Summary
- John Mulaney's "Baby J" is a painfully honest and hilarious exploration of his drug problems and rehab stint, proving he's still one of the funniest comedians today.
- Norm MacDonald's "Nothing Special" is a unique and poignant special recorded from his home without an audience, showcasing his comedic genius and earning three Emmy nominations.
- Paula Poundstone's "Cats, Cops, And Stuff" demonstrates her mastery of crowd work and storytelling, making her a standup legend and a joy to watch.
The best comedy specials of all time highlight the true art form of standup comedy and the many talents in the industry. Determining the best standup special is a question that has never failed to elicit debate among long-time audiences. A lot of them come from what many consider to be comedy's Golden Age, the '70s - dominated by the likes of Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Richard Lewis, and Lenny Bruce.
Although many of the best stand-up comedy specials premiered decades ago, some of these names remain popular today - despite the 21st century introducing dozens of new contenders for stand-up comedy's greatest of all time. Indeed, even Netflix and Prime Video's comedy lineups, which constantly grow to accommodate more and more comics, can scarcely compete with the sheer demand for good comedy. However, there are a few that stand out as the best stand-up comedy specials of all time.
15 Best Comedy Movies Of All Time, Ranked
Humor is subjective but, from Airplane! to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, there are some comedy movies that everyone agrees are hilarious.20 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023)
The latest Netflix special from John Mulaney is also his most personal one to date. Though Mulaney had humorously touched on a wild past, his standup material was often very clean and gave him a similar image in the public eye. That image was shattered by the news of Mulaney returning to rehab for drug problems. In Baby J, Mulaney proceeds to be painfully and hilariously honest about his whole ordeal, from the lengths he went to get his drugs to his star-studded intervention to receiving a call from Pete Davidson in rehab. Mulaney also addressed the fact that his image has now changed dramatically, but it also proved he remains one of the funniest comedians working today.
19 Norm MacDonald: Nothing Special (2022)
The death of Norm MacDonald shocked the comedy community as the beloved comedian hid his cancer diagnosis from the public as well as many of his colleagues. However, in the months that followed his tragic death, it was revealed that MacDonald left a parting gift for his fans with the standup special Nothing Special. Unable to perform in clubs due to the COVID restrictions and his declining health. MacDonald recorded his final performance from his home without an audience. It is one of the most unique standup specials ever made, and while MacDonald doesn't address his own health, the themes explored show that he faced it with laughs as expected. The special earned three Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Variety Special.
18 Paula Poundstone: Cats, Cops, And Stuff (1990)
- No streaming options available
Paula Poundstone is not quite a household with mainstream audiences but taking a look at her special Cats, Cops, and Stuff is enough evidence as to why she is a standup legend. What is so impressive about Poundstone's work is how she is able to read the crowd so effectively. She is a master storyteller who entertains with personal and hilarious stories, is able to go on tangents outside of her prepared work, even doing some terrific crowd work, and return write back to her material. She controls the stage with such confidence and physicality that makes her a true joy to watch.
17 Eddie Murphy: Delirious (1983)
- No streaming options available
It is hard to understand just how big of a standup superstar Eddie Murphy was in the 1980s. While he was a rising movie star with movies like Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs, he was also packing stadiums for standup shows that felt more like rock concerts. While there are some incredible moments in his iconic Raw special, Delirious is a glimpse of Murphy at the peak of his stardom and at heights perhaps no other comedian has reached before or since. Murphy's energetic and hilarious performance in the famous ice cream truck bit is alone a reminder that, even with his success in movies and TV, the stand-up stage is where Murphy is at his best. It won Best Comedy Album at the 1984 Grammys.
16 Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You For The Last Time (1998)
- No streaming options available
Jerry Seinfeld may have become a huge sitcom star, but he has always been a comedian at heart and quickly returned to the stage when Seinfeld ended. I'm Telling You For the Last Time is a unique standup special that takes a look at Seinfeld's own original approach to the business. After culminating all of his best jokes into the perfect set over the years, this special finds him delivering them for the last time before retiring his best material forever and starting from scratch. He puts to use his incredible eye for observational humor with his takes on the Olympics, MacDonalds, and Halloween. Seinfeld was nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album.
