Before all those funny shows on radio or television  were ever invented, there were comedy records. These were LP discs recorded by artists like Moms Mabley, Belle Barth and Skillet & Leroy, They were meant to be played at parties and included naughty innuendos, silly abuses and nasty comments to be shared often in adult recreational settings.

These records went on to become more popular and general in nature with the popularity of comedians in general. Along came Newhart, Lenny Bruce, Pryor & Carlin in the 1950s and early 80s. Many of these early comedy records had a great influence on modern American and British comedy performers.

One of the first comedy records ever made were by Gilda Radner. She inspired a generation of women to take up a genre people thought only men could pull off. Andy Griffith and Chris Rock were surely forerunners of the modern stand-up comics. Rock used music for the first time while Andrew Dice Clay became the 'Rock Star Comedian' in his own right.

The history of comic records is incomplete without 'Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip'. Pryor had suffered third degree burns yet, only 18 months later, he performed leaving an entire generation of comics amazed. Then, there was Robin Williams in 'Reality, What a Concept'. It was Williams who changed the focus of comedy records from the performance to the performer with his dialogues spoken at jet speed. Dick Gregory brought to comedy records a political incisiveness and comedic analysis.

Newer records which will go onto to classic status include Adam Sandler with 'What the hell happened to me' with mischief sprinkled all over, David Cross in 'Shut up you fucking baby', Lewis Black in 'The White Album' and Dave Attell in 'Shanks for the Memories'. An all-time popular comedy record is Eddie Izzard in 'Dress to kill'

Today, we have the comedy DVDs and recordings both from television and radio shows but the comedy records made millions laugh for well over three decades. Some of the best performers for comedy records included the likes of Dick Gregory, Robin Williams, Gilda Radner, Andy Griffith and others.