The 2010s was a decade of excellent stand-up comedy specials coming from every angle. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix, as well as the already-strong catalogs of places like HBO, it was near impossible to avoid the world's best stand-up comics. However, some of the best specials are more than just comedy.

RELATED: Best British Comedy Shows From The 2010s

Among the greatest specials of the decade are what can only be categorized as wildly-entertaining performance art. These comedians put out specials that were not only gut-busting in their laughs, but provocative, game-changing, and memorable. For that reason, they've shaped what stand-up comedy is for the future.

10 Julio Torres: My Favorite Shapes

Julio Torres pointing to a crystal on a table in "My Favorite Shapes"

Most hardcore fans of comedy probably know Julio Torres best from his work as a writer on Saturday Night Live. His sketches are easily recognizable; they're absurd, thought-provoking, and somewhat surreal. His stand-up, unsurprisingly, is exactly the same and is one of the most fascinating introductions to a young comedy mind.

In his 2019 special My Favorite Shapes, Torres presents the audience with several items. That may seem like an overly simple premise, but Torres imbues it with his own brand of off-beat humor, which is both puzzling and genius at the same time. It's hard to describe Torres' brilliance here, but it's definitely worth a watch on HBO.

9 Chelsea Peretti: One Of The Greats

Chelsea Peretti in "One of the Greats"

Chelsea Peretti won over audiences with her performance as Gina Linetti on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Fans of her there will be pleased with her Netflix comedy special One of the Greats. What's so impressive about this special is that it is equal parts absurd, and equal parts relatable, observational humor.

RELATED: Best Sitcoms On Netflix Right Now

In between Peretti's jokes, which range from musings on social interactions to the stylings of male comedians, shots of the audience will catch viewers' attention. Over the course of the special, several odd characters appear in the crowd. While you laugh at the jokes, you'll wonder what a baby is doing watching stand-up comedy.

8 Hannah Gadsby: Nanette

Hannah Gadsby in "Nanette"

It's often debated in comedy circles whether Gadsby's one-woman-show Nanette qualifies as stand-up comedy. The special seeks to dismantle the idea of comedy itself, finding Gadsby wrestling with the concept of a career dedicated to self-deprecating humor. It helps its case that Gadsby's writing is quick and effective.

In the special, Gadsby questions the point of a career in comedy from her perspective as a lesbian and gender-nonconforming woman. It can be startling to hear Gadsby claim during Nanette that she's decided to give up stand-up comedy. Thankfully, the success of the show has led Gadsby to continue performing.

7 John Mulaney: New In Town

John Mulaney in "New in Town"

John Mulaney gained a lot of notoriety in the early 2010s, at first as a rising stand-up comic and writer on Saturday Night Live. He's since become a pillar of the art form, starting with his 2012 special New in Town. It's rare to see a comic's stylings so well-formed and precise in an early special like this, but Mulaney makes it look easy.

In the special, Mulaney talks about a variety of topics, including Law & Order: SVU, a troubling visit to the doctor's, and his mildly confusing physical appearance. It's easy to see how Mulaney's humor translates from here to SNL characters like Stefon. Watching it now, one can only see this special as the making of a future legend.

6 Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado

Hannibal Buress in "Comedy Camisado"

Hannibal Buress received a boost in fame after a clip went viral of him openly talking about Bill Cosby's sexual assault allegations. From there, Buress has continued to be a voice for the things people would rather not talk about. His mellow observational humor is no better shown than in his 2016 Netflix special Comedy Camisado.

RELATED: Celebrities Who Have Surprisingly Never Hosted SNL

The special finds Buress commenting on turning 32 and how his life has changed. However, it's the times when things don't change that fuel Buress' best bits here. One example is his complaint about how bars still make him show his ID, despite his insistence that he "[feels] like you can tell [he's] not 20."

5 Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted

Tig Notaro taking off her shirt in "Boyish Girl Interrupted"

Tig Notaro had a long career in stand-up comedy prior to her first hour-long HBO special, Boyish Girl Interrupted. Famously, her 2012 album Tig Notaro: Live found her confessing to a cancer diagnosis only days after she received it. That album went on to be nominated for a Grammy, as would her 2015 special.

Having overcome a double mastectomy, Tig showed her bravery in comedy by taking her shirt off midway through Boyish Girl Interrupted. It's initially an act of improv, that later becomes all the more poignant as the audience grows comfortable with the vulnerability. It of course helps that Tig's comedy here is sharper than ever.

4 Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

Mike Birbiglia in "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend"

After his one-man show Sleepwalk With Me, comedian Mike Birbiglia became known for his introspective, autobiographical comedy. He somehow topped his first success with his second special, released on Netflix in 2013, titled My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Here, Birbiglia reminisces on his first loves, relationships, and heartbreaks.

At the top of the special, Birbiglia claims that he doesn't believe in marriage. By the end of it, through describing a relationship marred by stress, near-death experiences, and fate, he ends up a married man. You can hear how quiet the audience gets, unclear if they're waiting for a bombshell truth, or the best joke they've ever heard.

3 Dave Chappelle: The Age Of Spin

Dave Chappelle in "The Age of Spin"

Recent years have found Dave Chappelle's comedy a source of controversy. However, when he returned with his first two specials after a long hiatus in 2017, he was welcomed back with open arms. That's partly because one of the two specials, The Age of Spin, contained some of the comedy legend's best work yet.

RELATED: Best SNL Hosts Of The 2010s

The Age of Spin is unique among the two specials for being structured around four separate times that the comedian encountered O.J. Simpson. Along the way, he also finds the time to joke about Bill Cosby and his family. It's as insightful as it is funny, which makes it sad to see Chappelle lose that wisdom in recent specials.

2 Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh

Gary Gulman in "The Great Depresh"

Gary Gulman's claim to fame prior to this special was a bit about the abbreviations for U.S. states. That's why it may have been surprising that his 2019 comeback special, The Great Depresh, plays more like a documentary. Here, Gulman describes his battle with depression and subsequent trip to rehab because of it.

Gary traces back the root of his depression to his childhood and dreams of playing basketball. Later, he surprises audiences with his recount of rehab, disproving many myths that pop culture has told us about mental health treatment. Finally, this special is a call to action for anyone struggling with depression to seek help and get better.

1 Bo Burnham: Make Happy

Bo Burnham surrounded by spotlights during his Kanye rant in "Make Happy"

When Bo Burnham began posting YouTube videos of silly songs, no one would've expected him to reach the heights he reached. He has since rocked pop culture with his 2021 special Inside, which was self-made during quarantine. However, he was just as profound in the 2010s, with his previous special Make Happy.

This routine finds Bo questioning what it means to be an entertainer. It features songs that parody country music, love songs, and inspirational pop anthems. Finally, it ends with what may be Bo's magnum opus: a Kanye West-style rant about Pringles and Chipotle that devolves into a deconstruction of his relationship with audiences.

MORE: Best Comedy Specials On Netflix, Ranked