Saturday Night Live has become a prestigious goal for many musicians. Each episode usually features a musical guest to accompany that week's host. Often, these performances can be career-defining, in both good and bad ways, but one thing's certain: an SNL performance is not an opportunity you'd want to waste.
Over the years, many legendary musicians have passed through the halls of 30 Rock. While the show has seen its fair share of legends like Freddie Mercury and Tina Turner, it's also a great place for modern-day musicians to hone their performing prowess. These acts throughout SNL's history did not waste their screen time.
10 Paul Simon & George Harrison
Paul Simon is a legend in the world of Saturday Night Live. He's been a consistent musical guest since the show's second episode in 1975. During his double duty as host and musical guest on November 20, 1976, Simon performed some of his greatest hits, including "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
The singer-songwriter was also joined by George Harrison of Beatles fame. Harrison's appearance was a big deal at the time since this was only six years after The Beatles' break-up. Fans of the British pop group in the audience received the performance of a lifetime as Simon and Harrison played "Here Comes The Sun" as a duet.
9 Nirvana
The Kurt Cobain-led grunge band performed twice on SNL during their heyday, in 1992 and 1993. In '92, their first appearance alongside host Rob Morrow, Nirvana brought an energy to their performance that is rare for Saturday Night Live, playing their songs "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Territorial Pissings."
Their "Teen Spirit" performance, particularly, is head-banging perfection. Sadly, Nirvana's future on the show was cut short by Cobain's tragic passing, but drummer Dave Grohl has continued to rock the SNL stage with his band Foo Fighters. Still, looking back on Nirvana's 1992 appearance on the show feels nostalgic.
8 Beyonce
The Queen Bee herself has performed on Saturday Night Live only four times, two of those times as a part of Destiny's Child. However, Beyonce got to show off her solo skills in 2003 and 2008 as a solo musical guest. Her 2008 appearance featured a performance of "Single Ladies" (with a Timberlake-starring sketch to accompany it).
However, the real shining performance from the megastar was her 2003 performance of "Crazy In Love" with Jay-Z. This song would go on to prove just how perfect an SNL musical guest could be. Beyonce also performed "Dangerously In Love" that night, complementing one of her greatest hits with a slower ballad.
7 Prince
Is it that much of a surprise to see Prince on any list of great musical performances? The rocker famously made his solo SNL debut on February 4, 2006. In his usual royal manner, Prince left it all on stage, performing "Fury" and "Beautiful Loved & Blessed" from his 2006 album 3121.
Complete with pyrotechnics, gorgeous back-up singers, and his typical shredding guitar, Prince's performance of "Fury" is a marvel to the eyes and ears. However, if you really want to see Prince knock your socks off, look up recordings of his performance of "Let's Go Crazy" from SNL's 40th Anniversary after-party.
6 Paul McCartney
It's amazing that over 40 years after The Beatles' high point, Paul McCartney continues to put everything into performing. His 2010 appearance on Saturday Night Live alongside host Paul Rudd was no exception. Re-watching this performance is a good reminder of why McCartney is one of the greatest musicians of all time.
For his first set, McCartney played the Wings songs "Jet" and "Band on the Run." Not one to leave crowds disappointed, McCartney's second set was a medley of Beatles hit "A Day in the Life" and John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." Finally, McCartney played one more song over the episode's credits: "Get Back", another Beatles hit.
5 HAIM
When HAIM's debut album Days Are Gone was released in 2013, the music world welcomed their fresh, 70's-inspired rock music. Their performance on SNL at the time only further solidified their stage presence and mass appeal. However, the trio of LA sisters wouldn't rest on their laurels, returning in 2017 with host Melissa McCarthy.
HAIM played two songs from their album Something To Tell You: "Want You Back" and "Little of Your Love." These performances caught the attention of music journalists, and not just for bassist Este's iconic expressions. HAIM proved for a second time that, when it comes to performing live, they won't waste a second on-stage.
4 Childish Gambino
Donald Glover took on double duty as host and musical guest of SNL in 2018 to promote his Emmy-winning show Atlanta. Glover got to flex his comedic chops by returning to his sketch comedy roots. However, the multi-hypenate became something else while performing as Childish Gambino, his musical alter-ego.
Glover didn't just give a charismatic performance on "Saturday", a song that would later appear in his 2019 short film Guava Island. He also debuted his new song, "This Is America", which dropped on streaming platforms the same night. It's a pretty perfect performance of a song that would later shake-up pop culture as a whole.
3 Halsey
The singer-songwriter Halsey made her SNL debut in 2018 alongside host Sam Rockwell. She was quickly invited back the following year for double duty as host and musical guest. Halsey's episode was a stand-out of the season, featuring some great comedic work from the singer, as well as some stellar musical performances.
Halsey's first set featured her smash hit "Without You", an emotional and cathartic ballad about heartbreak. However, it's her performance of "Eastside" that earns her a spot in the hall of fame. While singing live, Halsey speedily paints a portrait of her own face, and her smirk when finished is a signal that she knows she crushed it.
2 Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has taken the music industry by storm following the release of her first album. She was quickly invited to be the musical guest of SNL's 2019 season premiere alongside host Woody Harrelson. She would later be invited back in 2021 to pull double duty, but that wouldn't be possible without her iconic 2019 performance.
For her biggest hit, "bad guy," Billie wowed audiences at home by seemingly walking on the walls and ceiling of SNL's stage. This was done via a rotating set, but still was a unique use of SNL's production. Her second song, "i love you," was a more low-key acoustic performance accompanied by Eilish's brother, Finneas.
1 Taylor Swift
A Taylor Swift appearance on Saturday Night Live has become an event of its own. She gave typically great performances in the past of songs like "Call It What You Want" and "Lover" in 2017 and 2019, respectively. However, her 2021 appearance alongside host Jonathan Majors puts her in a whole other echelon of SNL greatness.
Hot off the release of her re-recording of 2012's Red, Swift opted for one slot in the show. She performed one of her most acclaimed songs, "All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)," a sprawling story of heartbreak accompanied by a short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. It's intense, emotional, passionate, and well-deserving of applause after it softly ends.