Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney premiered this week, so with that in mind, our writers discussed some of their favorite stand-up specials of all time! Let us know your favorite @SiftPop!
When you make a list about the best stand-up, Robin Williams has to be on it. If you have only ever seen his movies, and none of his stand-up, then you are missing out. An Evening at the Met is his special from 1986, where Williams takes to the stage at the Metropolitan Opera House as energetic as ever, and brings down the house. He covers topics from alcohol, to drugs, to politics, to private parts, and finally finishing off talking about being a father. This special will have you rolling on the floor in tears. It was my intro into his stand-up in middle school — I memorized his bits about people who smoke marijuana, whether God gets stoned, because I listened to them so much. Having also watched Weapons of Self-Destruction a few times, Williams was a brilliant comedian, and the world may never see another like him. (Austen Terry)
There aren’t many comedians as prolific and consistently funny as Jim Gaffigan. Ever since I was introduced to him and his quirky inner monologue voice as a guest on The Bob & Tom Show, Gaffigan’s been an absolute favorite of mine, and Beyond the Pale is a comedic masterpiece, and his magnum opus. There are so many iconic bits in this show. From crusading against Cinnabon, to lampooning American eating habits as a whole, no one outside of John Pinette (R.I.P.) has done more for food-based comedy. I mean, to this day, I challenge you to say, “Hot Pockets!” without throwing your voice up multiple octaves in a sing-song manner. Throw in some Catholic guilt for dessert, and you’ve got a real winner. (Jake Bourgeois)
If you want to see a master at work, and the origins of why someone would be cast as Anger in the Inside Out movies, watch Lewis Black’s special Black on Broadway. I constantly quote his jokes about politics, milk, and firefighters. He doesn’t often wade into controversial topics, but when he does, he comes out swinging. With his signature yelling and deadpan delivery, Black is the king of angry comedy. He taps into some of the most frustrating parts of society, and still manages to keep us rolling on the floor. This is a DVD I wore out when I had physical media, and one that I continue to listen to on Spotify when I’m in need of cheering up. (Mike Hilty)
I have not watched too many stand-up specials, but nostalgia brings the Blue Collar Comedy Tour rushing back. This special made huge waves on the Comedy Central circuit 20 years ago, with a fresh brand of comedy coming from the Heartland. One of the nice things about it is that it offers up four different styles in one funny package. “You just might be a redneck.” “Here’s your sign.” “Git-R-Done.” “They call me Tater Salad.” The combo of Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White captures a different type of life than many other stand-up comedians. They each have their own schtick, but they come together in universal and collective themes that make a large group of people feel seen. The group ran it back a few different times, but this first outing shows the fresh novelty of silly wordplay, observational humor, character work, and drunken escapades in spades. (Shane Conto)
When his second HBO special, Chris Rock: Bring the Pain,was released in 1996, Rock’s comedic career was on the rise. He exploded onto the scene tackling race relations and other topical current events with an energy that practically jumps off the stage and into your living room. Even viewers that are sketchy on the finer points of the Million Man March, or unfamiliar with the name Marion Barry and the political climate of the late ‘90s, can enjoy Rock’s routine because of skill in his delivery of a well-crafted story. Upon this special’s release, Rock received mostly positive praise for his humorous insights on prison, dating, marriage, and observations about the O.J. Simpson trial, with only one bit being overly criticized for the controversial use of language. To his credit, Rock responded by never telling that joke again, despite its popularity, because he didn’t want others misinterpreting his comedy as an excuse to use that verbiage in a racist manner. (Patrice Downing)
Right off the bat, I will say Eddie Murphy’s Delirious has not aged particularly well, especially the opening bit. Murphy has apologized numerous times for being misinformed and ignorant about some of his jokes. I’m glad he’s acknowledged it, and has some time to reflect on both this special and Raw. With that being said, the jokes about the ice cream truck and his mom throwing a shoe at him are some of the best jokes of all time. Through his expert use of impressions and delivery, Murphy proves why he’s one of the best stand-up comedians of all time. If there’s anyone who should come back and do a couple stand-up comedy specials for one last run, it’s him. From the iconic red suit to his singing capabilities, Murphy proves he’s a jack of all trades when it comes to stand-up comedy specials. (Mike Hilty)
Joan Rivers: a pioneer in female stand-up comedy, protege of the late great Johnny Carson, the first woman to ever host a late night TV talk show, and unarguably the Grand Dame of insult comics. She hosted countless specials, television shows, parades, and awards receptions, and in her final stand-up special, Joan Rivers: Don’t Start With Me, she proved at the age of 79, she was still just as sharp-witted, salacious, and salty as ever. Not afraid to back down from being brass and bawdy, Rivers shoots one-liners at such an expedient rate you’ll catch something new on every watch. Never one to shy away from any topic, this time around, she takes on family, celebrity friends, Hollywood glitterati, politics, and the annoyances of being married to an amputee. Her sassy and sardonic style may not be for everyone, but as she herself stated before beginning the show, “LIGHTEN UP! They’re just jokes!” (Patrice Downing)
