These stand up comedy specials never fail to make viewers laugh. For this list, we’ll be ranking the funniest and most enduring examples of the stand-up comedy show as art.
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00:00 "I think you like me more now than earlier, so I'm gonna redo my special."
00:03 [Laughter]
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 stand-up comedy specials of all time.
00:11 "They're not gonna ask Al Gordon to run with Al Sharpton, no!"
00:14 [Cheering]
00:17 For this list, we're ranking the funniest and most enduring examples of the stand-up comedy show as art.
00:22 What's your favorite stand-up comedy special? Let us know in the comments.
00:27 Hey, Mojoholics! For a chance to win cash prizes,
00:30 play our live daily trivia challenges every day at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern, only at watchmojo.com/play.
00:38 If John Mulaney's 2023 stand-up tour was all about celebrating his newfound sobriety,
00:47 then "New in Town" from 2012 showcased a comedian with something to prove.
00:51 "Honestly, when I'm walking down the street, no one's ever like, 'Hey, look at that man!'
00:55 I think they're just like, 'Whoa, that tall child looks terrible!'"
00:59 This was Mulaney's second stand-up special for Comedy Central,
01:02 and debuted just as the funnyman's career as an SNL writer was winding down.
01:07 "New in Town" even features bits where Mulaney references his work as a writer,
01:11 and it's fun to see him work both sides of the camera.
01:13 "Like, I'll book a ticket on some garbage airline. You know, I don't want to name an actual airline,
01:17 so let's just make one up. Let's call it, like, Delta Airlines. So I'll book a ticket on Delta Airlines."
01:22 His ease on the microphone and with the audience is readily apparent,
01:26 and it's clear that Mulaney is in for some truly great things on the horizon.
01:30 He may have been new in town, but John Mulaney already felt like an old pro.
01:35 "And I didn't know what to say, 'cause I couldn't be like, 'Nah, that's okay.' I was lying.
01:42 It was a lie to get drugs. You know, like a crime."
01:52 Number 19, Ali Wong, "Baby Cobra."
01:55 It was perhaps a very easy joke for Ali Wong to make.
01:59 The fact that she was very pregnant while filming her Netflix special "Baby Cobra."
02:03 "'Cause I have to pee in like 10 minutes."
02:06 Don't think for a second that this special is cliche or boring, however.
02:11 As Wong proved, her wit was razor sharp, her joke arsenal primed and ready.
02:16 "I think feminism is the worst thing that ever happened to women.
02:21 Our job used to be no job.
02:25 We had it so good."
02:28 The audience definitely feels game to go along for the ride with Wong as well,
02:34 and "Baby Cobra" is made all the better for this fact.
02:37 Wong's delivery is quick and fearless, and the bits here feel fresh and full of life.
02:42 "Baby Cobra" has definitely stood the test of time.
02:46 "And now if I don't work, we die.
02:50 Why else do you think I'm performing seven and a half months pregnant?
02:53 Alright, I've been Ali Wong, have a good night everybody, thank you."
02:57 Number 18, Bo Burnham, "What."
03:00 Many stand-up comedians appear confident and invincible while on stage.
03:04 Or at least it sometimes appear that way on the outside.
03:06 "It's so hard to be a lizard."
03:10 Bo Burnham's "What" special from 2013 was a huge success for the comedian,
03:18 but it reportedly caused Burnham bouts of anxiety and panic.
03:21 The show never suffers as a result of this of course,
03:24 and Burnham's unique style of musical and prop comedy feels honed and well-rehearsed.
03:29 "You're incomparable. Like a..."
03:32 There's a certain surreal quality to "What,"
03:44 a self-referential vibe that feels deeper than your average observational stand-up.
03:48 This is something special that may not appeal to everyone,
03:51 but it's just the perfect palate cleanser
03:53 when your diet of samey stand-up needs one left-of-center refresh.
03:57 "Mr. Burnham."
04:00 Number 17, Patrice O'Neil, "Elephant in the Room."
04:06 Patrice O'Neil is a much-missed figure of comedy,
04:09 and one that would probably still be making us laugh
04:11 were it not for his tragic death back in 2011.
