Who are/were the funniest stand-up comedians of all time?

This is a ranked list of the best stand up comedians of all time. All the people on this list are hilarious and funny comedians. But beyond that, this is a diverse list of people with different styles who approach comedy from various angles.

Many of the popular comedians listed below worked their way up through the stand-up circuit and eventually landed a show on Comedy Central.

Let’s take a look at the funniest stand-up comedians of all time…

The 25 Funniest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time

This list has been compiled using information from Ranker, Wikipedia and Celebrity Net Worth. We have tried to make sure they are as up to date as possible.

Here are the 25 funniest stand-up comedians of all time:

25. Bob Newhart

George Robert “Bob” Newhart is an American comedian and actor.

Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues ‘The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart’. The album was a worldwide bestseller and reached number one on the Billboard pop album chart.

24. Bernie Mac

Bernard Jeffrey “Bernie” McCullough was an American stand-up comedian, voice artist and actor from Chicago.

Mac has appeared in many films in smaller roles. One of his most noted film roles was as ‘Frank Catton’ in the remake ‘Ocean’s Eleven’

23. Redd Foxx

John Elroy Sanford “Redd Foxx” was an American comedian and actor.

He is best remembered for his explicit comedy records and his starring role on the 1970s sitcom ‘Sanford and Son’. Foxx was known as the “King of the Party Records”.

22. Norm Macdonald

Norman Gene “Norm” Macdonald is a Canadian comedian, writer, producer, and actor.

He has made an appearance on shows such as ‘The Drew Carey Show’ and NewsRadio. Comedy Central named him #83 on the five-part miniseries 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, and producer.

Carrey was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. He got his first professional stand-up work in Toronto comedy club. Carrey is an incredible actor, and he has starred in films such as ‘The Mask’, ‘Dumb and Dumber’, and ‘Bruce Almighty’.

The great William Henry “Bill” Cosby Jr. is a stand-up comedian, actor, author, and activist. Cosby is considered to be one of the 25 best comedians of all time.

19. Bill Hicks

William Melvin “Bill” Hicks was an American comedian, satirist, and musician.

Hicks material includes a wide range of religion, politics, and philosophy. He has also criticized superficiality, consumerism, mediocrity, and banality within the media and popular culture.

18. Steven Wright

Steven Alexander Wright is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and film producer. Wright’s accolades include the Academy Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

He is ranked as the 18th funniest stand-up comedian of all time.

The great comedian Ricky Gervais is an English actor, comedian, musician, and producer.

He worked initially in the music industry, attempting a career as a pop star in the 1980s with Seona Dancing and working as the manager before he turned to comedy.

16. Lewis Black

Lewis Niles Black is an American, author, comedian, social critic, and actor.

Black hosted the Comedy Central series ‘Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil’. He is also known for his ‘Back in Black’ commentary segment.

15. Don Rickles

Donald “Don” Jay Rickles was a stand-up comedian, author, and actor.

Rickles became well known as an insult comic. He received worldwide exposure as a popular guest on numerous talk and variety shows such as ‘The Dean Martin Show’, ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Late Show with David Letterman’.

14. Jim Gaffigan

James Christopher Gaffigan is an American comedian, writer, and actor. Gaffigan has co-created and starred in a TV Land television series based on his life called ‘The Jim Gaffigan Show’.

Kevin Darnell Hart is an American actor, comedian, and producer.

Hart was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began his career by winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs in New England.

12. Mitch Hedberg

Mitchell Lee Hedberg was an American stand-up comedian who was best known for his surreal humor and unconventional.

His comedy often featured short, sometimes one-line jokes mixed with absurd elements and non-sequiturs.

11. Rodney Dangerfield

Jack Roy better known as Rodney Dangerfield was an American stand-up comedian, voice artist, actor, and producer.

Dangerfield is best recognized for his catchphrase “I don’t get no respect!” and his monologues on that theme.

Bill Burr is an American stand-up comedian, voice actor, musician and writer. Burr has released six stand-up specials, and he is best known for hosting the Monday Morning Podcast. He also co-founded the All Things Comedy network.

Burr appears 10th on this list of the funniest stand-up comedians of all time.

9. Steve Martin

Steve Glenn Martin is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician.

In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, comedy routines before packed houses on national tours. He has become a successful actor, as well as a pianist, author, and banjo player.

Jerry Seinfeld is an American comedian, writer, actor, and producer.

Seinfeld is best known for playing himself in the sitcom ‘Seinfeld’. In 2005, Comedy Central named him as the 12th Greatest Stand-up Comedian of All Time. He’s also the richest comedian in the world.

7. Louis C.K.

Louis C.K. is an American-Mexican comedian, actor, writer and filmmaker. Throughout his career, he has won a Peabody Award and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album twice.

He appears 7th on this compilation of the funniest stand-up comedians in 2019.

Christopher “Chris” Julius Rock III is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director. Rock began his career by doing stand-up. After his stand-up career, he started to appear in small film roles.

He hosted the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and the 88th in 2016.

Edward “Eddie” Regan Murphy is an American actor, comedian, singer, screenwriter, and film producer. Murphy was a regular member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984.

He has worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked as 10th on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

David Khari Webber Chappelle is an American comedian, writer, actor, and producer. Chappelle began his film career in 1993 playing the role as Ahchoo in Mel Brook’s Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

He landed supporting roles in box office such as ‘The Nutty Professor’, ‘Con Air’, ‘You’ve Got Mail’, ‘Blue Streak’ and ‘Undercover Brother’.

3. Robin Williams

Robin McLaurin Williams was an American comedian and actor. Williams began his stand-up career in the 1970s in Los Angeles.

Williams began to appear in films and sitcoms such as ‘Mork & Mindy’ and ‘Good Will Hunting’. He was known for his incredible improvisation skills both in films and in stand-up. He is considered to be one of the funniest people of all time.

2. Richard Pryor

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and actor.

He was best known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical issues, which employed profanity and vulgarities. Pryor is widely regarded as one of the best comedians in history.

1. George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, author, actor, and social critic. Carlin is best known for his black comedy and reflections on politics.

He and his “seven dirty words” comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation.

How many of you thought George Carlin would appear on this list as the funniest stand-up comedians of all time?

Summary

Here’s a quick recap of the 25 funniest stand-up comedians of all time:

George Carlin Richard Pryor Robin Williams Dave Chappelle Eddie Murphy Chris Rock Louis C.K. Jerry Seinfeld Steve Martin Bill Burr Rodney Dangerfield Mitch Hedberg Kevin Hart Jim Gaffigan Don Rickles Lewis Black Ricky Gervais Steven Wright Bill Hicks Bill Cosby Jim Carrey Norm Macdonald Redd Foxx Bernie Mac Bob Newhart

How many of these comedians did you expect to appear on this list of the funniest stand-up comedians of all time? Leave a comment below.