What makes a stand-up comedian influential? It’s not just the laughs — it’s their ability to shift the culture, break the rules, inspire new voices, and leave a legacy that echoes through every mic-drop moment.

From the pioneers who revolutionized free speech on stage to modern masters pushing comedy into uncharted territory, these comedians didn’t just tell jokes, they redefined the art of stand-up.

Here are the most influential stand-up comedians of all time, and why their impact still matters today.

1. Richard Pryor

Years Active: 1963–2005
Why is he one of the most influential stand-up comedians of all time: Pryor didn’t just perform comedy, he lived it. His brutally honest takes on race, addiction, and identity reshaped the boundaries of what stand-up could be. Pryor’s storytelling, vulnerability, and wit made him not just a comedian but a cultural voice.

Inspired: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart
Essential Watch: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)

2. George Carlin

Years Active: 1956–2008
Why He’s Influential: Carlin was a linguistic genius and one of comedy’s sharpest cultural critics. His “Seven Dirty Words” bit sparked a Supreme Court case, and his late-career specials remain masterclasses in sociopolitical commentary.

Inspired: Bill Maher, Louis C.K., John Oliver
Essential Watch: Jammin’ in New York (1992)

3. Joan Rivers

Years Active: 1965–2014
Why She’s Influential: A trailblazer for women in comedy, Joan Rivers fearlessly roasted everyone, including herself. She broke into the male-dominated late-night scene and laid the groundwork for generations of fearless, edgy comics.

Inspired: Kathy Griffin, Amy Schumer, Nikki Glaser
Essential Watch: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (documentary)

4. Dave Chappelle

Years Active: 1991–present
Why He’s Influential: Chappelle brings philosophy, race, politics, and absurdity into the comedy mainstream. From Chappelle’s Show to his Netflix specials, he’s made stand-up feel like public discourse and controversy.

Inspired: Jerrod Carmichael, Mo Amer, Shane Gillis
Essential Watch: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation (2017)

5. Lenny Bruce

Years Active: 1947–1966
Why He’s Influential: Before Carlin, there was Lenny Bruce — arrested repeatedly for obscenity, he fought for comedians’ right to speak freely on stage. He made stand-up dangerous and defiant.

Inspired: George Carlin, Bill Hicks, every comic with a political edge
Essential Watch: Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (1998)

6. Eddie Murphy

Years Active: 1980s–present
Why He’s Influential: With Delirious and Raw, Eddie brought swagger, style, and cinematic energy to the stage. At just 22, he became a stand-up superstar and broke barriers for Black comedians in film and TV.

Inspired: Kevin Hart, Chris Tucker, Trevor Noah
Essential Watch: Delirious (1983)

7. Robin Williams

Years Active: 1976–2014
Why He’s Influential: Robin turned stand-up into performance art — fast, wild, unpredictable. His mix of characters, energy, and improvisation reshaped what live comedy could look like.

Inspired: Jim Carrey, Bo Burnham, Russell Brand
Essential Watch: Live at the Met (1986)

8. Chris Rock

Years Active: 1984–present
Why He’s Influential: Chris Rock blends razor-sharp social commentary with electric stage presence. His specials like Bring the Pain redefined 1990s stand-up and gave voice to a generation grappling with race, class, and identity.

Inspired: Hasan Minhaj, W. Kamau Bell, Roy Wood Jr.
Essential Watch: Bring the Pain (1996)

9. Hannah Gadsby

Years Active: 2006–present
Why She’s Influential: With Nanette, Gadsby blew up the format of the stand-up special, infusing it with trauma, tension, and TED Talk-level clarity. Whether you loved or challenged it, Nanette changed how we talk about comedy.

Inspired: Mae Martin, Ali Wong (structurally), countless alt-comics
Essential Watch: Nanette (2018)

10. Bill Hicks

Years Active: 1978–1994
Why He’s Influential: Hicks tackled politics, religion, and the hypocrisy of American culture with fearless intensity. Though his career was cut short, his influence still reverberates through political comedy.

