The 20 Best Stand Up Comedy Specials of All Time
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]