Researched and compiled by Mark Groubert
This is it. Finally, the Official Crooks and Liars Top 100 Stand-up Comedians of all time. Let's face it, whether you're David Letterman or Oskar Schindler, everyone loves lists. While highly subjective, this list has been scientifically vetted by recently deceased members of the Friar's Club for accuracy and fairness. There is no wiggle room. This is the official list. Anyone thinking otherwise is of course in error but can explain their massive feelings in the comments section. (Please remember to keep all comments to ten words or less so more can vent.)
]John Amato: There are videos hyperlinked to each name so that you can see a small performance of as many of the great stand-ups as we could find. (language alert) Have fun--agree or disagree, but sit down for a few minutes and enjoy a laugh with us.
1. Lenny Bruce
2. Richard Pryor
3. Woody Allen
4. Mort Sahl
5. Buddy Hackett
6. George Carlin
7. Eddie Murphy
8. Richard Lewis
9. Robin Williams
10. Rodney Dangerfield
11. Gilbert Gottfried
12. Jerry Seinfeld
13. Albert Brooks
14. Lord Buckley
15. Steve Martin
16. Chris Rock
17. David Brenner
18. Jonathan Winters
19. Dick Gregory
20. Sam Kinison
21. Bill Cosby
22. Bob Newhart
23. Sarah Silverman
24. Jackie Vernon
25. Bob Hope
26. Don Rickles
27. Shecky Greene
28. Milton Berle
29. Phyllis Diller
30. Andy Kaufman
31. Bill Hicks
32. Martin Lawrence
33. Redd Foxx
34. Jack Benny
35. Jamie Foxx
36. Jim Carrey
37. Joan Rivers
38. Professor Irwin Corey
39. Billy Crystal
40. Shelley Berman
41. Eddie Izzard
42. Jon Stewart
43. David Chappelle
44. Henny Youngman
45. Andrew Dice Clay
46. Elaine Boosler
47. Johnny Carson
48. Bill Maher
49. Freddie Prinze
50. Johnny Yune
51. Jon Pinette
52. Steven Wright
53. Roseanne Barr
54. DL Hughley
55. Mitch Hedberg
56. Alan King
57. Richard Jeni
58. Totie Fields
59. Robert Klein
60. Dennis Miller
61. Gary Shandling
62. George Burns
63. Jackie Gleason
64. Richard Belzer
65. David Steinberg
66. Will Durst
67. Cheech and Chong
68. Pat Paulson
69. Lily Tomlin
70. Sandra Bernhard
71. Martin Mull
72. Ellen DeGeneres
73. Groucho Marx
74. Rick Aviles
75. Damon Wayons
76. Dana Carvey
77. Denis Leary
78. Tommy Davidson
79. David Cross
80. Jackie Mason
81. Moms Mabley
82. Jan Murray
83. Mel Brooks
84. Morty Gunty
85. Larry David
86. Carl Reiner
87. Jerry Lewis
88. Adam Sandler
89. Paula Poundstone
90. Larry Miller
91. Tim Allen
92. Jay Leno
93. Ray Romano
94. Lewis Black
95. Phylliss Yvonne Stickney
96. Joey Bishop
97. Billy Connolly
98. Flip Wilson
99. George Wallace
100. T.K. Kirkland
A WGA screenwriter/producer/journalist based in Hollywood, California, Mark Groubert is the Senior Film and Book Reviewer for CrooksandLiars.com. As a filmmaker he has produced numerous documentaries for HBO. Groubert is also the former editor of National Lampoon Magazine, MTV Magazine and The Weekly World News. In addition, he currently writes for the L.A. Weekly, L.A. City Beat, Penthouse, High Times and other publications while on strike and doing stuff like this.