15 John Mulaney: New In Town (2012)
John Mulaney's first Netflix comedy special was New In Town, and in his first special, Mulaney established a unique and hilarious voice. He relayed stories about his life from his odd anxieties like quicksand as a child to going to the doctor as an adult to try to get medication for his anxiety to trying to make a flight on Delta Airlines. He's insightful and oddly relatable, even if the audience hasn't actually been in situations he describes - the mark of a pure comic. Mulaney has also won a Peabody Award and multiple Emmys for his work on SNL.
14 Maria Bamford: Old Baby (2017)
Actor and veteran comic Maria Bamford, who also voices two characters in the Human Resources cast, makes full use of her quirky talents in Old Baby. Effortlessly, Bamford launches into multi-character scenes, hilarious explanations of deeply dark subject matters, and ultimately poignant insights on family and everyday life. Apart from Bamford's unusual style, Old Baby happens throughout a number of places - from inside and outside of Bamford's home, to a bookstore, bowling alley, and finally a proper stage. Old Baby is a must-see for long-time comedy nerds looking for actual alternative comedy. The Just for Laughs festival recognized Bamford for her unorthodox style when he was named 2016's Breakout Comedy Star of the Year.
13 Robin Williams: An Evening At The Met (1986)
- Not Currently Available to Stream
Because of the sheer success of Robin Williams' movies, younger generations are scarcely aware that Williams made his bones in stand-up. In An Evening at the Met, Williams opens with a slight against Imelda Marcos, the wife of historic Filipino dictator and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcos, and then proceeds to discuss the return of Jesus, President Reagan's tenure, the effects of marijuana, and pregnancy and childbirth. His signature rapid-fire delivery adds an exhilarating feel to go along with the big laughs. An Evening at the Met received the 1988 Grammy Award for "Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical."
12 Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis (2020)
One of the younger comics to release material worthy of ranking among the best stand-up comedy specials, Taylor Tomlinson is the mainstream voice of the youngest female Millennial comics. In Quarter-Life Crisis, Tomlinson dissects the problems of growing up in a strict Catholic household, her own romantic relationships, and personal struggles with mental health - interspersed with pop culture references and social commentary. Despite its facade of immaturity, Taylor Tomlinson's Netflix special Quarter-Life Crisis is a deeply introspective and compelling comedy routine. Tomlinson was also Just for Laughs' 2022 Breakout Comedy Star of the Year.
11 Eddie Izzard: Dress To Kill (1999)
Dress to Kill, which was recorded in San Francisco, mostly touched on religion and history. Throughout the performance, Izzard managed to retell British history right from Stonehenge all the way to the Reformation. She also mimicked French and Italian accents, then proceeded to talk about the pope and the Church Of England. Izzard also addressed the struggles as a transgender person and how it put an end to the dream of joining the military. Dress to Kill was the recipient of two separate Emmy Awards for outstanding performance and writing in 1999.
10 Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted (2015)
- Stream On Max
More popularly known as Star Trek: Discovery's Jett Reno and Army of the Dead's Peters, Tig Notaro is at the head of the wave of contemporary comedians keeping deadpan comedy popular among mainstream audiences. Nowhere is this better displayed than in the Emmy and Grammy-nominated Boyish Girl Interrupted, in which Notaro perfects her infamous running jokes about her double mastectomy, and unleashes hilarious family secrets like bargain shopping for burial plots. Boyish Girl Interrupted served as a breakout special for Notaro late in her career and earned much-deserved praise.
9 Bill Hicks: Relentless (1992)
Relentless was Hicks's last special before he succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He performed it at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada during the annual Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. The special was characterized by his trademark long pauses before delivering the punchline. One of the several stand-ups who elevated edgy '90s comedy, Hicks tackled right-wing religious institutions and criticized America's actions in the Gulf War. Richard Linklater's Bill Hicks movie plans are a testament to the longevity of Hicks' name in comedy, echoing the times he won the Critics' Award at the Edinburgh Festival and was voted as Rolling Stone magazine's "Hot Standup Comic" in 1993.
