(Images: NBC)
Saturday Night time Stay’s format has seen a great deal of change over the many years — from the shaggy, unpredictable Not Prepared for Primetime Gamers years, via the Digital Shorts period, to now — however one fixed has been that the present incorporates a visitor host (a star of some form, often an actor) and a musical visitor. They have an incredible present for you, and so they’ll be proper again! However often a bunch is so gifted that the present duties them with double obligation: internet hosting and performing as a musical visitor. It is solely occurred 38 instances within the present’s 45-year historical past, though in recent times it is occurred with elevated frequency. With February’s Nick Jonas-hosted episode just lately becoming a member of the pantheon, we determined to compile a whole historical past of host/musical visitor combos, from Seasons 1 via 45.
Desi Arnaz
Season: 1 Episode: 14 Date: February 21, 1976
Considerably appropriately, the very first SNL host to double as musical visitor was TV pioneer Desi Arnaz, who at that time was virtually 20 years faraway from the ultimate episode of I Love Lucy. As musical visitor, he carried out alongside his son, Desi Arnaz, Jr. Greatest Sketches: The youthful Arnaz performed Ricky Ricardo in an I Love Lucy parody, with Gilda Radner co-starring as Lucy.
Paul Simon
Season: 2 Episode: 8 Date: November 20, 1976
Early-seasons mainstay Paul Simon hosted the second episode of the sequence ever, although he wasn’t a musical visitor that point. In Season 2, he hosted the pre-Thanksgiving episode (famously dressing as a turkey within the monologue) and in addition carried out because the musical visitor, alongside George Harrison. Greatest Sketches: Simon did not star in it, however Gilda Radner did a “Baba Wawa” sketch, interviewing John Belushi as Henry Kissinger.
Ray Charles
Season: 3 Episode: 5 Date: November 12, 1977
The legendary Ray Charles hosted and served as a musical visitor within the present’s third season, and when you will have Ray Charles available, it appears you do not skimp with the musical performances, as a result of Charles carried out a whopping 5 instances. Greatest Sketches: Charles starred in a sketch reverse Garrett Morris taking part in Ella Fitzgerald, satirizing Fitzgerald’s TV commercials for Memorex cassettes.
The Rolling Stones
Season: 4 Episode: 1 Date: October 7, 1978
The fourth season premiere featured the legendary Rolling Stones as each hosts and musical visitor. Greatest Sketches: Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wooden each visitor starred in that episode’s Olympia Cafe sketch.
Frank Zappa
Season: 4 Episode: 3 Date: October 21, 1978
Experimental rocker Frank Zappa was a wonderfully oddball match for these early SNL seasons. He hosted the third episode of Season 4, simply two weeks after the Stones. Greatest Sketches: Appropriately sufficient, the otherworldly Zappa guested in a Coneheads sketch.
Deborah Harry
Season: 6 Episode: 10 Date: February 14, 1981
After a fifth season with no single host/musical visitor combos, the Blondie lead singer hosted and carried out in an episode that additionally featured Funky 4+1 because the night time’s different musical visitor, the primary hip hop group to ever seem on a nationwide tv present. Greatest Sketches: It being a Valentine’s Day episode, Harry was joined in her monologue by Eddie Murphy dressed as Cupid.
Olivia Newton-John
Season: 7 Episode: 20 Date: Could 22, 1982
Driving excessive on the success of “Bodily,” Olivia Newton-John did double obligation within the seventh season finale, memorably showing in a Grease-inspired sketch reverse Mary Gross and Christine Ebersole. Greatest Sketches: Newton-John wasn’t in it, however this was the episode that featured the well-known “Ebony and Ivory” sketch with Joe Piscopo’s Frank Sinatra and Eddie Murphy’s Stevie Surprise.
Stevie Surprise
Season: 8 Episode: 19 Date: Could 7, 1983
A yr after that “Ebony and Ivory” sketch, SNL welcomed the true deal to Rockefeller Middle, inviting Stevie Surprise to host and carry out. Greatest Sketches: Surprise appeared reverse Eddie Murphy in a number of sketches, together with a visit to go to Dion, Murphy’s flamboyant homosexual hairstylist.
Paul Simon
Season: 11 Episode: 16 Date: Could 10, 1986
Within the present’s eleventh season, their favourite son Paul Simon grew to become the primary individual to each host and function the musical visitor twice, albeit this time in an odd episode that doubled up on hosts (Simon shared duties with Dynasty star and future cult opponent Catherine Oxenberg) and musical visitors (Graceland period Simon carried out together with Ladysmith Black Mambazo). Greatest Sketches: Simon appeared in a sketch that includes Jon Lovitz’s recurring Mephistopheles character, with Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Corridor taking part in Simon and Garfunkel, respectively.
