Depending on your age, the 1980s either seem like the wheelhouse of your childhood that you miss more than anything. Otherwise, the 80s was a far off distant past that may as well be ancient history.
Fortunately, nostalgia is alive and well and many folks look back, even on ancient history with rose-colored glasses. And in the case of the 80s, it would be neon sunglasses, a fanny pack, some cool laser background in your photos, and a boombox.
Aside from ridiculously awesome fashion, many consider the 80s the golden age of stand-up comedy. Comedians who are widely respected and famous now got their start then. So, let us take a trip back in time. Hop in your DeLorean, and let’s go back to find out:
The top 10 comedians of the 1980s!
10. Sam Kinison
One word, friends: KINISON. You can already hear the yelling, the Devil, the screeching. Kinison was a force to be reckoned with, and completely off the rails. His exhausting energy and wordplay made him an instant sell-out everywhere he went. Kinison was even a popular Halloween costume for Dads across the country, who wore trench coats and headbands to mimic their favorite wildman.
9. Roseanne Barr
Before she was simply the ubiquitous “Roseanne,” Ms. Bar was lighting up stages across America in an unprecedented fashion. With her brash style, relatable life, and outrageously funny perspective on the mundane, Roseanne was one of the very few women who not only succeeded on stage but translated that to mainstream adoration. Barr will go down as one of the most famous comedians of all-time, due in part to the sitcom named for her that ran for over 10 years with many of the ideas for that show coming from her days working the road.
8. Bill Hicks
Hicks is widely known as a “cult favorite,” but this is largely because he died before he became a household name. Introspective, intelligent, and incredibly hilarious, Hicks was the stand-up equivalent of what the band Nirvana was like for music. He was ahead of his time and gone way too soon.
7. Robin Williams
We know… crazy, right? All these amazing stand-up comedians and then we drop the Williams bomb on you. The undeniable, high speed, wacky, ridiculous, and funny Williams is one of the most talented human beings to walk the planet… and the stand-up stage. Already uber-famous from television shows like Mork and Mindy, Williams crushed every performance he ever did with manic energy and brilliant comic timing.
6. Eddie Murphy
Nothing gets bigger than Eddie Murphy’s glorious 1980s stand-up comedy special “RAW.” It was all that and then some… and a bag of chips. Featuring incredibly racy humor for the time, the special sent shockwaves throughout the stand-up comedy and pop culture world, at once cementing him as one of the all-time greats. Movie fame and fortune aside, you still can’t beat the all leather, all-star performance of Murphy during his big-screen specials.
5. Ellen DeGeneres
Before she became one of the most famous daytime variety show hosts of all time, she was pounding the pavement at coffee houses and nightclubs everywhere. DeGeneres was even named “Funniest Person Alive” in 1984 and could be in the running for that title still today. Though unusual to see headlining females back in the day, DeGeneres proved that not only could she play with the big boys, but she was also a lot funnier than them, too.
4. Andrew “Dice” Clay
Hickory, Dickory, Dock…let’s rewind the clock! If you did not know dirty nursery rhymes and the absurd catchphrase “Ohhhhhhh!” in the 80s, you lived under a rock. “Dice” Clay was as popular as the President back in the day. Clay even recently joked that President Trump “stole my whole act” to get into the White House. Bonus: The sound effect for the hit song “Unbelievable” by the band EMF even featured a sound effect of Clay doing what else, shouting his catchphrase “Ohhhhhhh!”
3. Rodney Dangerfield
Wait for it…wait for is…. “HE GETS NO RESPECT!” Probably one of the most popular catchphrases of the decade and beyond – Rodney Dangerfield didn’t become nationally famous until he was in his later years, but when he took the spotlight, it was hard to get it away from him. From the stage to the screen and soon a pop-culture icon, Dangerfield was trolling audiences from the stage long before his hit movies like Caddyshack and Easy Money.
2. George Carlin
The godfather of comedy himself, George Carlin was at what most of his fans call his “peak funny,” in the 1980s. Sold out shows from coast to coast with his trademark shaggy beard and hair – many went to see Carlin for a taste of the hippie lifestyle, with a whole helping of intellectual awesomeness.
1. Jerry Seinfeld
Before he made a show about absolutely nothing and was considered as the greatest stand-up comedian of all time, Jerry Seinfeld was an up and coming comic, focused on the smokey comedy clubs of New York. Often doing multiple open-mic (see: very low or completely unpaid) shows per night, Seinfeld perfected his craft during the 80s, all the way up to his very first performance on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show in 1981.
Stand-up comedy has certainly changed in many ways, with more people than ever interested in one of the last true live artforms.
From Seinfeld to Roseanne and everyone in between, we can all agree that the “Golden Age” of stand-up was in the 1980s. The decade was filled with larger than life personalities, characters, and most importantly: damn funny jokes.
Do we wish we could go back to the 80s and relive the greatness in person? Sure – but thankfully, we all have something a little better: YouTube.
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I’m the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year; scouring the internet – like we did the Sears Catalog of yesteryear – for the next great treasure, awaiting the arrival of the postman as if he was Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!