The Best "SNL" Musical Performances Ever
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Saturday Night Live has been a staple of the comedy community and pop culture for a long time, but it's also had a great tradition of highlighting musical talent.
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So from veterans of the show like Paul Simon to current pop stars like Billie Eilish, these are some of the best and most memorable performances in SNL's history.
1.Jack White (2020)
2.Nirvana (1992)
3.Elvis Costello (1977)
4.The Blues Brothers (1978)
5.Kanye West (2013)
6.Simon & Garfunkel (1975)
Paul Simon has a long history with SNL, performing as the musical guest 14 times and hosting four times. Appearing for the second time on this list, he partnered up with Art Garfunkel for a medley of three songs. This performance was especially memorable because the duo had already broken up as a musical act in 1970, but reunited for this show.
7.David Bowie (1979)
8.The White Stripes (2002)
9.Billie Eilish (2019)
10.OutKast (2002)
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OutKast at their peak, performing "Hey Ya" and "Ms. Jackson"? Of course it was one for the books.
11.David Byrne (2020)
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The former Talking Heads lead singer played "Toe Jam" and, of course, his best-known song, "Once in a Lifetime," with the cast of the Broadway show, American Utopia.
12.Taylor Swift (2021)
13.Kendrick Lamar (2014)
14.Childish Gambino (2018)
Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, also hosted the show in between performing "Saturday" and "This Is America."
15.Prince (1981 & 2006)
The reason for the dual dates is that Prince's debut 1981 episode was largely scrubbed from airing for many years. This was because there were two separate uses of the word "fuck" in the episode, one from cast member Charles Rocket and the other from Prince himself during the song "Partyup" with the line, "Fighting war is such a fucking bore."
But whether you're talking about the 1981 or 2006 appearance, Prince always gave 100% for a show. Both are incredible performances from an amazing showman.
16.Radiohead (2000)
With Thom Yorke's jerky body movements demanding your attention throughout Radiohead's performance, this show arguably took place at a time when the band was at its peak. After all, Radiohead released one of their defining works, Kid A, the same year as this SNL show.
17.Haim (2013)
18.Beyoncé (2008)
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In her second solo appearance and fourth overall (the other two were with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé performed "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies."
19.Miley Cyrus (2020)
20.Paul Simon & George Harrison (1976)
21.The Rolling Stones (1978)
The Stones not only performed "Shattered," "Beast of Burden," and "Respectable," but also hosted the show as a group.
22.Madonna (1993)
23.Stevie Wonder (1983)
Often impersonated by Eddie Murphy, Stevie Wonder delivered an incredible performance on the episode that he also hosted.
24.Tom Petty & Dave Grohl (1994)
Before forming the Foo Fighters, there was a time when it looked like Dave Grohl might join Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He played with them often after Cobain's death, including when Tom Petty served as the musical guest on SNL in 1994. Alongside Paul Simon, Grohl has played on SNL more than anyone else (they've both played 14 times).
25.Paul McCartney (2010)
Appearing for this third time on the show, Paul McCartney's 2010 show was one of his best. He performed "Jet" and "A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance."