Where exactly is the line between stand-up and improv comedy? I’m not answering that question’ I just wanted to throw it out there. Because while there is a firm foundation Eddie Izzard adheres to in her comedy, if you watch more than one show of any given tour, you might come away with as many different shows as you’ve seen. Dress to Kill is undoubtedly the go-to show when people talk about her comedy, covering life’s biggest concepts: religion, empires, and the idea of aspiring to something like the American Dream. The enormous amount of energy she puts into this show is infectious, and its runtime seems to fly by as a result. The amount of throwaway lines that are comic brilliance is off the charts, and still somehow it all feels entirely of a piece with itself. Not just one of the greatest specials ever recorded, but one of those pieces of art that should be seen even by those who aren’t fans of the medium. (Chris Bakker)
One of the words that’s often thrown around when it comes to performers is “fearless;” especially when it comes to comedians, it’s used to refer to those who’ll say anything and don’t care about how the audience reacts. Oftentimes, especially these days, that just means the comedian’s going to be bigoted in some way, but Patrice O’Neal might be the embodiment of the fearless comic in a way that never seems to truly punch down. More often than not, he’s the butt of the joke, rather than the people he’s talking about, and the strongest parts of the show — like his bit on search efforts for missing persons — tend to focus on broader cultural issues, rather than individual specifics. We lost Patrice far too young, and it’s a shame we only got this one special out of him, but a 100% hit rate is nothing to sneeze at. (Chris Bakker)
In a career that spans five decades, and HBO specials between 1976 and 2008, it’s difficult to pinpoint when George Carlin was at his peak, because his style changed quite drastically several times over. There are people who prefer the silly side of Carlin, and there are those who hold his position as something of a philosopher in high regard. Personally, I can’t think of a single special I don’t at least enjoy, but Jammin’ in New York from 1992 feels like it’s in the early stages of his last career turn, and it might be my favorite. His entire run in the ‘90s is brilliant, but the anger hasn’t fully settled yet in New York, where his deconstruction of culture starts to get going on housing issues and golf courses, and there are still those little areas of his former self shining through in bits, like “those little experiences we all have.” If you’d only want to watch a single Carlin special to see what he was like, I’d make it this one. (Chris Bakker)
I feel like every list of the greats should make at least a little bit of room for young blood, but I don’t have to do a lot of flattery to make Sam Morril fit this category. The Internet age — specifically the age of YouTube — has given young comics a lot of opportunities, and I Got This is to my mind one of the best debut specials in a very, very long time. Filmed in a comedy club rather than a theatre, it’s got a very casual feel, which perfectly matches Morril’s dry, casual style. From discussing how low the bar is for being a good guy, all the way to the story of Cleveland’s White Knight, I Got This is one of the most joke-dense specials out there, and it gets there in only 45 minutes. Keep your eye on this guy; he’s going places. (Chris Bakker)
Ah, the man behind the reason for this list. Looking back, Kid Gorgeous is quite ahead of its time. Before short films were winning Oscars for failing a CAPTCHA test, John Mulaney (like the rest of us) was stressing out about them and how much computers were controlling us. The show also sheds light on Mulaney’s time as writer on Saturday Night Live in an era when Mulaney is now one of the more reliably excellent hosts the show consistently taps. The real gem, though, is “Stranger Danger,” where Mulaney recounts the annual J.J. Bittenbinder and his annual visit on the topic. We all sat through our fair share of awkward P.S.A.-style assemblies that seem extra weird in hindsight, but there’s something about the way he recounts the annual ordeal, complete with a great Chicago accent, that makes this particular retelling just so memorable. “Street smarts!” (Jake Bourgeois)
Perhaps no one has burst on to the comedy scene quite as spectacularly over the past five years than Taylor Tomlinson. I mean, she even beat Mulaney to the talk show host punch. While I was tempted to go with her debut special, Quarter-Life Crisis, I decided to go with her sophomore effort, Look at You. Mental health has become a big part of her stand-up routine, and there’s some gold here. From the relative merits of peanut butter as a cure for depression, and opening up about her bipolar diagnosis, taking a deep dive into the topic has helped her really find her stride as one of the most popular comedians going. (Jake Bourgeois)
