50 Best 'The Simpsons' Episodes of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb

America’s favorite dysfunctional family, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and little Maggie, have more than 30 years' worth of hijinks in the bag. While every fan has their favorite episode, most agree that these top 50 Simpsons episodes have the perfect mix of satire and irreverence that makes The Simpsons magical. With 37 seasons, it continues to prove it's the longest-running American animated series. The best Simpsons episodes on IMDb continue to slightly shift with each new season, but still largely feature titles from the beloved classic Simpsons era.

50 "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" (Season 5, Episode 1)

IMDb Rating: 8.5/10

The Simpsons Season 5 begins with a very good (though inaccurate) chalkboard gag: "I will never win an Emmy." As it's made repeatedly clear, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is an extended parody of The Beatles' rise to fame. It even has the legendary George Harrison as a guest star, making him the second Beatle to appear on The Simpsons (after Ringo). The fact that Homer has a good singing voice is hard to believe, but this episode is something we're willing to suspend disbelief for. It's funny how even Bart and Lisa point out a few plot holes at the end, only for their questions to be waved away without any answers.

Funny moments include Grandpa Simpson trying to take pride in his son during a performance, the joke about The Be Sharps' name, and the items that Homer takes for worthless at the beginning of the episode. The best part might be when Homer tries to explain to Marge why he has to pretend he's not married, making for a promising start to one of the show's better seasons.

49 "Lisa on Ice" (Season 6, Episode 8)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

One of the greatest sports episodes of The Simpsons, Season 6's "Lisa on Ice" pits Bart and Lisa against each other by way of a junior hockey season. When it turns out that Lisa is an outstanding goaltender, she joins Apu's team and gradually becomes a confident phenom who's ready to crush her brother's team in the finals. Marge wants her children to feel proud no matter how well they play, but Homer's philosophy overwhelms her efforts. He mocks whoever loses and rewards the winner, encapsulating the exact mentality an athlete should not have.

Who knew that an episode in which Lisa seemed incapable of doing well in any contact sport would demonstrate her prowess in one of the most physical sports around? Lisa's character arc here is superb, but the dynamic between her and her brother is really what it's all about. Despite Homer hilariously not learning a thing, the spectacular climax comes down to a shootout—and it couldn't be more wholesome (the crowd's behavior notwithstanding).

48 "Itchy and Scratchy Land" (Season 6, Episode 4)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

"Itchy and Scratchy Land" has got to be one of the most action-packed stories in The Simpsons. While most episodes might have a single short of the homicidal cat-and-mouse duo, this one has several; it even has the Simpson family visit the Itchy and Scratchy Land theme park. Now, since Krusty is one of the most grossly negligent characters in the series, there's bound to be something that goes terribly awry. The robots that march through the park inevitably turn bad, and fans of the show wouldn't have it any other way.

"Itchy and Scratchy Land" should be able to satisfy anyone in the mood for lots of cartoon violence and a good amount of humor along the way. Who knew that Bort was such a common name? And that helicopter ride into the theme park is still one of the highlights of season six. There aren't that many episodes centered around Itchy and Scratchy, but this entry makes the case that there ought to be more.

47 "Homer Loves Flanders" (Season 5, Episode 16)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Homer usually hates his neighbor Ned Flanders, but that's about to change in season five's "Homer Loves Flanders." When Flanders invites Homer to a football game, Homer has such a stellar time that he goes out of his way to be Flanders' friend. Unfortunately for this nice neighborino, Mr. Simpson is going to get on his nerves pretty quickly—making this one of the precious episodes to display the classic Flanders getting genuinely ticked off.

Shelbyville spiking the water supply, Mr. Burns' demented strategy for inspiring a football team, and Homer getting mistaken for a homeless man are three fantastic moments in one of the season's stronger episodes. There's also the great revelation about what Moe does in his free time, the famous image of Homer creepily receding into a bush, and the marvelous car chase that pays perfect homage to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

46 "Homer Goes to College" (Season 5, Episode 3)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

It's been shown time and again that Homer sucks at his job, having neither the necessary education nor the interest in acquiring it. Season 5's "Homer Goes to College" even begins with nap time at the power plant, something that fans might have only previously thought was something Homer did exclusively. It's great when Mr. Simpson and those two other guys wind up guarding a bee during the inspection, and Homer making the van melt despite it not even containing nuclear material is top-shelf.

Instead of doing the simple thing and firing him for dangerous incompetence, the powers that be force him to try and get an education instead. Homer's obviously never gone to college before, so his conception of how to behave is comically inaccurate. Aside from "pranks" that should get him not only expelled but arrested, other memorable moments include Grandpa being stuck in the car and a student who's so pee-shy that he can't go when someone knocks on the door.

