Get ready to laugh out loud as we celebrate the most influential comedic voices of all time! From groundbreaking stand-up performers to television pioneers, these legendary entertainers shaped the landscape of comedy as we know it. Join us as we honor the greatest jesters who kept us laughing through the decades.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most enduring examples
00:13of classic comedy.
00:14However, acts that gained prominence as a duo will be saved for a different day.
00:26The comedy of Redd Foxx admittedly didn't rely upon subtlety or nuance.
00:36This was defiantly blue stand-up that was unapologetically raunchy, yet undeniably entertaining.
00:42At the same time, this is exactly why Foxx remains such a trailblazer today, since the
00:46future star of Sanford and Son did so during a time of comparative conservatism and inequality.
00:59Foxx helped smash the Las Vegas nightclub colour barrier, while also recording comedy
01:03albums that remain within the cultural zeitgeist today.
01:06Then, there's the aforementioned Sanford and Son, a huge sitcom hit that helped make
01:10the comic a household name from the 1970s to his death in 1991.
01:30There was just something special about the scorched-earth style of comedy that defined
01:33the career of Bill Hicks.
01:35This was a stand-up iconoclast that suffered no fools, nor did Hicks care about whether
01:40or not his audience was along for the ride.
01:50Instead, one gets the sense that his ramblings and monologues would be the exact same if
01:57he were out for a cup of coffee.
01:59His observations were often controversial, and didn't see any sacred cows.
02:03There's a frank and almost gleeful darkness to the man's work that definitely speaks
02:07to a certain kind of comedy fan, and you can definitely count us among that proud group.
02:33He's considered the king of insult comedy, a legend affectionately known as Mr Warmth.
02:38Don Rickles was a television mainstay that had audiences in stitches during his appearances
02:42on Dean Martin's long-running series of celebrity roasts.
02:55He was also a routinely in-demand act on the stage, performing stand-up dates all the way
03:00to his death in 2017.
03:02Make anybody fortunate enough to see Rickles work in person, and you'll find someone
03:06that appreciated classic comedy.
03:08His delivery and timing were impeccable, and worked great opposite other industry icons
03:12like Johnny Carson.
03:20Yet for many that knew him personally, Rickles' legacy as a loyal friend and genuine human
03:25being is just as important as his undeniable influence on the comedy art form.
03:48You don't really need us to tell you how awesome Whoopi Goldberg is, right?
03:51Her resume speaks for itself, having delivered the goods with both comedic and dramatic performances
03:56over the years.
03:57Her one-woman show helped Goldberg get her career off the ground back in the early 80s.
04:15The stage would be the comic legend's home for years, although a successful transition
04:19into the worlds of television and film would also be in the cards.
04:22Today, her smooth and effortless delivery is instantly recognisable to comedy fans,
04:27while her observations about life, politics and more are always presented in a manner
04:31that feels totally unique to Whoopi alone.
04:52It speaks volumes that The Tonight Show is still living up to the legacy forged by Johnny
04:56Carson back in the early 60s.
04:58The late night legend became a de facto member of his audience's homes on a nightly basis,
05:02delivering comedy bits and celebrity interviews that would become iconic.
05:16His move from New York was even considered crucial to Los Angeles' stand-up boom in
05:20the 70s.
05:22His own batting average on his show remains unbelievably strong in hindsight.
05:26Additionally, Carson's no-rush interview style enabled him to achieve a rapport with
05:30his guests that feels like a benchmark today.
05:54when it came to the generational comedy talent of Bob Newhart.
05:57Sure, the man's career on the small screen will forever be the stuff of television legend,
06:02but Newhart's legacy was forged on the stand-up stage.
06:16Albums such as the button-down mind of Bob Newhart showcased the man's notable stammer
06:21and impressive intelligence.
06:23Whether wacky or cerebral, he was a conversationalist that endeared millions.
06:27Then, there's both the Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, which broadcast this comedian's
06:32one-of-a-kind personality into homes around the world, and made Bob Newhart a legend in
06:37the process.
06:49The comedy work of Steve Martin resides within a number of creative spheres, including the
06:54analogue comedy album.
06:55These records, tapes and CDs likely exposed many to their first stand-up experiences,
07:00including albums like A Wild and Crazy Guy.
