When Saturday Night Live debuted on television in 1974, it was a sketch comedy show that included live music and Jim Henson’s Muppets. It also debuted at a time of political uncertainty, as the war in Vietnam was coming to an end, and when NBC didn’t actually have a ton of faith that the show would last. 50 years later, the show has had some dips in quality now and then, but it’s evolved into a program that skewers pop culture, provides social commentary on the world at large, and allows the audience to see actors and singers in some hilarious situations.
The original cast included comedy greats like John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, and Gilda Radnor. So many of the early performers in the show have gone on to hugely successful careers and left their mark on pop culture. Likewise, the show has become a window into which fan-favorite actors and singers of the era are, as the hosts reflect some of the most popular performers. The show has had its ups and downs in over 900 episodes of live television, but these episodes show some of the best that SNL has to offer.
15 Eric Idle/Kate Bush
December 9, 1978
Eric Idle hosted Saturday Night Live four times in the 1970s, and every time he showed up, he proved why he was such a great comedic force as part of the Monty Python troupe. The fourth season of SNL was not one of its best, but when Idle showed up in the eighth episode, he really helped elevate things for the comedy sketch series. His best moment on the show was his "What Do You" game show sketch. He was also ed by Kate Bush, who delivered two fantastic musical numbers.
This was also the episode where Gilda Radnor debuted her Candy Slice character.
Other than Idle, there were some other highlights of this episode as well. Dan Aykroyd was great in two different sketches. He was in the cold open when he played a hotline psychic who tormented prank callers with horrific premonitions. He also had one of his best Julia Child sketches, which hit on almost every level. This was also the episode where Gilda Radnor debuted her Candy Slice character for the first time, a sketch that became one of her most interesting.
14 Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest
November 12, 2016
For years, Dave Chappelle had his own groundbreaking sketch comedy show that proved to be one of the best on television. However, in 2016, Saturday Night Live fans finally had a dream come true when he showed up and hosted an episode in possibly the perfect year. Chappelle was there just in time for the 2016 Presidential Election, and there was no way that SNL or Chappelle could up this opportunity. The episode was so good that it was almost an outlier in an otherwise average season.
This episode happened right after Donald Trump won the Presidential election, so it was a good way for the show to give a response to that shocking moment. His almost subdued monologue to open the show was one of the best in SNL history and was also very funny. He brought back Chappelle's Show characters to SNL and then had some great sketches along the way, including the best of the best - "Election Night." Add in A Tribe Called Quest, and this was one of the best SNL episodes in a long time.
13 Adam Sandler/Shawn Mendes
May 4, 2019
There is a lot to love about Adam Sandler returning to Saturday Night Live as the host in 2019. First off, he didn't hold back and in his opening monologue, he joked about getting fired from SNL in 1995. It had been 24 years, and it might seem shocking that this was his first time hosting the show since he left it all those years ago. With that said, the best moment came later in the show. Sandler is known for singing original comedy songs, but here, he sang a touching song in tribute to his friend, Chris Farley.
Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley died in 1997.
Farley is one of the most beloved SNL stars in history, with some incredible sketch performances over the years. However, his death was tragic and shocking. He was a close friend of Sandler, so having the comedian sing this song while footage of Farley flashed on the screen made it a can't-miss moment in SNL history. Sandler also reprised Opera Man on Weekend Update and brought back Chris Rock as well for another special nostalgic moment.
12 Jim Carrey/Soundgarden
May 18, 1996
For years, Saturday Night Live had a rival sketch comedy show that was a little more adult oriented, and much more daring, called In Living Color. The Wayans brothers created that show, and while it had a predominantly Black cast, it did have one white comic who became a major star - Jim Carrey. While Carrey has several major iconic characters from In Living Color, it was fun to see him show up on SNL a few years after his other show ended and deliver some great comic moments there.
The one big sketch that really stands out here was "Jimmy Tabgo's FatBusters," which saw Carrey channeling his old Fire Marshall Bill persona, but here as a weight loss guru who proposes smoking crystal meth to lose weight - with terrifying side effects. Add in Carey ing in on a Roxbury guys skit and his hilarious role as a Jacuzzi lifeguard, and Carrey brought something unpredictable and unique to SNL audiences. Soundgarden also performed a great rendition of "Burden in My Head" in the episode.
11 Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake
December 21, 2013
Justin Timberlake has been in more great Saturday Night Live moments than any guest since Steve Martin. One of his best appearances came in 2013 when Jimmy Fallon returned to host the show he was once a main cast member of. Fallon and Timberlake have always had great chemistry, so it made sense that the episode would have Timberlake in plenty of sketches, even though he was there to serve as the musical guest. The two singing "Wrappinville" while dressed as gift bags was just the start.