Let’s be real: If we were broadening this out to comedy specials in general, Inside is the clear pick for Bo Burnham. He just keeps getting funnier as he develops more projects. However, if we’re keeping things just to stand-up, I’m going back one to his third special, Make Happy. With Burnham, a lot of the comedy comes from the songs, and at least three of his best come here. He skewers modern country with his own version of a “Country Song,” and takes down inspirational pop songs with “Kill Yourself.” The biting commentary of “(If You Want Love) Lower Your Expectations” is perhaps the best of the bunch for the strongest collection of Burnham songs eligible for this list. For me, the darker he gets, the sharper and funnier the commentary — something just emphasized by his followup project. (Jake Bourgeois)
One of the great losses to the stand-up comedy seen, the far-too-early death of Mitch Hedberg still stings 20 years later. But at least we have a couple great albums/specials with which to remember him by, most notably Mitch All Together. For the uninitiated, Mitch’s style of humor consists of dry one-liners and quick setup/punchline jokes that move from one to the other with no connective tissue or pause. Watching Hedberg is an almost surreal experience, as you can see he’s uncomfortable and hear his stuttering. But it’s that very awkward stage presence, in combination with his relentless dry, absurdist humor, that makes for a whirlwind of hilarity if you can get on his wavelength. Rest in peace, Mitch. (Heath Lynch)
Yeah, I’m just going to say it: Mike Birbiglia is the greatest stand-up comedian working today. This might be controversial, because there are a lot of great talents out there, and Birbiglia is far from the most famous or popular, but he is the best. He imbues his specials with such emotional catharsis, elevating the craft so much that he’s not just telling jokes — he’s making art. Whether it’s about adolescence, marriage, or middle-aged acceptance of your own mortality, Birbiglia’s specials accomplish so much more than any of his peers. Arguably, his greatest special is The New One, a true treasure that explores all the intricacies and humor in having a kid and becoming a parent. It doesn’t matter if he’s talking about all the stupid toys that you buy for your little rugrat, how your home becomes a Petri dish for disease, or how having a child completely changes your relationship with your spouse, this special is equal parts hilarious and horrifyingly true-to-life. It’ll have you crying, both tears of laughter and understanding. Beautiful and side-splitting all at the same time, The New One is one of the high water marks of modern stand-up comedy. (Heath Lynch)
If you’re like me, you think comedy is at its best when there’s a little bit of a point to it. There are plenty of comedic geniuses whose jokes are wonderfully crafted and have you laughing every 12 seconds for the entire hour, but much more rare are the comedians who can make you laugh like that, but like to build in little things that make you feel other feelings. At first glance, you might not expect Randy — a purple, felt puppet — to be the latter, but Randy Writes a Novel is a show about that puppet’s struggles with the value of his art. Is it only art if it’s experienced by an audience, and why is it so hard to create a thing, but even more difficult to decide to share it with the world? These questions take Randy from his own fears, to the abuse of Harper Lee, to the life of Ernest Hemingway, and ultimately to the by-now legendary story of Morgan’s bookshelf. Randy Writes a Novel isn’t the most joke-dense comedy special of all time, but it certainly is one of the most unique, and it’s all the stronger for it. (Chris Bakker)
Stand-up specials run across a wide spectrum, ranging anywhere from safe and cliché to edgy raunch I wouldn’t want my mother to know I thought was funny. Nate Bargazte hits the sweet spot in the middle, delivering family-friendly content in his trademark deadpan storytelling style. In his second one-hour special, Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid, Bargatze covers a whole new collection of experiences questioning the ridiculousness of everything from backyard family weddings, whether or not you have a friend that would be willing to help you bury a horse, how to explain the family pet is dying to a child, and of course, the way his wife chooses to convey information regarding a flight in the most logical format possible. Bargatze has a refreshing style of explaining his perspective on everyday interactions, highlighting the humor of the situation without mocking the individuals involved (except for himself) that make for an enjoyable, guilt-free watch. The special also ends with the added bonus of followup to a few of his most popular stories, told during his appearance on Netflix’s The Stand-ups, “Ice Coffee with Milk” and “The Cape Fear Serpentarium,” along with a few pictures in the credits worth sticking around to see. Keeping it clean doesn’t mean you have to reduce the laughs-per-minute, and Baragtze is a perfect example of being able to have your cake and eat it too, as long as it’s served with a frosty cold glass of milk on ice. (Patrice Downing)
It might not be entirely nice of me to say, but Bill Burr was funnier before he started working on his anger issues. Fortunately, Why Do I Do This? was early enough in his career that he didn’t start unpacking them in his show too badly yet, either. It’s probably the best example of a comedian just riffing on stage, or at least that’s what Burr manages to make it feel like. Things like the racial separation in sports, and by extension the way it’s portrayed in movies and the media, feel like a guy at a bar saying, “Hear me out on this for a second” in the best possible way. The tightrope Burr walks talking about contentious issues like that as a white guy is possibly even more impressive than the observations himself, but it’s exactly that skill that has him winning over the audience after every outlandish thing that comes out of his mouth. (Chris Bakker)