07:07Elsewhere, Martin's comedy of The Absurd would go on to great programs like Saturday
07:13Night Live, as well as feature film vehicles that go back to the jerk.
07:23The man's still working today as well, often alongside friend and fellow legend Martin
07:26Short, making new generations laugh with his wit and comedic grace.
07:53This can occasionally be a double-edged sword, biting back on certain comedians if they're
07:57not careful.
07:58Thankfully, the comedy of Chris Rock has managed to endure for decades at this point, from
08:02the man's line-stepping early days to the elder statesman status he enjoys today.
08:12This of course, isn't to say that Rock is past his prime.
08:16Far from it.
08:17Instead, we absolutely love going back and watching Bring the Pain or Bigger and Blacker,
08:21while at the same time anticipating what's around the corner for this comic legend.
08:25From Saturday Night Live to movies like CB4, Chris Rock will never fail to make us laugh.
08:43This queen of comedy was another icon whose career took off during the Halcyon era of
08:47the comedy album.
08:48Joan Rivers was even nominated for a Grammy in 1984 for her LP, What Becomes a Semi-Legend
08:53Most?
08:54She truly honed her craft on The Tonight Show, however, appearing and even filling in as
08:58host for Johnny Carson.
09:03Meanwhile, younger viewers will likely point to Rivers' late career resurgence on the
09:09E! Network, where her fearlessness endeared her to a whole new generation of admirers.
09:20This was one truly funny lady that helped blaze a trail for women in comedy, shattering
09:24glass ceilings with her authentic self at every turn.
09:42There are many out there who believe that the scandal surrounding Bill Cosby negates
09:46the art he put out into the world, and this is a fair and valid point, one that often
09:50comes up when discussing the separation of art from artist.
09:53Yet, there are also many comedians who probably wouldn't be doing what they're doing now
09:58without Cosby's influential work on stage, screen and television.
10:11The Cosby Show in particular changed the dynamic of how African-American families were portrayed
10:16on television.
10:17Additionally, his comedy albums and live performances from this classic era remain similarly groundbreaking
10:22and dynamic.
10:23In essence, Bill Cosby's importance to comedy is undeniable, even though his crimes remain
10:28reprehensible.
10:40There was arguably no other comedian of his day that embraced a catchphrase like Rodney
10:45Dangerfield did.
10:46Yet, to dilute this legend's career to simply getting no respect wouldn't be entirely
10:50fair.
10:51Instead, it's remarkable to re-watch Rodney Dangerfield's rapid-fire delivery and quips
11:05to this end.
11:06The man could take a very simple bit of self-deprecation and turn it into an art form, building skyscrapers
11:11of funny with building blocks of jokes.
11:18Dangerfield also had a huge acting career, appearing in such comedy hits as Caddyshack
11:22and Back to School.
11:24We think that just about everybody respects this comedy legend now.
11:36The term legend doesn't necessarily refer to the days of black-and-white television
11:40anymore.
11:41Instead, comparatively modern voices such as that of Tina Fey also earn that title,
11:46as well as the respect of their peers.
11:55Fey probably first caused a comedic stir with her writing, specifically on Saturday Night
12:00Live.
12:01She became the show's first female head writer, and eventually parlayed her success
12:04into both film and television.
12:06Fey remained grounded throughout it all, and remarkably consistent.
12:10From 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Mean Girls, she has been undefeatable and
12:15undeniable.
12:29His is a name that will always be part of discussions about the best comedians of all
12:33time.
12:34Jerry Seinfeld is basically synonymous with the art form, an endlessly influential comedian
12:38whose stand-up and sitcom have gone on to influence the cultural zeitgeist.
12:49Seinfeld's explosive success during the 1990s would see scores of clones attempt to
12:54replicate his observational style, but none could quite achieve comedy about nothing in
12:59quite the same way.
13:06So yeah, Seinfeld is unequivocally one of the goats, a man with a microphone and a seemingly
13:11endless imagination.
13:28He helped save a floundering Saturday Night Live during its infamous sixth season.
13:33He delivered one of stand-up comedy's most popular and influential specials with Delirious.
13:37Oh, and then he just managed to become one of cinema's biggest movie stars.
