Best and Worst Saturday Night Live Musical Performances

Saturday Night Live is the Mecca for sketch comedy. Some of our favorite actors and comedians launched their careers at Lorne Michaels’ long-running SNL – Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikus, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney, Jimmy Fallon, Pete Davidson, I could go on…

And while your preferred comedians probably got their start in the writer’s room at 30 Rock, don’t forget the live musical guest. Being invited to play on SNL is one of the biggest honors in a musician’s career.

There’s something about being on that stage that tells you about who an artist truly is…if they can sing live or not…if they have any stage presence. The SNL musical guest’s performance is often a topic of discussion on social media – it’s a terrific venue for teasing new music, growing your following, and showing what you’re made of.

But many stars find themselves floundering on the elusive Saturday Night Live stage. The platform has the catapult to an artist into the stratosphere…and the gig can sometimes go south and be tough to watch.

After Sabrina Carpenter’s show-stopping superstar performance, it got me thinking about the Ghosts of SNL’s Musical Guests Past. Not every act feels like a professional, well-rounded concert.

So, while some shine and others flop, here are our picks for the Best and Worst SNL Musical Performances!

WORST:

Ice Spice

Oh, how I wanted this performance to go differently. A lot of the time, I fear Ice Spice may lack the star-quality, It Factor when it comes to live performances. This is just one of those examples.

21 Savage

21 chanting “redrum” over and over almost had me fast-forwarding through the whole thing. If I were in the audience, his flat, monotonous performance would’ve been even more difficult to endure – despite 21’s attempt to class it up with a pair of sad ballet dancers.

Kanye West feat. Lil Pump

This is genuinely hilarious if you don’t take it seriously. Confession: I’m smiling as I write this. It reminds me of when you’re 8 years old and you perform with your cousin for the whole family.

Lana Del Rey

I love Lana so it hurts me to include this…but this was a tough watch. She shows signs of promise, but it’s pitchy and all over the place. Her first real performance was riddled with nerves, but thankfully Coachella was a redemption.

Ashlee Simpson

I mean, you knew it was coming. As Ashlee lip-synced her way through her performance, disaster struck when the vocals fell out of sync. She walks off stage mid-song, but the band plays on – it’s literally like watching The Titanic as the boat goes down.

BEST:

Taylor Swift

The “All Too Well (10-Minute Version)” performance will always be iconic. In her fifth appearance on the show, Swift only performed one song and it was this 10-minute masterpiece.

Sabrina Carpenter

Talk about utilizing the stage! Finally someone makes SNL feel like a concert and not a beat poetry session. A spectacular performance all around – no notes!

Tate McRae

Bring back popstars with dance routines! Tate McRae’s viral SNL act was high-energy and captivating. She nails her vocals while slaying that dance number flawlessly.

Harry Styles

There was nothing more iconic than when Harry Styles dropped “Watermelon Sugar” during his SNL double-header. It was the first time the world heard the song, and instantaneously made it the hit song of the summer.

Billie Eilish

Billie’s debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO? was critically acclaimed and shot her to super-super-superstardom. Her SNL performance solidified that she can sing on any stage and shine.