can relate to.
John Cleese - Just completely wacky. Quick and clever delivery. Old Monty Python references and fresh new material.

Honorable mention to Bob Newhart. Also very smooth. Tons of material to pull from after decades in the business. Some of his stories are dated, but most are timeless.
Another good, but less known Brit is Jimmy Carr. Very clever material with terrific timing on delivery.

 

[Tangwhich]

Another good, but less known Brit is Jimmy Carr. Very clever material with terrific timing on delivery.

His early stuff is brilliant. His more recently stuff is far less imaginative and he's being overly vulgar to compensate which is unfortunate. Check out the DVD of another Carr - Alan Carr.

 

[miles@divas]

Eddy Murphy
Richard Pryor
Martin Lawrence

 

[ogibowt]

for just getting up and telling jokes

henny Youngman
rodney Dangerfield
jackie Mason



as far as insightful, humorous comments on the human condition..George carlin is in a world of his own

 

[bobistheowl]

I was one of the opening acts for Sam Kinison's first appearance in Toronto, (late October or early November, 1984). It was on, (Monday), Amateur Night at the Yorkville Yuk Yuks club. Sam had been booked for a headlining gig for Tuesday - Thursday. At the time, his was largely unknown outside of the Houston, Texas area, (he had not yet performed on Rodney Dangerfield's HBO special). They brought Sam out to do a half hour excerpt of his act. I've never laughed so hard before, or since. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was there that night who feels the same way.

 

[gcostanza]

Not in the top three, but a tip of the cap to Richard Jeni, RIP

I realize I'm listing 4, but so what

Richard Jeni
Bob Newhart
Flip Wilson
Mitch Hedberg

Who would ever have thought Bob would be the last of those men still alive.