Magic has been around for hundreds of years and since the greats like Houdini, many more magicians have set about changing the face of magic. This is the list of the 10 greatest magic tricks ever televised. They are the writer’s own opinion and are based upon the idea of the trick, the execution, entertainment value, professionalism, and shock factor involved.
Richard Ross was a Dutch magician well known for his brilliant sleight of hand ability, as well as appearing to be almost as surprised as the audience by the tricks he was performing. This airing of the trick was in 1983. Keep a close eye on the rings as they intersect and come away from each other; while being a simple routine, it is, by any standards, flawless. If you like this one you will also like his Multiplying Clocks.
David Blaine is a well known illusionist and endurance artist, famous for his high – profile feats of endurance and numerous street magic series and television appearances. He has been hailed as the modern day Houdini. In this trick, he pulls a girl’s teeth out before making them reappear in her mouth when he blows on her. This will shock you.
Paul Daniels is an English magician who has had success through various TV performances, programs, and live shows. Chop Cup, is fast, interactive and incredibly entertaining. As Paul Daniels says in the clip, it took him near to 300 performances to get it right, and the effort shows. The sleight of hand is perfect and the work of a master.
Harry Blackstone Jr, son of Harry Blackstone Sr (also known as “The Great Blackstone”), sadly died in 1997. His father was born way back in 1885 and between them, the pair had been presenting magical performances for a long time. The clip is from his act ‘The Floating Lightbulb’, which shows a lightbulb, lit, with no means of electricity, floating around the stage and the audience for examination.
A master of magic, William Lance Burton now performs nightly in Las Vegas but his career has featured numerous television performances featuring brilliant feats of magic. He is an award winning magician from Louisville, Kentucky, and started performing magic at age 5. His dove act has been chosen for the sheer professionalism and skill with which he performs the illusions.
Criss Angel is the darkest magician on this list, famous for his television shows Mindfreak, Believe and Phenomenon. He is well known for his spin on the darker side of magic performing tricks such as pulling a woman in half, and getting himself run over by a steam roller live on air. In this illusion, he attempts to show a pool of people he can walk on water and does so whilst they watch and swim around and under him.
By magician’s standards, making an object disappear is either a simple case of deception, illusion, sleight of hand or misdirection. That’s fine for say, a card, or a piece of jewelry, but what about something bigger? Siegfried and Roy were made famous in Vegas for their vanishing elephant illusion but Copperfield thought he would take it a step further and make the Statue of Liberty in New York City, disappear. It has to be seen to be believed.
The Pendragons are a husband and wife team of magicians from America. They are well known for their fast and dangerous illusions. In 2006, Jonathan Pendragon fell on an arrow while rehearsing a dangerous bow and arrow trick. The arrow pierced his liver, stomach and heart, but since, he has made a full recovery. Their metamorphosis illusion is regarded as the fastest trick in history.
Featured before on Listverse, Penn and Teller’s bullet catch is not only incredibly dangerous but also incredibly brilliant. They mix Penn’s enthusiasm with Teller’s muteness perfectly and mix in subtle humor which makes the act highly enjoyable.
David Copperfield is officially the most successful magician in history, selling over 40 million tickets to shows and grossing over $1 billion to date. He has 10 Guinness World Records, has 20 Emmy awards, a Living Legend award and numerous others, as well as being the first living magician to have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. His success however, isn’t the reason he has bagged the number one stop on this list. His tricks are larger, more impressive and more dramatic than any other magician, and he has the on stage presence, charisma, and movements which has made him the archetype for great magicians all around the world.
I was lucky enough to have seen David Copperfield in person this past Thursday, 15 April 2010 [my mom's birthday], and was also lucky to be chosen from the audience to be in one of his acts [it involves hovering tissue, which he burns and reveals a rose, which I still have]. He’s a fantastic and convincing [in some parts] Illusionist.
GREAT LIST!!!! =]
except for Criss Angel [a total Narcissistic douchebag] and David Blaine [just plain lame].
Other than that, anything involving David Copperfield is good in my book. =]
@Mimz [61]:
–copperfield, i just found out, is coming to biloxi and new orleans in a few weeks……ive never seen him and i’m off both nights……other than just being good in your book, how did the stage show come off?