Willie Nelson
Season: 12 Episode: 12 Date: February 21, 1987
The legendary nation singer pulled double obligation as host and musical visitor within the first season of a largely new forged together with the debuts of Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, and Jan Hooks. Greatest Sketches: Nelson appeared reverse Carvey in a Church Girl sketch, in addition to in a recurring set of sketches about Nice Moments in White Trash Historical past.
Sting
Season: 16 Episode: 11 Date: January 19, 1991
After going a full three seasons with no host/musical visitor combo, Sting broke the dry spell. Greatest Sketches: Sting performed Billy Idol within the nice “Sinatra Group” sketch, a McLaughlin Group parody hosted by Phil Hartman’s tremendously cranky model of Frank Sinatra.
MC Hammer
Season: 17 Episode: 8 Date: December 7, 1991
There was in all probability solely a single time limit the place MC Hammer was using excessive sufficient to each host and be the musical visitor on SNL, and that was December of 1991, two months after his Too Legit to Give up album dropped and two weeks after The Addams Household premiered, that includes Hammer’s “Addams Groove” on the soundtrack (Christina Ricci and Jimmy Workman cameoed in costume as Wednesday and Pugsley to introduce Hammer’s musical efficiency). Greatest Sketches: The wonderful “Dangerous Haircut Assist Group” sketch the place Hammer tried to defend his personal superb haircut.
Garth Brooks
Season: 23 Episode: 14 Date: February 28, 1998
After MC Hammer, SNL went a fulll 5 full seasons with out anybody pulling double obligation. Breaking the streak was nation celebrity Garth Brooks, whose album Sevens had just lately dropped. Greatest Sketches: Airing simply because the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was selecting up steam, this episode featured the chilly open with Invoice Clinton (Darrell Hammond), Monica Lewinsky (Molly Shannon), and Sadaam Hussein (Will Ferrell) on a three-way name. That sketch did not characteristic Brooks, however he did take part in a Mango sketch in addition to play a classique woman of the night within the “Previous French Whore” sport present.
Garth Brooks
Season: 25 Episode: 5 Date: November 13, 1999
Two seasons later, Brooks was again once more as host/musical visitor, although this time it was his alter-ego Chris Gaines doing the singing. Greatest Sketches: A late-in-the-episode sketch featured Brooks promoting his soul to the satan (Ferrell) in change for an ideal music, solely the satan is horrible at songwriting.
Jennifer Lopez
Season: 26 Episode: 11 Date: February 10, 2001
A month after releasing her J.Lo album (and a yr after displaying as much as the Grammys in that well-known inexperienced Versace gown), Lopez made her first look as SNL host. She’d been a musical visitor in Season 25 for host Alan Cumming, however this time she did each. Greatest Sketches: J.Lo and Chris Kattan’s Mango had a memorable face-off, and she or he appeared with Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph within the Gemini’s Twin MTV Cribs sketch.
Britney Spears
Season: 27 Episode: 12 Date: February 2, 2002
Spears was maybe the most important pop star on the planet, however her Saturday Night time Stay host/musical visitor gig coincided with the discharge of her movie, Crossroads. Greatest Sketches: Spears additionally appeared in what turned out to be the ultimate Gemini’s Twin sketch as third group member “Dijonnaise.”
Justin Timberlake
Season: 29 Episode: 2 Date: October 11, 2003
It is very attention-grabbing that Timberlake’s first host/musical visitor gig got here between Britney Spears’s and Janet Jackson’s. He’d appeared as a visitor in Spears’s monologue, however by this level he was single and solo. Greatest Sketches: In an evening that noticed the debuts of the “Omeletteville” dancing mascot and the very first “Barry Gibb Discuss Present,” Timberlake additionally despatched up his personal terribly embarrassing Punk’d look by taking part in Ashton Kutcher in a sketch in regards to the MTV prank present. He additionally performed Jessica Simpson reverse Jimmy Fallon’s Nick Lachey in a Newlyweds sketch.
Janet Jackson
Season: 29 Episode: 17 Date: April 10, 2004
Within the aftermath of the Tremendous Bowl “Nipplegate” controversy, Janet Jackson was signed to function host and musical visitor, only a week after Donald Trump hosted to no controversy in any respect. Greatest Sketches: Jackson despatched up her Nipplegate scandal within the chilly open the place she appeared as Condoleezza Rice, reverse Darrell Hammond’s Dick Cheney.
