Comedy has been around for ages. From the early days of the Greek theatre to sketch comedy on Vine, we’ve been trying to make each other laugh for centuries — and some of us are better at it than others. What’s great about comedy is that it’s so subjective. The most highly-rated comic in the world may be the most unfunny person to you, and vice versa. Everyone interprets jokes and boundaries differently, making comedy a vast, multi-faceted field.

It can take years for a comic to really hone their craft and carveout a space for themselves in the game. From the people trying to make it in your local comedy club, to the big names selling out arenas, there’s a lot of hard work involved no matter how you cut it. If you’re a fan of comedy, you’ve likely been to a few live shows or watched your fair share of stand-up specials. There are so many great ones out there — too many to choose from, really. That said, these are seven of the best.

7 Chris Rock: Bring the Pain

     DreamWorks Pictures

Bring the Pain premiered on HBO in 1996 and was Chris Rock’s second comedy special for the network. People knew his name and liked his work after his 1994 special Big Ass Jokes, but Bring the Pain helped make him one of the most popular comedians in the country. Rock went on to win two Emmys for the special in 1997, and when he released his comedy album Roll With the New that featured sketches from Bring the Pain, he received the Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album.

In Bring the Pain, Rock commands the stage with his high-energy and witty, well-timed jokes from start to finish. He covers topics like the O.J. Simpson murder trial, drugs, race relations in America and relationships. The best way to describe Bring the Pain is “classic.” The jokes are constant and well-written and are so good that even today, almost 30 years later, they’re still funny. The special was so good and successful, in the fact that it led to Rock getting a weekly talk show — The Chris Rock Show — at HBO, and also boosted his acting career.

6 Bill Burr: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way

     Netflix

Bill Burr’s special I’m Sorry You Feel That Way released on Netflix in 2014 and was shot in black and white, which isn’t something you typically see in modern day comedy specials. Bill Burr is known for playing a sort of character in his specials; specifically that loud guy at a bar who comes up to you to just rant and ramble about everything and nothing at the same time, who lacks both political correctness and genuine logic.

Burr’s personality and his comedy have a real punch that makes him stand out among other comedians out there. His sets are fluid and well-written, covering topics like growing up, religion, population control and his scary experiences flying. What’s so good about I’m Sorry You Feel That Way is that because it’s in black and white and such a minimal production, it forces you to focus exclusively on Burr’s set and it really works in his favor and showcases just how talented and entertaining he can be.

5 Robin Williams: A Night at The Met

     Columbia/Legacy

A Night at The Met is Robin Williams’ third comedy album and was released in 1986 featuring sketches recorded from his live performance at The Metropolitan Opera House in NYC. A Night at The Met was actually one of Williams’ last big stage performances during the 1980s as he started shifting his focus more toward acting.

Williams was known for his quick-witted humor, voice work, and unstoppable energy. During the special, he works the entire stage and makes great use of grand hand gestures and facial expressions to convey emotion and energy to the point where you can’t take your eyes off of him. A Night at The Met includes sketches about drugs and alcohol, parenting and various world affairs at the time. You can listen to the album and still enjoy it and get a few good laughs in, but when tuning into a Williams special, it’s a much better experience to see him with your eyes, because the way he commanded a room was something else.

4 Eddie Murphy Raw

     Paramount Pictures

Eddie Murphy Raw was Murphy’s second feature stand up special, premiering in 1987, and received a wide theatrical release. Raw is unique in that it includes Eddie Murphy’s live stage routine, as well as various sketches that showcase his hilarious voice and character work. Raw covers subjects like relationships, divorce, and memories from Murphy’s childhood. Given that it was the ’80s, there’s a lot of content that hasn’t aged that well today. The language throughout is also pretty filthy, so if that’s something that really bothers you, you likely won’t find this special funny. That said though, Raw received widely positive reviews and became the highest grossing stand-up comedy concert film ever released.

3 Bo Burnham: what.

Bo Burnham is an impressive talent, from Words, Words, Words to his newest creation Inside, Burnham has released a breadth of work, all of it unique and engaging. what. is his special from 2013, and it consists of a little bit of everything — in true Burnham fashion. There’s musical comedy, props, miming, observational jokes, and generally meta comedy that makes you both laugh and think. what. is somewhat unfocused — which may be purposeful — but even though it may lack a true throughline, it still manages to deliver laughs. In a way, what. and Burnham’s 2016 special Make Happy, were stepping stones that allowed him to grow and change over the years to later create something as meaningful and masterful as Inside in 2021.

2 George Carlin: Jammin’ in New York

     Eardrum/Atlantic Records

When talking about comedians, George Carlin is often regarded as one of the most influential stand-up comics of all time. Known for his dark humor, reflections on politics, psychology and religion, and his no-holds-barred approach to topics deemed “taboo,” Carlin truly broke ground in his routines and elevated the world of stand-up.

Jammin’ in New York was his 14th album and eighth HBO special, releasing in 1992. Carlin touches on politics, the Persian Gulf War, the media, various social issues and the human condition as a whole. Carlin’s strategy of taking his anger about the issues at hand and using them to fuel his routine is one of the big factors that makes him stand out as a comedic force that has shaped the performances of those that came after him.

1 John Mulaney: New in Town

John Mulaney and his milquetoast, boyish looks and personality — which is often the focal point of his jokes — is always a hit. Premiering in 2012 on Netflix, New in Town touches on topics like life in NYC, old murder investigations, his childhood, and getting older. It’s funny, relatable, and full of hilarious one-liners. It’s truly one of those specials that you can watch over and over and still laugh at each time. Mulaney has two other specials on Netflix — The Comeback Kid and Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. Both are equally funny, but New in Town is the true stand-out. It’s laugh-out-loud funny for the entire hour and one of those specials that leaves you wanting more when it’s over, not because it was lacking, but because it was just that good.