There is no objectively settled list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. The title refers to Rolling Stone’s 2017 ranking, which the Television Academy confirms placed Richard Pryor first and George Carlin second. The available record does not establish the other 48 positions or Rolling Stone’s scoring method, so a complete roster should not be reconstructed from guesswork.
What the “50 best” ranking means
An all-time ranking is an editorial argument, not a measurement of who made the most people laugh. “Greatest,” “funniest,” “most influential,” and “best special” ask different questions: a career-wide list can weigh the quality and breadth of a comic’s stand-up, originality, writing and delivery, storytelling and stagecraft, longevity, influence, and cultural impact. Those are useful comparison criteria, but they are not a verified formula used by Rolling Stone.
Comparisons across generations also involve different routes to an audience. One current editorial overview frames the shift as an evolution from clubs, albums, and television toward cable and filmed specials, and then streaming, podcasts, and social media. That is context for how reach and influence can look different over time—not a quantified industry finding or an explanation of Rolling Stone’s method.
The two positions confirmed in Rolling Stone’s 2017 list
1. Richard Pryor
The Television Academy identifies Pryor as a stand-up comedian, actor, and social critic whose work examined racism and contemporary issues through observation and storytelling. Its biography confirms he ranked first in Rolling Stone’s 2017 list and records concert works including Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) and Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982). The Academy also notes that Pryor received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. Television Academy: Richard Pryor.
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The Academy biography says, “He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time.” That assessment captures why a career-wide judgment can extend beyond joke writing alone: subject matter, narrative voice, and influence are part of the case for greatness.
2. George Carlin
The Television Academy confirms that Carlin ranked second in Rolling Stone’s 2017 list. It describes a body of work spanning black comedy and commentary on politics, language, psychology, religion, and taboo subjects. His “seven dirty words” routine was central to the U.S. Supreme Court case FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978), making the routine a notable point where stand-up and public debate intersected. Television Academy: George Carlin.
The Academy records 14 HBO stand-up specials and says the first was filmed in 1977. Among the identified later specials is It’s Bad for Ya!. The figure describes the Academy’s record of Carlin’s HBO specials; it is not a count of every recorded performance or an assertion about present-day availability.
Why the rest of the list cannot be filled in reliably
The original Rolling Stone archive page was not accessible in the available record. Search indexing and the Television Academy biographies verify the 2017 feature’s title and the first two places, but not the remaining 48 names or the magazine’s methodology. A list assembled from memory or another publication would risk passing off a different ranking as Rolling Stone’s.
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There is a similarly titled but separate program: British Comedy Guide describes a three-hour Channel 5 countdown of 50 comics that aired in 2013. Its examples include Tommy Cooper, Victoria Wood, Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, and Jo Brand. That broadcast is not the Rolling Stone feature, and the presence of a comic in one does not establish a position in the other. British Comedy Guide: 50 Best Stand Up Comedians.
How to compare all-time greats without pretending the answer is objective
A more useful discussion starts by naming the question being asked. A ranking of career achievement may privilege sustained work and cultural reach; a ranking of influence may emphasize changes other comics adopted; a list of the funniest performers may depend more heavily on taste and timing. A current Comedyville ranking distinguishes “greatest,” “funniest,” and “most influential,” a helpful editorial distinction rather than evidence of a universal standard. Comedyville: Best Comedians of All Time.
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- Body of stand-up work: Consider the range and consistency of material across a career, rather than judging only one famous routine.
- Originality and influence: Ask whether a performer introduced approaches that later comics developed, while separating influence from personal preference.
- Performance craft: Writing, timing, storytelling, voice, and stage presence can matter in different proportions for different performers.
- Longevity and cultural reach: Account for how long a comic worked and how audiences encountered the work in that era, without treating access to newer media as proof of greater talent.
These dimensions make disagreement clearer rather than eliminating it. They can explain why two informed lists differ, but they should not be mistaken for a numerical score or for criteria Rolling Stone publicly applied.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Performances named in the record
The Television Academy biographies identify specific recordings for readers who want to encounter the performers’ work directly: Pryor’s Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) and Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), and Carlin’s HBO special It’s Bad for Ya!. These are documented performances, not claims that a particular edition is currently available to stream or buy.
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