If Late Show host David Letterman has a single, trademark late-night segment, it's the Top Ten List. For 30 years, Letterman has consistently delivered goofy, memorable lists with subjects like "Top Ten Ways The World Would Be Different If Everyone Was Named Phil" or "Top Ten Cocktails for Santa."
It's hard to imagine Late Show without the Top Ten List — but like any great comedy bit, it had to start somewhere. Here's Letterman's first-ever Top Ten List, from autumn of 1985: "Top Ten Words that Almost Rhyme with 'Peas'."
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