04:14 "If I go sailing, I'm taking a white baby on a keychain with me.
04:17 If my boat go down, they gonna find me.
04:24 I'm gonna have it hooked right to the side of my belt."
04:27 "Elephant in the Room" serves as a fitting coda to a comic
04:31 who could consistently be relied upon to deliver the yucks.
04:35 There's a lot of relationship and observational humor here,
04:38 delivered in O'Neil's warm and conversational style.
04:40 "Just 'cause I'm lovable...
04:42 doesn't mean that you're lovable, too."
04:55 The vibe is as if you're enjoying a meal or a drink with a comedian,
05:01 engaging in a spirited back-and-forth full of laughter and good times.
05:05 Patrice O'Neil may be gone, but his humor will never be forgotten.
05:10 "Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it."
05:13 Okay, we'll address the elephant in the room.
05:22 In 2017, Louis C.K. confirmed multiple reports of sexual misconduct,
05:27 tarnishing his reputation as one of the great comedians of his generation.
05:32 However, taken on its own merits,
05:34 his 2007 stand-up special "Shameless" still resonates
05:37 as a prime example of C.K.'s power as a comedic auteur.
05:41 "Nobody wants to blow a guy and then go to Ikea with him all day.
05:44 That's not fun."
05:44 Many comics have reflected upon the minutiae of everyday life,
05:49 but none has done so with quite the same skill.
05:52 "When you're all looking at each other going, 'Hm-hm-hm...
05:54 like a silent movie of impatient people, you know, like...
05:58 Louis is a master of redirection,
06:04 starting down such normal paths as marriage and parenthood,
06:07 but ending up with punchlines that are revealing and dark,
06:10 yet simultaneously side-splitting.
06:13 It's a wonder to behold,
06:14 and essential viewing for anyone interested in the art and pathos of comedy.
06:19 Who can get past the general ickiness, that is.
06:22 "I love to shit. It's my favorite thing.
06:25 I don't know why they call it number two.
06:26 I think it's easily the best one. It's in my book. It's number one."
06:32 There's a lot of shock humor that goes into Sarah Silverman's "Jesus is Magic" from 2005.
06:37 "No, Jesus is magic, you know, because he turned water to wine and, um...
06:42 he, um...
06:44 I think he made the Statue of Liberty disappear in the 80s, something."
06:49 The comedian takes no prisoners when it comes to unleashing salvos of blatantly offensive material
06:56 that takes swipes at just about everything and everyone.
06:59 Racism, sexism, politics, and more are fair game for Silverman during "Jesus is Magic,"
07:05 and the show is an equal opportunity offender.
07:08 "I love, like, getting into the psychology of people."
07:10 Silverman's charisma is palpable through it all, however,
07:15 and she delivers some biting material with the sort of smile that just knows it's up to no good.
07:20 Buckle up, buttercup. It's gonna be a wild ride.
07:23 "I've seen all good people turn their heads each day, so satisfied I'm on my way."
07:29 If there were a Mount Olympus for low-key, low-energy comedians,
07:39 then Stephen Wright would definitely be wearing a toga and crowned with some serious laurels.
07:44 "Went to the hardware store and bought some used paint.
07:47 It was in the shape of a house."
07:51 [Laughter]
07:53 That's because Wright has been serving as a voice for progressive and idiosyncratic comedy for years.
07:59 A Stephen Wright special served as an early example of the man's vision and voice,
08:03 a show that makes up for its lack of traditionally cohesive flow in genius bits.
08:08 "The human body is made up of 98% water.
08:10 That means everybody is that far away from drowning."
08:14 [Laughter]
08:16 Wright's non-sequiturs are hilarious, his observations at once confusing,
08:20 smart and even maddeningly silly.
08:23 A Stephen Wright special feels like a comedy for comedians,
08:26 a show that pushes boundaries and rewards those who dare to walk on the mild side.
08:31 "I was cesarean born. Can't really tell.
08:34 Although whenever I leave the house, I go out through the window."