13:48Eddie Murphy was just a bad man, a comic that defined cool and hip for the 1980s.
13:53The man's career wasn't just about hits like Beverly Hills Cop or Trading Places,
13:57however, but rather a perfect storm of material and delivery.
14:00Eddie Murphy's swagger was uncompromised and impossible to tie down.
14:04He's a comedy rockstar with endless talent and style to spare.
14:18There are some pieces of art that fail to transcend generations and wind up forgotten
14:22by the passage of time.
14:23The comedy of Carol Burnett is not one of those things.
14:26Their sketch comedy show was insanely groundbreaking for the time, and is still very, very funny
14:31to watch today.
14:37Burnett served as a pioneer for women in comedy, while The Carol Burnett Show featured a bevy
14:42of funny co-stars, including Vicki Lawrence and Tim Conway.
14:55Burnett's knack for physical comedy was amazing, but of equal historical value was
14:59her memorable question-and-answer sessions with her studio audience.
15:03Trust us when we tell you that re-watching The Carol Burnett Show is mandatory for a
15:07balanced comedic diet.
15:23We often wonder what would have become of icons whose careers were cut short at a young
15:26age.
15:27Lenny Bruce influenced generations of comedians that grew up on the man's work during the
15:311950s and 60s.
15:33His reputation as a fearless firebrand was notable for the time, since his material would
15:37eventually go on to move the cultural needle of stand-up.
15:47These were sets that didn't rely on shtick, but rather thought-provoking wordplay with
15:51a side of envelope-pushing dialogue that some saw as vulgar.
15:55Today, the idea of a comedian actually being arrested for obscenity seems beyond the pale,
16:01but it was Bruce that paved the way for allowances afforded to stand-up purveyors today.
16:13Lucille Ball wasn't just a pretty face, or a funny face, or anything that the Hollywood
16:30system deemed appropriate for women prior to the explosion of the women's rights movement.
16:35Ball was firmly in control of her destiny as the first woman to run a major television
16:40studio, but her determination and skill never bogged down her sense of humour.
16:50I Love Lucy remains ridiculously funny, even today, while Ball's work as a physical comedian
16:56laid the groundwork for so many funny people to emerge in her wake.
17:10They call them legends for a reason, after all, and Lucille Ball was truly one of the
17:15best.
17:36The comedic voice of Robin Williams is one that's still missed on a daily basis by
17:39his fans all around the world.
17:41His body of work is much more than just feature films like Disney's Aladdin, or his sitcom
17:45Mork & Mindy.
17:55His stand-up was also hugely influential, a controlled source of chaos that possessed
18:00boundless energy and unique enthusiasm.
18:17Audiences loved holding on for dear life as Williams took them on a journey into his mind,
18:21delivering performances that remain utterly rewatchable to this day.
18:25His transition into acting may have made those stand-up dates fewer and further between,
18:29but the legacy of Robin Williams within the world of comedy remains utterly secure.
18:50There have been few comedians as skilled in the art of wordplay as George Carlin.
18:54The man made a career out of constantly pushing forward the exploration of language, how it's
18:59utilised, and how we interpret these words.
19:13Carlin could at once be both intelligent and profane, political and silly.
19:18He was unafraid to wallow in the muck of potty humour, while at the same time getting high-minded
19:23about topics of religion and sociology.
19:32This dichotomy is one of the reasons why studying Carlin's comedy is so funny, but also why
19:36it was so influential to those comics that wanted to move beyond shtick into something
19:41with a bit more bite.
20:07Okay, okay, we can't bear to keep the number one entry to ourselves any longer.
20:23The history of comedy would be incomplete without Richard Pryor.
20:27The man's influence on the art form is immeasurable, while the tragedies of his own personal life
20:31made Pryor a fascinating performer to watch on stage.
20:34His comedy never avoided the elephant in the room, and often referenced Pryor's stumbles
20:39and struggles with humility, and of course, humour.
20:53His delivery was conversational, like he was at a small party, but he could also project
20:57that massive personality with ease.
20:59Pryor, like many comedians, transitioned into TV and film projects, but it's his stand-up
21:04that put him in the history books.
21:16So who's on your Mount Rushmore of comedy?
21:19Let us know in the comments.