Queen Latifah
Season: 30 Episode: 2 Date: October 9, 2004
With only some episodes to go earlier than the 2004 Bush/Kerry election, anxiousness was excessive, so who higher to assuage our raging psyches than host and musical performer Queen Latifah? Greatest Sketches: Queen Latifah performed the good Patti LaBelle in an episode of “The Prince Present.”
Ludacris
Season: 32 Episode: 6 Date: November 18, 2006
Nothing in opposition to Chris Bridges and his music and performing profession, however SNL sort of hopped on the prepare within the center years between his greatest hit songs and his changing into an everyday within the Quick & Livid motion pictures. Greatest Sketches: Ludacris performed himself in a recording-studio sketch the place his protegee is known as “Blizzard Man” and is performed by Andy Samberg. You may think about how that seems.
Justin Timberlake
Season: 32 Episode: 9 Date: December 16, 2006
Timberlake returned with a second double-duty look for the Christmas episode in 2006, using excessive throughout his FutureSex/LoveSounds period. Greatest Sketches: The dancing mascot got here again, as did “The Barry Gibb Discuss Present,” however this episode was made most well-known by Timberlake and Samberg teaming up for “Dick in a Field.”
Taylor Swift
Season: 35 Episode: 5 Date: November 7, 2009
It is at this level, in Season 35, that casting visitor hosts who pull double obligation as musical visitors turns into just about an annual factor. Swift had made her SNL debut the season earlier than as a musical visitor on the Neil Patrick Harris episode, and now, only a couple months after the Kanye West VMAs incident, her star was on an much more meteoric rise. Greatest Sketches: Swift portrayed actuality TV lightning rod du jour Kate Gosselin on that night time’s “The View” sketch.
Jennifer Lopez
Season: 35 Episode: 15 Date: February 27, 2010
Lopez’s second host/musical visitor outing got here 9 years after her first, simply forward of her efficiency within the forgettable rom-com The Again-Up Plan. Greatest Sketches: J.Lo performed Rihanna within the chilly open “We Are the World 3” sketch, however by far the most effective sketch of the night time was Lopez becoming a member of Jenny Slate’s Tina Tina Chanuse to promote automobile horns.
Elton John
Season: 36 Episode: 18 Date: April 2, 2011
Elton John had final appeared on Saturday Night time Stay in 1982, serving as musical visitor for a Johnny Money-hosted episode. Greatest Sketches: Not the most effective episode general, however Sir Elton did get to seem in a Dooneese sketch with Kristen Wiig.
Mick Jagger
Season: 37 Episode: 22 Date: Could 19, 2012
The Season 37 finale wanted a familial really feel, so the present turned as soon as once more to the Rolling Stones lead singer. Greatest Sketches: Seeing Jagger as one in all “The Californians” was surreal, however the one actual alternative for finest in present was his look in what was Kristen Wiig’s closing sketch as a forged member, a beautiful send-off set to “She’s a Rainbow.”
Bruno Mars
Season: 38 Episode: 5 Date: October 20, 2012
Mars’ smash hit “Locked Out of Heaven” had simply been launched when he was known as upon to drag SNL double obligation in an episode that had election anxiousness on the mind, only a couple weeks forward of Obama v. Romney. Greatest Sketches: Mars joined particular visitor Tom Hanks in haunted-castle sketch, however simply his finest sketch of the night time was the “Unhappy Mouse” video brief, by which he performed a lonely Instances Sq. mascot.
Justin Bieber
Season: 38 Episode: 13 Date: February 9, 2013
Bieber was properly into his downside youngster stage as he hosted SNL in an episode that forged members like Kate McKinnon and Invoice Hader have each stated was not a great displaying. Greatest Sketches: There was a sketch about Beebs physique doubles the place McKinnon confirmed up as Ellen DeGeneres, and he received to visitor on Vanessa Bayer’s “The Miley Cyrus Present,” however the most effective sketch was when he misplaced it reverse Taran Killam as an overprotective brother who’s method too aggro about Beebs’ slip of the tongue.