08:41 [Laughter]
08:46 Number 13. Maria Bamford - The Special Special Special
08:50 Maria Bamford is another comedian that's turned to her own personal struggles to
08:54 serve as a source for inspiration.
08:56 "I'm trying to learn to cook. Everybody always says how easy it is to cook,
09:00 but it is not any easier than not cooking."
09:05 [Laughter]
09:06 The Special Special Special wasn't Bamford's first rodeo,
09:10 as she had already amassed a loyal fan base by the time it aired in 2012.
09:14 That said, the show still manages to feel, well, special doing exactly what it says on the tin.
09:20 This is achieved via the setup, because Bamford's audience consists solely of her parents.
09:26 "My dad said you're a comedian. Tell me a joke."
09:31 "It's not like that."
09:33 [Laughter]
09:35 As a result, the Special Special Special feels confessional,
09:39 personal and even somewhat uncomfortable.
09:42 Still, the end effects are simply impossible to ignore,
09:45 and the Special Special Special remains compelling right to its closing moments.
09:50 "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to La Quinta,
09:54 because I have places to make in the bathroom mirror."
09:57 Number 12. I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
10:04 There are very few certainties in life.
10:07 There's death, there's taxes, and then there's the comedy of Bill Burr.
10:11 Comedy that never seems to take a night off.
10:13 "Something has to die every day in order for me to live."
10:19 The black and white photography of I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
10:23 gives the show a certain level of intimacy,
10:25 while Burr's wit and brazen demeanor are set on full display.
10:29 "You know to this day sometimes I drive down the street and I think about that hug,
10:32 and it's just so makes me, it's so awful I have to like shout the memory out of my head.
10:36 I'll just be driving down the street just be like, 'Ahhhh!'"
10:39 "Ahhhh!"
10:39 I'm Sorry You Feel That Way feels like classic old school stand-up
10:45 that's been adapted to the modern day.
10:47 There's a bit of generation gap humor here, some sacred cow slaughter there,
10:52 and Bill Burr goes through it all with ease.
10:54 "You guys are, you guys are out of your minds."
10:56 Number 11. Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion
11:01 One of the great things about stand-up comedy specials
11:03 is their ability to serve as time capsules for a comedian's career.
11:07 "I'm named after my granddad, my middle name,
11:09 my name is Zach Grandad Galifianakis."
11:12 Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion is one of those specials.
11:18 A debut for a future comedy star that showcases all of the bits we would come
11:22 to love about Galifianakis and his quirky style of comedy.
11:25 Meta humor? Check. Musical accompaniment? Double check.
11:30 "I hate to be gross, but the only time it's good to yell out 'I have diarrhea'
11:33 is when you're playing Scrabble."
11:36 (audience laughing)
11:38 Of course, all of this wouldn't really matter if Galifianakis wasn't funny, right?
11:43 Thankfully, Live at the Purple Onion still manages to crack us up,
11:46 even though we can all remember when we heard these bits for the very first time.
11:50 (audience laughing)
11:59 Number 10. A Wild and Crazy Guy
12:02 Can we reminisce for a minute the art form that was the comedy album?
12:05 "Hey, I'm not trying to be a big shot or anything like that, but I get my drinks half price."
12:11 Today's streaming world benefits from an embarrassment of riches when it comes to
12:16 Netflix specials. However, those of a certain age will likely recall the first time they heard
12:21 spun LPs from the Firesign Theater or National Lampoon. Steve Martin's A Wild and Crazy Guy
12:27 was definitely cut from that same cloth, and the album experience was brought to
12:31 television screens back in 1978.
12:33 "That's one turtle you won't be riding to church, Martin."
12:36 "A turtle's a turtle."
12:40 The special mixed in concert clips of Martin's act with comedy sketches,
12:44 all of which helped promote his generational talent to the masses.
12:48 So get those bunny ears ready, turn on that tube TV,
12:51 and take in some cathode ray sunshine with this wild and crazy guy.
12:55 "I like to have my own individual odor.
13:02 That's why I wear tuna fish sandwich."
13:05 "A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks.
13:13 You think when Jesus comes back, he ever wants to see a f***ing cross?"
