The Top 10 Stand-Up Comedy Videos On YouTube

By Steven Campbell, MakeUseOf – September 15, 2010 at 11:31AM

comedy videos Do you like to laugh? Of course you do. That’s like asking somebody if they enjoy breathing. There are lots of things on the interweb that exist just for that very purpose – to make us laugh. You can find hilarious images, videos, cartoons, shows, sketches, stories, anything you can imagine, and some stuff you can’t. Here at MUO, we even have an entire section of our website devoted to Geeky Fun.

You know what else exists for our amusement? YouTube. That’s right, the third most visited site on the Internet is a laugh factory, but I don’t have to tell you that. Out of all the most popular content on YouTube, it is the funniest stuff that usually goes viral.

Needless to say, I had a lot of fun researching this article. Stand-up comedy is entertainment in its truest form, and I am a big fan. So without further ado, here are the top 10 stand-up comedy videos on YouTube.

Criteria For The List

This is not just a list of the 10 most-viewed stand-up comedy videos on YouTube. I don’t think that’s fair, especially if some videos were uploaded years before others or cleverly marketed in some way. I also won’t be featuring multiple videos by the same comedian.

Like I said, I did research. Everybody’s sense of humor is different of course, but I feel like I’ve picked 10 individuals who are pretty funny and I invite you to check out their other videos. This list includes some of the best comedians of all-time, as well as some you may have never heard of.

Some of the content contains some harsh language, but let’s be honest, you probably expected that. If you didn’t, my apologies.

Now that we’ve got the technicalities out of the way, onto the laughter.

10. Demetri Martin – Large Pad

Demetri Martin is famous for his large pad. He has an interesting take on the world around us (as do the others on this list) and is a good starting point if you’re looking for a laugh.

9. Jim Gaffigan – Holiday Traditions

Jim Gaffigan is a solid stand-up comedian. Here’s a clip from one of his specials in which he talks about our holiday traditions that don’t necessarily make much sense logically.

8. Steven Wright – The Complete Works

Steven Wright is one of the most underrated comedians out there. This is an old video of him, but the content is still hilarious.

7. Chris Rock – Crazy Kids

I felt like I had to fit Chris into my list of top videos, so here is a short clip from one of his stand-up specials, in which he talks about the crazy kids who made the news back when this special took place.

6. Mitch Hedberg Stand-up

When he was alive, Mitch Hedberg was one cool cat. This video is from a short performance he did on the Late Show. There aren’t many high-quality videos of Mitch left on YouTube, but this is one of the ones that has received the most attention.

5. Jim Carrey – Canada

I bet you didn’t know Jim Carrey did stand-up. Well as you can imagine, he was pretty great at it. Here’s a video clip from his special where he talks about growing up in Canada, something else you may not have known about him.

4. Lewis Black on Nuclear Holocaust

Lewis Black is another comedian who is beginning to become hugely popular. In this video, he talks about how ridiculous school was as a kid, especially the preparation for bomb and fire drills.

3. Louis CK – Children and Their Secrets

Louis CK is well on his way to being the next George Carlin in my book. In this video, he talks about children and the not-so-important things they try to tell you. Just a small glimpse of the comedic genius of Louis CK.

2. Dave Chappelle – Sesame Street

Dave is one of the funniest people walking the planet. In this video, he talks about how watching the shows we used to watch as kids can be very different as an adult. His example, Sesame Street. A similar video has nearly 7.5 million views on YouTube, but it features a picture slideshow instead of video.

1. George Carlin on Our Similarities

And at number 1, the best comedian of all-time as far as I’m concerned, Mr. George Carlin. I was lucky enough to see George in person before he “passed away” and he did not disappoint. In this video, he talks about those little things that we all have in common. Pure genius.

Conclusion

I’ll be honest. I’ve always wanted to make a list like this, and now I’ve got the opportunity to do so. Like I said, I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy, so I know I’ve left a lot of great comedians off of this list. If you’d like to see more, continue searching YouTube. It’s a goldmine.

Did you laugh? If so, share this with your friends/followers! Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image Credit: mindelei

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