–that was one thing about criss angel i didnt like the time i saw him…..the show part of the show was interesting enough, but he’s such a *****ing twerp…
Bull*****, not impressed at all, made for people ho believe in aliens and for hollywood pussies.
i love how everyone is hating on criss and blaine just because they are young, rich, talented and doing their thing.
hahah
it’s like everyone is a magic pro critic and ready to rip into them. bt i say whatever their tricks are entertaining, and isn’t that the aim of a magician??
whether live or watched over TV.
shut up nerds
I like the list, but for some reason I’ve always detested street magic. Angel and Blaine seem so…. Blah, and they’ve never really amazed me. (Though admittedly I enjoy Mindfreak, especially the episodes where they teach how to con people.) But I absolutley adore stage magic. I’m always in shock of the old sleight of hand routine, no matter how mundane the trick.
Richie Artie
Watched rare footage of this magician that performed in the 1960′s. In one trick he sawed a woman in half leaving lots of blood and gore on stage. For some reason he is not well known but to people in the industry he is a legend.
I love most of these lists but any list that involves Criss Angel cannot be taken seriously. You would have to be a complete retard to believe any of his crap. He would be number one on my list of douchiest douchebags though
As far as tricks, I will admit some are impressive, but they are all illusions. My admiration tends to lie with the magicians rather than the tricks. That said, if you replace that hack, David Blane with the more talented and entertaining Amazing Johnathan, you got yourself a perfect list.
…..really? Criss Angel? The water walking trick was nothing more than clear u-shaped pedestals just under the surface of the water. The guy is only amusing if you have the mind of a 12 year old.
My father worked on the post-production of the Statue of Liberty trick, and while he had to sware to secrecy (through contract) he told me how it was done. The entire stage was on silent motors and it simply turned enough degrees to take the statue out of the line of sight. The helecopter moved with the stage behind the curtain.
Copperfield was (and is, i guess) a made for tv magician, and most of his tricks that had “audience” members involved were actually part of the trick. When he made the 747 dissappear, it was surrounded by a large circle of audience members holding hands. When the lights went out, the chain simply opened up, the 747 was pulled away, and the circle then closed up. The only remarkable thing about the trick was the “audience” members convincing us that they were shocked.
The masked magician has revealed several of the magic tricks posted here, he showed how he did the walking on water one, it’s really simple once you know how it’s really done.
Nice list.
But for David Blaine, whatever he is doing is not entirely magic trick. His famous trick floating on air is a yoga from ancient Veda. Anybody who has determination and practice can perform it. jumping from high tower, breaking a glass by staring, they are not magic trick indeed.
whatever David Copperfield has done by vanishing elephant or statue of liberty, has also be done by P.C. Sorcar of India. He vanished Taj Mahal and a running train in front of a live audience. He is also an internationally famous magician from India. so i think it’s easy and common enough to create the illusion of disappearance of large object.
I think I can only be really amazed if I see a magic trick live. Any TV trick I feel is completely prepared and fake.
Oh, and Criss Angel justs looks like a douchebag. No, I´ve never actually seen his show but he still looks like a douchebag.
@Kreachure [31]: Lol! Thanks for that.
Good list, nathaaan90!
I just got the time to view all the videos… OMG, Davis Copperfield is freakin’ awesome! Number 1 left me shivering.
Used to like Criss Angel, but I find him to be too prissy and cocky.
The Pendragons came to my country, Trinidad, last year & I totally missed the chance to go see them.
Is it true, that Penn (from Penn & Teller) is an atheist?
David Blaine is plain creepy, & Lance Burton & Harry Blackstone Jr are awesome too.
For a usually very harsh skeptic, I thoroughly enjoyed this compilation.
@nicoleredz3 [77]: Yes, Penn is an atheist.
@T.J. [35]: I love magic and enjoy being blown away by good tricks but number one is just a let down. Since you don’t believe that I’m right you might want to watch this video and rethink what you have said.
http://tvshack.net/tv/Breaking_the_Magician_s_Code__Magic_s_Biggest_Secrets_Finally_Revealed/season_1/episode_5/
@General Tits Von Chodehoffen [46]: om nom nom
I’ve been practicing at magic for about 15 years now. I’m amazed Chris Angel is on this list. The guy’s a decent magician, but nothing special. I would have loved to see Derren Brown make the cut. His Russian Roulette routine blew me away and shows how a performer should treat his immediate audience. Something Chris Angel has yet to learn.
If you’re one to watch on-line videos watch the Russian Roulette and then watch Chris Angel’s video where he splits a body in half. See which is more traumatic for the audience.
what the hell is that woman in the first video wearing?