45 "Homer's Triple Bypass" (Season 4, Episode 11)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Homer's poor eating habits and less-than-desirable stature have been a constant presence throughout the entirety of the series, yet "Homer's Triple Bypass" directly addresses the implications of Homer's health. The episode sees Homer's health finally catching up to him after he receives a heart attack on the job, soon taken to the hospital to find a solution. Dr. Hibbert soon informs the Simpsons family that Homer will need an expensive artery bypass surgery, eventually reaching a point where they must go to the sketchy Dr. Nick to get the surgery cheap.

It was seemingly inevitable that an episode of The Simpsons would tackle the often uncomfortable and all too real topic of heart disease and obesity, as it has been a central part of Homer's character since the beginning. While it certainly has its comedic jabs at the expense of Homer, the episode also treats the terrifying nature of heart problems with the utmost severity, finding an effective balance that makes the episode a fan-favorite.

44 "Trilogy of Error" (Season 12, Episode 18)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

When it comes to anthology episodes in The Simpsons, many are quick to tout the exceptional Treehouse of Horror series of episodes, yet one of the best anthologies not a part of the Halloween specials comes in the form of "Trilogy of Error." The episode follows three different stories each taking place on the same day, where Bart, Lisa, and Homer all have their own wild ventures that intertwine in strange ways. Homer is in a rush to the hospital to re-attach a severed thumb, Lisa is rushing to school so that she can win the science fair, and Bart has an ongoing scheme involving illegal fireworks.

While many other anthology stories keep each segment separate from one another and disconnected, the small connections and overlap are what make the stories of "Trilogy of Error" so effective. As more information is given with each subsequent story, more context and layers are added to the previous stories, with all of them coming together to create a cohesive and effective interconnected story. The epilogue is also highly effective at tying everything together for a comical and succinct ending.

43 "Stark Raving Dad" (Season 3, Episode 1)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Infamous for being a banned episode of The Simpsons that even now isn't available on Disney+, "Stark Raving Dad" provides some of the most wholesome and emotional moments of the entire show. The episode sees Homer being sent to a mental health facility for wearing a pink shirt to work, where he ends up making an unexpected friend in the form of Leon Kompowsky, who claims that he is Michael Jackson. Once he gets out of the institution, Bart ends up spreading the word around Springfield that the real Michael Jackson is coming to the Simpsons household.

It's a genuine shame that this all-timer episode isn't more widely available due to its inclusion of Michael Jackson as a guest star, as it features many exceptional jokes and one of the best endings in the series. Leon's song that he sings to Lisa for her birthday is a standout moment from the early seasons of the show, showing that beneath all of the troubles and mischief that the Simpson family gets up to, they still deeply care about one another at the end of the day.

42 "Lisa's Substitute" (Season 2, Episode 19)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Widely considered to be one of the best Lisa episodes of The Simpsons, "Lisa's Substitute" cuts to the very core of Lisa's love of academics and how her family fails to understand her. The episode sees Lisa's regular teacher, Miss Hoover, taking medical leave, bringing in a substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom (Dustin Hoffman), who proves to be an unexpected hit among Lisa and her classmates. Bergstrom proves to introduce a new type of fun and excitement that can be had from learning, and while Lisa is devastated when Bergstrom has to leave, she learns that she can find role models in other people in her life.

"Lisa's Substitute" tackles the all too effective and relatable message of having to say goodbye to those we love, as well as accepting those around us and finding a positive spin on the world no matter how sad things may be. It's a beautifully heartwarming experience that makes for one of the strongest emotional cores that the series has ever seen, filled with iconic moments and a top-notch ending. The episode's side-story about Bart running for class president also has its own array of great comedic moments, coming together to make an all-time episode.

41 "A Star is Burns" (Season 6, Episode 18)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

While The Simpsons finds itself crossing over with other adult animated series like Family Guy and Futurama much more frequently, the early seasons of the show only had one notable crossover with another adult animated series. "A Star is Burns" sees The Simpsons crossing over with the forgotten 90s cartoon The Critic, with Jay Sherman being invited to Springfield to act as a judge for a film festival. The festival proves to have many great and exciting works from the residents of Springfield, including a touching introspective about alcoholism from Barney Gumble.

While audiences of the time were divided on how to approach such a blatant crossover episode with another, much less successful animated series, time has certainly been kind to "A Star is Burns". It largely helps that Jay Sherman and his style of humor feels perfectly in line with the world of The Simpsons, to the point where audiences may not even realize he's from another show. The crossover is also only the jumping-off point for the episode, as the core surrounding the film festival provides many exceptional gags as well as great inflection into the citizens of Springfield.