13:17 Bill Hicks' abrasive, no-filter style has often been imitated, but never duplicated.
13:23 The Georgia native was a comedian's comedian,
13:26 one whose satirical and transgressive approach served as a huge influence for future stars
13:31 like Dennis Leary.
13:32 While a CD with the same name captured his last show before his 1994 death,
13:37 the relentless show released for home video was filmed at a different time,
13:41 during Montreal's Just for Laughs festival.
13:43 "What did moths bump into before electric light bulbs were invented?
13:47 That's what I want to know."
13:48 And it showcased the comic at the peak of his powers, smart, sharp, and confident.
13:54 Hicks never shied away from being brash and satirical with his work,
13:58 caring less about laughs and more about challenging audiences every step of the way.
14:03 And Relentless perfectly documents that.
14:06 "I'm Bill Hicks and I'm dead now,
14:08 'cause I smoke cigarettes.
14:10 Cigarettes didn't kill me.
14:14 A bunch of non-smokers kicked the s*** out of me one night."
14:17 Mitch Hedberg had a unique perspective on comedy,
14:26 and a delivery that had fans dying of laughter in the aisles,
14:30 or scratching their heads in confusion.
14:32 Comedy Central Presents Mitch Hedberg may have started out as simply another half-hour of comedy
14:37 from the channel's long-running series,
14:39 but it ended up as an early showcase for one of stand-up's most promising stars.
14:43 "Like wearing a turtleneck is like being strangled by a really weak guy."
14:47 The special was simple and to the point,
14:49 broadcasting Hedberg's shy, stoner stage presence
14:52 with a barrage of wordplay one-liners that were instantly quotable.
14:56 Hedberg's 2005 death may have robbed the comedy world of his great potential,
15:00 but at least we have these laughs to remember him by.
15:03 "I taught myself how to play the guitar,
15:04 which was a bad decision,
15:06 'cause I didn't know how to play it.
15:07 So I was a shitty teacher."
15:09 Breaking the Rules was released right at the cusp of Sam Kinison's major mainstream success
15:21 as the louder-than-hell voice of heavy metal comedy.
15:25 The 1987 HBO special brought together all of the comedian's fantastic early material
15:30 with a delivery, which by this point was honed to perfection.
15:34 "We're giving you the money, how come there's no cure?
15:36 Jesus, will you hurry up?"
15:37 Breaking the Rules touched upon such taboo subjects as religion,
15:41 while at the same time making the most of Kinison's early life as a Pentecostal preacher.
15:46 Sam was all fire, brimstone, and hilarious anger,
15:50 possessing an almost effortless connection with his audience
15:53 that even today is absolutely remarkable.
15:56 "I love those churches out there, man.
15:58 I saw one the other day, it says,
16:00 'Where the church, where everybody's somebody,
16:02 but Jesus is Lord!'"
16:04 He may be a household name in comedy today,
16:17 but it was a slightly different story when Rock shot his second HBO special,
16:21 Bring the Pain.
16:22 The performance solidified the inimitable Rock delivery we know and love,
16:26 and also shot the comedian into the public eye,
16:29 completely rebounding his career.
16:31 "You know what a platonic friend is to a woman?
16:33 It's like a dick in a glass case!"
16:36 Chris didn't shy away from anything in Bring the Pain,
16:40 commenting on touchy subjects like race with a voice that was both humorous and furious.
16:45 Rock would double down only two years later with Bigger and Blacker,
16:48 a performance that only echoed the comic's status
16:51 as one of the premier stand-up voices of his generation.
16:54 "I'm a kid in a house, that's a man's lie.
16:56 A woman's lie is like, 'It's your baby!'"
16:59 Robin Williams had nothing to prove when he released his fourth HBO special.
17:12 The actor and comedian was already a certified star at this point,
17:15 and long removed from his Mork & Mindy days.
17:18 As such, Live on Broadway showcases a supremely confident Williams
17:22 on stage in front of a ready and willing New York crowd.
17:25 "And if you're ever in Amish country and see a man with his arm buried in a horse's ass,
17:29 that's a mechanic, remember that."
