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.
1.
Jack White (2020)
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After SNL canceled country singer Morgan Wallen’s show for violating COVID protocol, they scrambled to find a new act in time for the show. With two day’s notice, Jack White was finally selected and wound up putting on one of the greatest shows in SNL’s history.
NPR partially chalks this up to the fact that, since it was a last-minute get, White didn’t have anything to promote: “a veteran star without much to promote or prove, popping by with the sole objective of putting on the best show humanly possible.”
Another factor that makes this such a memorable show is that White honored Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist who had recently passed at the time. That blue guitar he played with was custom designed by Halen and White.
As White says on his Instagram: “I thought it could be a nice gesture for me to use this blue Eddie Van Halen model guitar for one of the songs tonight on SNL. The guitar was designed by Eddie (with a few customizations I had added). Eddie was very kind to me and saw to it that this guitar was made for me to my specs. I won’t even insult the man’s talent by trying to play one of his songs tonight. Thanks again Eddie for this guitar and rest in peace sir.”
2.
Nirvana (1992)
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It’s easy to see why this Nirvana show is many people’s top pick for the greatest SNL gig of all time. Nirvana sounds incredible, with Cobain singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” just as perfectly as he does on the famous MTV Unplugged set. Nirvana was huge by 1992, but it was still the first time many were exposed to the grunge band.
Not wanting people to get too comfy, Nirvana followed up “Teen Spirit” with “Territorial Pissings,” a song that wasn’t as radio-friendly. And ensuring no one would call them sellouts by appearing on SNL, they ended the show with Krist Novoselic tossing his bass guitar in the air, Dave Grohl slamming his drum onto the stage, piece by piece, and Kurt Cobain slamming his guitar into an amplifier to generate loud feedback. Chef’s kiss.
3.
Elvis Costello (1977)
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You can’t talk about SNL musical guests without talking about Elvis Costello. After being explicitly told by his record label and SNL showrunner, Lorne Michaels, to not play his anti-media song, “Radio, Radio,” can you guess what Costello did? He did what any self-respecting rocker would and cut his first song short to switch to “Radio, Radio,” getting him banned from the show for 15 years.
It wound up working out for Costello because he was invited back for the show’s 25th-anniversary show to “interrupt” the Beastie Boys and play “Radio, Radio” once more.
4.
The Blues Brothers (1978)
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There have been plenty of cases where the host is also the musical guest on SNL, but the Blues Brothers are a rare case in which a sketch turned into a band. Initially appearing in a 1976 sketch, the Blues Brothers didn’t have their official debut until ’78. In a memorable first performance that led to a double-platinum album and a classic film, the Blues Brothers got their start on this episode 44 years ago.
5.
Kanye West (2013)
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SNL performances are often part of an artist’s promotion of a new album, and this was especially true for Ye’s 2013 show. Yeezus had intentionally minimal marketing. The only word people had gotten about the album before this show was a single tweet from Ye simply saying, “June Eighteen,” and video projections of the song “New Slaves” in various locations.
So when Ye performed “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves” on SNL in May of 2013, it was the first taste of one of his best albums. Yeezus wouldn’t be released for another month, and the intense show on SNL was the perfect buildup to it.
6.
Simon & Garfunkel (1975)
8.
The White Stripes (2002)
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Introduced by John McCain (really), Meg and Jack White tear through their set with the group’s characteristic set up of just drums and lead guitar — and it’s perfect.
9.
Billie Eilish (2019)
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As “bad guy” was dominating the radio, Billie Eilish took to SNL and performed on a rotating stage that would make Lionel Richie and Christopher Nolan proud. The set is especially impressive considering it was built for just a single song on live television.
12.
Taylor Swift (2021)
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Returning for her fifth appearance as a musical guest, Taylor Swift shook up the formula of SNL. Instead of performing twice over the course of the show, she performed her entire 10-minute cut of “All Too Well” as her one song.
13.
Kendrick Lamar (2014)
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In between the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, and To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar performed “i” and “Pay For It” on SNL. He was one of the biggest rappers in the world at the time, and was just at the start of showing people what he was capable of.
14.
Childish Gambino (2018)
17.
Haim (2013)
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Performing “The Wire” and “Don’t Save Me,” Haim’s appearance on SNL came shortly before they set off on a US tour. Este Haim said that the show was an emotional moment for her because a high school drama teacher had once said to her: “You’re never going to be on Saturday Night Live,” which is insulting but also oddly specific.
19.
Miley Cyrus (2020)
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In a special “Saturday Night Live At Home” performance, Miley Cyrus covered the iconic Pink Floyd song, “Wish You Were Here,” while sitting next to a fire. The song’s tender lyrics were especially profound in the middle of a pandemic that was keeping everyone isolated.
20.
Paul Simon & George Harrison (1976)
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Paul Simon is back, and this time with former Beatle, George Harrison. The two musicians, arguably in their prime, perform a beautiful acoustic version of “Here Comes the Sun.”
21.
The Rolling Stones (1978)
22.
Madonna (1993)
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Performing a cover of Peggy Lee’s “Fever” that would fit well in a nightclub, as well as “Bad Girl,” Madonna delivered a smooth performance in what has been her only musical appearance on the show.
24.
Tom Petty & Dave Grohl (1994)
25.
Paul McCartney (2010)
26.
Debbie Harry (1981)
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Debbie Harry (the lead singer of the group Blondie) served as both host and musical guest in this 1981 episode. We all know she can sing, but she also showed her comedy chops in the opening monologue alone.
28.
U2 (2004)
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U2 has been a huge band for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean every one of their albums has been a hit. At a time when they were going through a string of albums that weren’t exactly topping the Billboard, this performance that promoted How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb reminded everyone what makes U2 so good.
31.
Lizzo (2019)
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Lizzo famously released her hit song “Truth Hurts” long before she became a household name. So it wasn’t until 2019, two full years after she released the song, that she performed it and “Good As Hell” on SNL in an amazing set.
33.
Coldplay (2019)
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With a unique opening that had frontman Chris Martin walking through the backstages of 30 Rock before coming onstage, Coldplay performed “Orphans” and “Everyday Life” in an incredibly memorable show.
34.
Harry Styles (2019)
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In performing “Lights Up” and his hit single, “Watermelon Sugar,” Styles brought the energy and charisma you’d expect from any one of his shows.
Who have been some of your favorite SNL musical guests over the years? Let me know in the comments!
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/williambarrios/top-35-snl-musical-guest-performances-of-all-time
