Comedians Who Have Top 40 Albums in the Billboard Charts
Several comedians have achieved distinction by having their albums reach the top 40 on the Billboard charts. This list highlights a few notable individuals who have managed to blend impeccable humor with musical or live performance, making them commercial successes.
Notable Comedians with Top 40 Albums
Eddie Murphy's albums, particularly those from the 1980s, have left an indelible mark:
Comedian (1983) - #35 How Could It Be (1985) - #26George Carlin, known for his profound and thought-provoking humor, also experienced remarkable success with these albums:
FM/AM (1972) - #13 Class Clown (1972) - #22 Occupation: Foole (1973) - #35 Toledo Window Box (1974) - #19 An Evening With Wally Londo Featuring Bill Slaszo (1975) - #34The legendary Robin Williams brought his comedic talent to the charts with:
Reality...What a Concept (1979) - #10Other notable comedians include:
Louis C.K. - His album Kevin Hart - Albums like Amy Schumer - Her album David Chappelle - His Netflix specials and albums have had a significant commercial impact, with some reaching the chartsComedy Albums in the Early Days
Before the advent of home video and cable TV, comedy albums were a staple of the album chart. They were one of the few ways to enjoy stand-up comedy besides attending live shows or viewing small snippets on television. Notable comedy albums from the early 1960s include:
Bob Newhart - The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960) and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back (1961) The First Family - an album of comedy sketches at #1 in 1962Interestingly, these albums won the Grammy for Album of the Year. In the early 1960s, Allen Sherman had three number one albums, and Weird Al Yankovic had a number one album with Mandatory Fun in 2014. Both are well-known in their fields.
Other Stand-Up Artists with Top 40 Albums
George Carlin - FM/AM (1972) - #13 Cheech Chong - Cheech And Chong (1971) - #28 Andrew “Dice” Clay - The Day the Laughter Died (1990) - #39 Rodney Dangerfield - Rappin' Rodney (1983) - #36 Jeff Foxworthy - You Might Be a Redneck If… (1994) - #38 Dick Gregory - In Living Black White (1961) - #23 Moms Mabley - Moms Mabley At The “UN” (1961) - #16 Steve Martin - Let's Get Small (1977) - #10This list includes:
MTV and late-night talk show appearances television specials foreign tour eventsThese acts have proven time and again that their gift for humor can extend beyond live performances to the medium of recorded albums, making them commercial successes.