Miley Cyrus
Season: 39 Episode: 2 Date: October 5, 2013
Cyrus had already hosted as soon as, in Season 36, however she was again this time as her personal musical visitor (sorry, The Strokes!). The episode got here proper on the heels of her notorious twerking efficiency on the MTV Video Music Awards, which was lampooned within the present’s chilly open. Greatest Sketches: The “Mornin’ Miami” sketch featured Cyrus, Bobby Moynihan, and Kate McKinnon as chipper morning present hosts who’re furiously sullen off air. Additionally, Miley received to point out off her Scarlett Johansson impersonation in a “50 Shades of Gray Auditions” sketch.
Girl Gaga
Season: 39 Episode: 6 Date: November 16, 2013
By this level, the present was all in on actor/musicians. Foreshadowing Gaga’s Oscar-nominated foray into performing, SNL introduced her on to host and carry out only one week after her Artpop album debuted. Greatest Sketches: Effectively, she carried out “Do What You Need” with R. Kelly, which is not precisely the perfect factor to have in your everlasting document, however she and John Milhiser killed it as over-invested stage dad and mom at a 4th grade expertise present.
Drake
Season: 39 Episode: 11 Date: January 18, 2014
Drake was again for the primary time since Season 37, when he guested on the Anna Faris episode. This was the primary episode again after the vacation break. Greatest Sketches: Drake performed Lil’ Wayne in a “Hip Hop Classics” sketch the place his Wayne was the unique Steve Urkel on Household Issues.
Blake Shelton
Season: 40 Episode: 12 Date: January 24, 2015
In a little bit of intra-corporate synergy, Shelton, star of NBC’s The Voice was given the plum spot of a bunch/musical visitor gig in early 2015. Greatest Sketches: It does not matter what else was on that episode, simply that this was the night time Shelton, Kate McKinnon, and Aidy Bryant did “The Wishin’ Boot.”
Miley Cyrus
Season: 41 Episode: 1 Date: October 3, 2015
Miley was again once more, this time for the season premiere episode. Greatest Sketches: Cyrus performed a small half within the sketch the place Hillary Clinton guested as a bartender named Val, reverse Kate McKinnon’s personal Hillary impersonation.
Ariana Grande
Season: 41 Episode: 15 Date: March 12, 2016
After displaying up because the musical visitor within the Season 40 premiere episode, Grande was again, this time as host, two years earlier than she began courting forged member Pete Davidson. Greatest Sketches: Within the final sketch of the night time, Grande performed a salty Maria Von Trapp, able to learn the hell out of the gossipy nuns speaking sh*t about her.
Drake
Season: 41 Episode: 20 Date: Could 14, 2016
Within the season’s third host/musical visitor combo, Drake confirmed as much as promote his just lately launched album Views. Greatest Sketches: “Black Jeopardy” by no means disappoints, with Drake starring reverse Jay Pharoah and Sasheer Zamata.
Halsey
Season: 44 Episode: 12 Date: February 9, 2019
This was not Halsey’s first look on Saturday Night time Stay, as she’d beforehand carried out in Season 37 with visitor host Sam Rockwell. She was additionally celebrating the Oscar run for her pivotal efficiency in A Star Is Born. Greatest Sketches: Haley portrayed Rashida Tlaib within the Squad-obsessed “Girls of Congress” sketch.
Probability the Rapper
Season: 45 Episode: 4 Date: October 26, 2019
Probability had already been a musical visitor and hosted as soon as (with musical visitor Eminem) earlier than SNL invited him to play each roles. Greatest Sketches: The more and more macabre and unsettling “Tasty Toaster Tarts” sketch begins out seeming like a typical “cool snacks for teenagers” industrial and turns into much more unsettling.
Harry Kinds
Season: 45 Episode: 6 Date: November 16, 2019
The final SNL host-musical visitor earlier than the pandemic shut issues down, Harry Kinds was the second host/visitor combo in three episodes. Greatest Sketches: Undoubtedly the sketch the place Harry performed a social media supervisor for the Sara Lee firm whose unintentional and sexually specific tweets get him into bother, though shout out to the Aidy Bryant “Doug” sketch the place Bryant sings about her canine who she loves and who turns into Harry Kinds.
Nick Jonas
Season: 46 Episode: 14 Date: February 27, 2021
And so we land at the latest host/musical visitor double menace, actor/musician Nick Jonas. Greatest Sketches: Jonas as a sinister presence inside a mirror instructing a exercise class is a wierd, darkish sketch, however it goes some loopy locations and is generally an excuse for Jonas to point out off his weapons.
Joe Reid is the Managing Editor at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Self-importance Honest, Vulture, The A.V. Membership and extra.