There was a Celebrity Family Feud skit, which is always great, with Keenan Thompson as the host, Steve Harvey. The highlight here is that Timberlake played Fallon in the sketch, the first of several meta moments in the episode. Another highlight was a music video with the female cast called "(Do It On My) Twin Bed." The show even brought out the legendary Paul McCartney in the opening monologue to sing with Jimmy Fallon, a great moment in a tremendous episode.
10 Eddie Murphy / Lizzo
December 21, 2019
When Eddie Murphy returned to host Saturday Night Live in 2019 it was 35 years after he last appeared on the show. Murphy had ed the show when he was 19 in season 6 and became one of its breakout stars within just two years. When it was announced that he would host the series, there was a lot of anticipation for what would be involved in the show.
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Murphy brought back several of his classic sketches from his time on the show, including “Mister Robinson,” and even appeared as Gumby during a “Weekend Update” sketch. It reminded the audience of just how great of a comedian Murphy is and how much he’s contributed to some of the most lasting parts of SNL’s legacy. Combined with Murphy’s return to the show was Lizzo’s debut on the program with her track “Truth Hurts.” She has since returned to the show twice more.
9 Ariana Grande
March 12, 2016
Saturday Night Live has aired over 900 episodes, and in those, less than 50 times has the host doubled as the musical guest. Ariana Grande did it masterfully in 2016. Though Grande had grown up doing musical theater and had appeared in sitcoms on Nickelodeon, adults were recognizing her as a pop singer as she began working on the music scene, so a lot of Saturday Night Live’s usual audience didn’t realize how talented she was in the world of acting.
...a lot of Saturday Night Live’s usual audience didn’t realize how talented she was in the world of acting.
Grande performed impersonations in the episode of fellow singers, like Shakira, Britney Spears, and Whitney Houston. The episode also parodied the Kids Choice Awards, The Sound of Music, and got in a few political campaign jokes. It offered some of the best of what modern SNL has to offer when the host has a comedic background.
8 Richard Pryor / Gil Scott-Heron
December 13, 1975
Richard Pryor is a legendary comedian who has left a huge legacy. He also, however, was known for pushing the envelope, which is why his single episode of Saturday Night Live is such a memorable one. He appeared in the seventh episode of the first season as the host and appeared in one of the show’s most controversial sketches of all time.
In addition to relatively standard SNL fare for the time, like a riff on The Exorcist with Pryor as a new priest, there was also a sketch that would likely have caused quite a stir today. Pryor appeared opposite Chevy Chase in a sketch called “Word Association,” which largely ended up being the two men trading insults and racial slurs back and forth. It likely wouldn’t even make it to air today, but it’s ed as one of the stunts that helped propel the public’s interest in the show forward. It got people talking.
7 Ryan Gosling / Chris Stapleton
April 13, 2024
Part of the interest in Saturday Night Live is that the performances are, as the title implies, live. The audience is curious if the stars of the show and the guests will make it through their more ridiculous sketches without breaking. While it can be common for guest hosts to lose track of themselves and laugh during a sketch, the cast are undoubtedly better at stifling their laughter or hiding their breaking character from the audience.
That’s not the case for Ryan Gosling’s 2024 appearance, and that’s part of what makes it such a genuinely fun episode. The early vibes of the sketches feel like the SNL cast is determined to get Gosling to break character. Instead, it’s the likes of Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman who break in hilarious sketches like “Beavis and Butt-head.” It’s refreshing to see the entire cast fighting the urge to break as everyone appeared to truly be enjoying themselves.
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Also fun was Chris Stapleton ing in on a few of the sketches and Emily Blunt appearing to put the supposed rivalry between Gosling’s Barbie and her Oppenheimer movies to bed.
6 Justin Timberlake
December 16, 2006
If there’s any host that is golden for Saturday Night Live, it’s Justin Timberlake. He has a knack for fitting seamlessly into the show with the rest of the cast. Many of his appearances pair him with Jimmy Fallon, who is one of his real-life friends. Most often, he’s either the host or the musical guest, but here, he plays double duty a decade before Ariana Grande was given the chance to prove herself doing it.
When Timberlake hosted, it was during a time when the show was not exactly holding court among TV viewers anymore. There would be a bright episode, and then people would lose interest for weeks. Justin Timberlake’s episode helped to revitalize interest at the time with the help of such popular holiday sketches as “D**k In A Box.” Of course, it also featured a memorable cold opening as Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig all sang about dating Santa Claus, which didn’t need a boost from Timberlake’s presence.
