Top 20 Comedy Albums of All Time

"Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard" - Jesus

I had an absolutely terrible idea for a Top 20 list: The Top 20 Comedy Albums of All Time

• No one listens to comedy albums anymore.

• Half the albums on the list below are problematic.

• The best comedy albums are from 50 years ago.

  
  

So with that said, here you go.

20. Bobcat Goldthwaite - Meat Bob (1988)

Problematic? Despite his Police Academy persona, Goldthwaite had a mostly non-controversial career.

19. David Cross - Shut Up, You Fucking Baby (2002)

Problematic? Actually the album was a celebrated Sub Pop Release.

18. Redd Foxx - The Both Sides of Redd Foxx (1966)

Problematic? Back in the day, Redd Foxx was one of the most controversial comics in America. Today? He is considered a beloved comedy pioneer.

17. Dane Cook - Retaliation (2005)

Problematic? Dane Cook is trying to recover from being cancelled due to a very, very young girlfriend.

16. Eugene Mirman - The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman (2004)

Problematic? With hitman Yvgeny Mirminsky, on the cult Adult Swim show Delocated, as his biggest live-action acting credit, I think Mirman is much too obscure to be problematic. By all accounts, he's a super-nice guy.

15. Don Rickles - Hello Dummy! (1968)

Problematic? Don Rickles was an anomaly. "The Merchant of Venom" was almost universally beloved off-stage, often described as one of the warmest people you would ever meet.

14. Cheech and Chong - Big Bambu (1972)

Problematic? Derided as Stoner Comics, Cheech and Chong are now in their 80s and I would argue that they didn't change, the culture changed. Their career-spanning documentary came out last year to critical acclaim.

13. Norm MacDonald - Me Doing Stand-Up (2011)

Problematic? Only to friends of OJ Simpson.

12. Andrew Dice Clay - Dice Rules (1991)

Problematic? A generation ago, Andrew Dice Clay was the biggest comedian on the planet, selling out arenas and was the closest thing to a rock star in the stand-up world. Today? The equivalent of hair metal, a discarded facade, not unlike Kip Winger. You know the Diceman is still alive, right?

11. Bob Newhart - The Button-Down Man Strikes Back (1960)

Problematic? Not one bit. A nice-guy on and off the stage with funny, observational stand-up and family comedies as both parts of his legacy. He was an underrated national treasure.

10. Mitch Hedberg - Do You Believe in Gosh? (2008)

Problematic? I don't think so, Mitch Hedberg kind of disappeared from the public consciousness. I mean, heroin is bad, but I don't think of Hedberg's life or comedy as problematic.

9. Dave Chappelle - Sticks and Stones (2019)

Problematic? Not for me he's not. You got a problem with Dave Chappelle, you're a woke whiner. Am I aware that he's problematic? I think certain groups had faux outrage with Chappelle to advance their own agendas. Do you know how easy it is to avoid Dave Chappelle if you don't have Netflix?

Editor's Note: Sticks and Stones was released as a Comedy Album. But, as with all things Netflix, I believe it was only a very limited physical release in order to qualify for the Grammy Awards. (Which it won.)

8. Steve Martin - A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978)

Problematic? I don't think I've seen much controversy over Steve Martin. He is the definition of a professional comedian.

Accolades: The album made it to # 2 on the pop charts and eventually went Double Platinum.

7. Richard Pryor - Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)

Problematic? Richard Pryor's content was literally at the razor's edge. I don't hear much about Richard Pryor in today's comedy landscape.

Accolades: Won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1982.

6. George Carlin - FM & AM (1972)

Problematic? As a libertarian website, we LOVE George Carlin. Like Richard Pryor, though, his presence seems to have ebbed from popular culture.

Editor's Note II: Except for a small pocket of cultists who consider Carlin... a Prophet?

Accolades: Won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1972.

5. Chris Rock - Bigger and Blacker (1999)

Problematic? Until Chris Rock gets to punch Will Smith in the mouth, he gets a pass in my book.

Accolades: Won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 2000.

4. Sam Kinison - Have You Seen Me Lately? (1988)

Problematic? Sam Kinison was a genius. Contemporary critics? They, uh.... do not agree.

Accolades:  Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1988. The album eventually went Gold.

3. Eddie Murphy - Eddie Murphy (1982)

Problematic? There's a lot of crap online that Murphy's material didn't age well. That's preposterous, Murphy is one of the Top 3 Stand-Up comedians of all time. This album was Murphy's bombastic introduction to America.

Accolades: The album went Platinum, meaning it sold over a MILLION COPIES. Murphy's debut sold the same as releases in 1982 by established musical artists like Eddie Money, The Gap Band, and Crosby, Stills, & Nash.

2. Denis Leary - No Cure for Cancer (1992)

Problematic? Every time I profess my love for this album, someone yells at me "have you ever heard of Bill Hicks?"

<sigh>

Accolades: Peaked at # 85 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart.

1. Bill Cosby - Wonderfulness (1966)

Problematic? Cosby's comedy was Americana.

His personal life? A complete list of the 60 Bill Cosby accusers and their reactions to his prison sentence.

Accolades: Won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1967 while peaking at # 7 on the album charts. Between 1965-1970, Bill Cosby won the Best Comedy Album category an astounding 6 years in a row.