I can’t believe that Chris Angel made it onto this list. He hardly even counts as an illusionist let alone a magician! All the others are good though
Doobie, I was involved in a trick where Copperfield made a car disappear. We were all standing around it, holding hands as he covered it with a sheet, and it disappeared. I was not in on his act, and I was blown away! He is awesome! I hope he comes back to my area because I will definitely see him again!
Only one Criss Angel trick? He’s awesome. I’m always awestruck watching his stuff. Plus I’m also a bit of a metal head.
Most of these are amazing except for Copperfield and Chris Angel. Copperfield uses way to many lights and props for it to have that magical feeling. And as for Chris Angel, what is so damn magic about putting a glass plate under the surface of the water and then filling the pool with actors? And when he takes his shoes off he is clearly just dropping them through a whole in the glass plate. Thats why he has the camera, its an excuse for him to look down so he can see where he is stepping.
I thought you would have included that couple that appeared on Oprah a few years ago. Their clothes appeared to change like magic. They actually have a patent on the trick.
I always Loved the Copperfield one when he went through the Great Wall of China, could never work it out how it was done??
What a *****ty BIASED list. Where is P.C.Sorcar who vanished a Train fully loaded with people? He had also vanished one of the wonders of the World, The Taj Mahal (for the americans who wouldn’t know what Taj Mahal is, just google it).
@vkvraju
I completely agree with you. what we have in Indian magic they don’t know a bit of it. P.C Sorcar had done all these trick earlier, they are just repeating now, and all Americans are shouting “wow” watching those repeat telecast. all the tricks like walking on water, standing above the ground, vanishing building etc. are all invented and done by Indian street magician. they were the best magician of all time. till today they show a trick which i never see any other internationally famous( at least magician mentioned in the list) magician to perform. Indian street magicians do these trick very often. they dig a hole and put the head inside. then their assistance cover the hole with soil and mud. and the magician stay there for hours putting his head inside. no light, no air nothing is there.i saw that tricks in Indian villages for hundred times, every time i felt thrilled.
so please when you are making a list on international basis, please do a full research and publish it. USA is not the whole world. or else name the list like “America’s top ten……”
very soft
Criss angel is amazing so idk why everyone is hating on him! He has a great persona and charisma as well, which to be honest a LOT of other magicians really don’t have! He never forgets where he came from and devotes all his time to his fans- not just when the cameras are rolling! That’s real dedication! I agree that this might not be the best trick to have on this list- considering there is now 6 seasons to chose from, but still, I’m glad he’s on this list because he deserves it! He didn’t win magician of the year multiple times in a row for nothing!
Ps. I’ll try to find this hilarious video of Penn and teller on crisscross angels show. They did a ball and cup routine then explained it using clear cups, and it was still so difficult to understand wtf was going on!
crazzzyyyy
*Not crisscross but criss- my iPod is insaneeee
nice list but i think houdini is missing he is also a great magician.
copperfield suks
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Criss angel is by far amazing , although the walk on water there is glass, if u look close enough every step is the same and at the end he kinda screws it up, as for the water disappearing one in the lake its a hologram he was never really walking across the lake, i also saw David coppeerfield live, i had front row tickets it was pretty good when he sat on the stool and then like a minute later half his body was on one and the other was on another one
John Archer is the best magician in the world
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David Blaine has amazed me from the get go. My strongest memory is watching a program on him on TV with my younger sister, and at the very end he took a styrofoam coffee cup from a bum (with coffee in it), shook it, and it turned to pennies!! We were absolutely shocked and amazed. Seriously, it gave us something to believe in.
i saw paul daniels perform number 8 live about 2 feet away from me, in a bar..and it was still hard to work out how he does it
i saw the David Copperfield statue of liberty one on tv and nearly ***** ma pants… got serious goosebumps…
I can’t stand Criss Angel. His theatrics are whack and his tricks are easily discovered. Just look up his stuff on YouTube. The walking on water trick is simple and the way he pulls off his stunts “live” is that everyone around him is in on it. Not a magician in my book. Besides Angel, this list is great.
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funny how the lit lightbulb doesnt give off any light!
yeah essay thats a real bullet
Penn forgot the rule 1.5 of gun use – Even if you have checked the gun yourself, always treat it as loaded.
absolutily Amazing!….
You’ll go even further, faster, if you already have some experience. Until now, this sought-after pro only shared his “learn it now, blow away other magicians and mentalists tonight” secrets of mind-blowing mentalism and killersuper-freak magic tricks with a handful of lucky pros who could afford his outrageous fees…
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