8 Trevor Noah: Lost In Translation (2015)
- Not Currently Available To Stream
Shortly before releasing his award-winning autobiography Born A Crime, comedian and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah had Lost in Translation. In it, he discussed things that have definitively shaped the NAACP Image Award-winning comedian's style - sharp socio-political observational comedy and hilarious cultural criticisms. Combined with his brilliant accent work, Noah's insights about racism and Reaganomics unravel how little America has actually changed since the Golden Age of Comedy. Mostly famous for his tenure on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah is rarely absent in debates about the best stand-up comedy specials ever.
7 Chris Rock: Bring The Pain (1996)
- Not Currently Available To Stream
This 1996 HBO special found Chris Rock at his peak. By the time the special came out, Chris Rock was already making a name for himself in movies, but Bring The Pain was what made him a superstar. In the special, Rock talked about various subjects including the controversial Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and the O.J. Simpson murder case. He also talked about dating and marriage (two subjects he enjoys touching on) as well as the different types of Black people one is likely to encounter. The latest Chris Rock Netflix special was a buzzworthy event for the comedian - but Bring the Pain cemented him as truly one of the industry greats.
6 Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (2016)
Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian who has done several specials in the last months of her pregnancy, and it all began with Baby Cobra. Brilliantly, Wong's tirades about her marriage and insights on being Asian in America culminate in a visceral, memorable routine that underscores the importance of maternity leave and women's rights in the workplace. The best part is that Ali Wong pulls it all off with the irreverent energy of a modern-day Sam Kinison.
5 Bo Burnham: what. (2013)
Before the mainstream success of Netflix's Bo Burnham: Inside and Make Happy, there was what. What makes what. stand out from other great Bo Burnham comedy specials is that this was the first time Burnham fully unleashed his unorthodox, fast-paced, and multimedia style of comedy. Using stage lights, projectors, recorded audio and video, various musical instruments and props, and sometimes the audience, Burnham's real introduction to the world was what., one of the best stand-up comedy specials for viewers looking for something significantly different from the regular fare.
4 Michelle Wolf: Joke Show (2019)
Stand-up specials typically begin with an intro or lengthy prelude about the comic with clues about what to expect - but not Joke Show. True to its name, Joke Show begins with SNL-alum Michelle Wolf immediately treading the line between funny and offensive within the first minute. Joke Show is an unfiltered look into the darkly comedic inner thoughts of one of the most prolific comedy writers of the time, with Wolf's social commentary wrapped in clever rants about the social media age.
3 George Carlin... It's Bad For Ya! (2008)
Considered by many to be the greatest stand-up comic of all time, George Carlin's funniest lines and poignant political observations peaked and ended with It's Bad for Ya, his 19th and final special. Four months after it came out, he died of heart failure at the age of 71. The stage was unique in that it was designed to represent a glamorous living room. Interestingly one of the topics Carlin addressed when the things people say when someone dies. The HBO special was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special." The accompanying comedy album also won a Grammy for "Best Comedy Album," with the award being given posthumously.
2 Ms. Pat: Y’all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? (2022)
Before The Ms. Pat Show became the first major scripted BET series to be nominated for an Emmy, Ms. Pat herself was already an underground legend in stand-up comedy, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest living storytellers. Much like the dark plot lines of The Ms. Pat Show, Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy sees Ms. Pat revealing the most outrageous stories of her childhood and teenage life. Amid jokes and real stories about prostituted women, gun violence, and other things that have made life complicated for Ms. Pat, she paints a hilariously damning picture of white America in Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy.
1 Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)
Like George Carlin, Richard Pryor is considered by many to be the greatest of all time. Both Comedy Central and Rolling Stone have ranked Pryor first in their lists of the greatest standup comics. For releasing some of the best stand-up comedy specials from the '70s, Pryor won an Emmy Award in 1973 and five Grammy Awards. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert is a masterclass in traditional stand-up: Pryor mimicked everything from dogs to himself having a heart attack, alongside what remains some of the best and most hilarious takedowns of racially-motivated police violence. MGM's Richard Pryor biopic, which is reportedly in development, is a testament to Pryor's lingering influence.