Inspired: Joe Rogan, Doug Stanhope, Russell Brand
Essential Watch: Revelations (1993)

Bonus Mentions:

• Ali Wong – for redefining gender roles in modern comedy

• Louis C.K. – for his influence on the confessional and self-deprecating style

• Jerry Seinfeld – for mastering observational comedy and turning it mainstream

• Kevin Hart – for blending mass appeal with global reach

All of these comedians became influential by finding their voice, but it always starts with knowing how to craft a great punchline. If you’re working on material of your own, check out our guide on how to write a comedy joke that works.

Final Thoughts

Influence isn’t just about popularity; it’s about impact. These stand-up comedians helped reshape the culture, challenged the status quo, and opened the door for new generations to pick up the mic.

Whether you’re a comedy nerd or a casual viewer, these comics are the reason the stand-up scene is what it is today. Messy, hilarious, fearless, and always evolving. And at places like Comedyville, the next generation of greats might already be taking the stage. Every legendary comedian on this list had to start somewhere, usually on a small stage with a shaky mic and a lot of nerves. If reading this has you inspired to give stand-up a shot, check out our guide on how to perform at a comedy show for the first time.

Post by Eddie Case, exclusively for Comedyville.ca, All rights reserved.
Comedyville is a Comedy Club located in Downtown Montreal.

The post The Most Influential Stand-Up Comedians of All Time appeared first on Comedy Club in Montreal - Comedyville.

After all, many excellent stand-up comics are fairly up in age. It may surprise you to realize that Jerry Seinfeld is now 68 years old and Joan Rivers performed up until her death at 81. However, the oldest stand-up comic ever had an age even greater than these two performers. Let’s take a broader look at the answer to this question.

Herbert Falk

You’ve probably never heard the name Herbert Falk; however, he led an impressive life. He served in World War II as a combat engineer whose treacherous job was to remove land mines in front of a column of tanks, often under enemy fire. Injured by a mortar strike, he was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Croix du Guerre.

Herb Falk at Helium Comedy Club, Buffalo at age, 100. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.

After the war, Herbert Falk went on to have a long, distinguished career in civil engineering where he primarily focused on building bridges. While his life was incredibly interesting at that, he ventured into a new foray at the age of 99 when he performed at an open mic night in Atlanta, Georgia. An amateur comedian, he performed his second and final set at the age of 100 in Buffalo in late 2021. He would pass away in early 2022.

As far as we can tell, Herbert Falk is the oldest person ever to perform stand-up comedy. However, as an amateur comedian who performed twice, he is not the oldest person to make a career out of comedy. To find the answer to that question, a little more digging was required.

Lynn Ruth Miller

The oldest professional comedian ever is a bit of a difficult question to answer. However, there is one woman who was frequently adorned with the title of the world’s oldest comedian. This was Lynn Ruth Miller, a British stand-up comic who began performing at age 70 and had a career for nearly two decades before her death at age 87.

Lynn Ruth Miller found herself living alone with no family and only a few friends and decided to try comedy, ultimately finding that performing served as a lifeline that kept her connected to the world. Her jokes dealt with topics such as ageism, dating later in life, and other observations from society. As a former writer who loved news writing, she found ways to make her shows reflect social commentary.

America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent

Despite starting a career in stand-up late in age, she received a great deal of recognition. She participated in both America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent. Lynn Ruth Miller toured throughout the world, making the semi-finals of the San Francisco International Comedy Competition and the finals of Bill Word’s Funniest Female Contest. She also became an advocate for octogenarians, encouraging them to find ways to continue to enjoy their lives and be active as they aged.

Her success was particularly impressive due to the fact that Lynn Ruth Miller organized all of her own shows. It was incredibly difficult for her to get into comedy gigs. Private clubs were often dismissive and did not view her as a serious comic. In fact, the famed Los Angeles Comedy Store told her that she wasn’t a good comic because she only talked about getting old. Despite this, she worked to plan and organize her own shows, drawing a strong following. Her story is not only about an iconic comic but one about perseverance.

Final Thoughts

There is great diversity in comedy, and you can certainly see many different performers grace the stage at Comedyville Club. If you have never been to Montreal comedy clubs before, you are missing a good time. We would be happy to welcome you to our English shows in Montreal. Check out our upcoming shows!

Post by Eddie Case, exclusively for Comedyville.ca, All rights reserved.

The post Who Is the Oldest Stand-Up Comic? appeared first on Comedy Club in Montreal - Comedyville.