17:31 Robin touches upon then-topical subjects like Michael Jackson and Anne Heche,
17:35 but it's Williams' observational humor and natural delivery that are the real gold.
17:40 Live on Broadway is all manic and relentless energy,
17:44 a portrait of a comedic artist that makes his absence all the more poignant today.
17:48 "I remind, Jamaica would never make an atomic bomb.
17:53 They may make an atomic bomb."
17:54 Choosing the best of Richard Pryor's work is a difficult task,
18:07 but Live in Concert ranks up there not only in Pryor's enviable career,
18:11 but also among the finest stand-up performances of all time by anyone.
18:15 "Sit your ass down!"
18:16 Pryor's influence as a comedian cannot be understated,
18:21 and Live in Concert showcases Richard at the height of his prowess
18:24 as a cultural commentator and storyteller.
18:27 Sure, it's profane as hell and not the least bit politically correct,
18:31 but it's also a hilarious and vital moment of the man's career,
18:34 and is an essential part of any proper comedy education.
18:38 "You're not gonna leave here till you piss in that bottle."
18:41 "And you never can piss, you ever tried it?"
18:43 "Can you turn on some water, please?"
18:47 "I mean, most of the time ass is all right.
18:53 On television you can say, 'Well, you've made a perfect ass of yourself tonight.'
18:57 But you can't say, 'You have ass.'"
18:59 George Carlin was a true wordsmith,
19:03 a man whose usage of the English language was honed to a razor's edge and a hunter's accuracy.
19:08 Live at USC was Carlin's first HBO special,
19:11 and as such, he was basically exploring what could be considered new territory in 1977.
19:17 "Go into the supermarket in the head neighborhood and take a look at the cookie section."
19:21 In fact, network execs were so worried about Carlin's famous seven dirty words bit,
19:27 that they actually froze the feed,
19:29 and included a message informing audiences about the language used,
19:33 before continuing with the special.
19:35 It may seem quaint today,
19:37 but this is just a small example of how much impact Carlin had as one of comedy's finest voices.
19:43 "You can't say, uh, you can say 'teets.'
19:45 'Teets' is okay if you're on at five in the morning and a cow is your guest."
19:48 Dave Chappelle is another comedian whose public image hasn't held up,
20:03 but it's similarly hard to overlook his place in stand-up history.
20:07 Before Chappelle's show turned him into a household name,
20:09 Dave Chappelle was slaying audiences with his inaugural HBO special,
20:13 'Killin' Them Softly.'
20:14 Comedy ages and some specials don't hold up,
20:17 but 'Killin' Them Softly' is just as funny today as it was back in 2000.
20:22 A real and honest collection of material from one of modern comedy's defining voices.
20:27 "Yeah, Oscar, you're a grouch.
20:31 It's like, 'Bitch, I live in a f**kin' trash can!'"
20:33 The voices of Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx echo loudly in Chappelle's work,
20:38 while his delivery is smooth and conversational like a close friend.
20:42 'Killin' Them Softly' is low-key and unassuming,
20:44 but like all great comedy, it's also personal, real, and honest.
20:48 "My old lady come up to me, 'David, we need to talk.'"
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21:12 1. Eddie Murphy - Delirious
21:16 Is there any stand-up special as popular or influential as Eddie Murphy's 'Delirious'?
21:27 This 1983 performance turned Murphy into a legitimate comedy badass,
21:32 a rock star decked out in iconic red leather.
21:34 Eddie already made serious waves during his tenure on 'Saturday Night Live',
21:44 but 'Delirious' was when the stars aligned just right, and Murphy truly broke out into the mainstream.
21:51 Although it definitely contains some material that hasn't exactly aged well,
21:55 'Delirious' on the whole is something combustible and cosmic, a perfect storm of look,
22:01 talent, and delivery that has rarely been equalled by any comic, past or present.
22:06 "Cuz all you have to do is sing, it's something about singing, that's the business,
22:10 you sing, women go crazy, cuz Mick Jagger is an ugly mother f*****."
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22:24 [Music]