# Best & worst SNL musical numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591 "2009-07-10T18:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/21 "2009-07-10T22:23:51Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Not a musical guest performance, but early in the show’s run (first season, maybe), Gilda Radner and Steve Martin performed a wordless dance number with the house band providing the accompaniment. It was wonderful, and the sort of unpredictable thing that SNL never does anymore. The week Gilda died Steve Martin was hosting(?) SNL and instead of a monologue they replayed that piece. Really great. Speaking of Martin, “Not Gonna Phone it In Tonight” was probably the best musical number ever. “Now it’s the 80s and everything is me, me me.” “But Steve, it’s the 90s.” “..Whatever.” ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/22 "2009-07-11T00:55:18Z")
> [@bup](#): > > When George Carlin died, they replayed the first episode, and I was blown away by Janis Ian’s _Seventeen_. > > Although I was a fan of the Kinks, their appearances on SNL were bland and lackluster. I have to disagree with you on an 80s performance by the Kinks. They did "Destroyer’ and ‘Art Lover’ off the “Give the People What They Want” release. “Destroyer” was their 3rd remake of “All Day and All of the Night” and rocked. Hard. “Art Lover” was a lovely little ditty about a pedophile voyeur! Certainly not bland… I might be misremembering…This might have been on ABCs “Friday’s” show… ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/23 "2009-07-11T01:00:59Z")
Nope, I got it: Susan St. James, The Kinks, Rickie Lee Jones (10/10/1981) McDonald and Wife…heh heh heh ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/24 "2009-07-11T02:48:49Z")
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned the episode where Garth Brooks hosted as himself, and then served as musical guest in his glam rock alter ego Chris Gaines. Has to quailfy as one of the worst muscial performances. But there was a funny moment where (I believe it was) Tracy Morgan basically denigrated Chris Gaines to Garth Brooks’ face, saying he was “pink in the middle” and “smoked the ol’ meat cigar.” ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/25 "2009-07-11T03:10:52Z")
I have a friend who loved Fear’s performance on SNL in 1981. I’m not much of a Punk fan, but it WAS memorable. 🙂 Lee Ving seems pretty cool. I like him from his acting. Fishbone had a great performance of “Sunless Saturday” that I remember. I’m not a big fan - I have an EP of theirs that I never listen too - but I thought they put one hell of a show. Stevie Ray Vaughan was on at least once, and IIRC, Jimmy Vaughan was there with him, unannounced. Good performance as well. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/26 "2009-07-11T03:28:23Z")
> [@da\_pope](#): > > I have to disagree with you on an 80s performance by the Kinks. They did "Destroyer’ and ‘Art Lover’ off the “Give the People What They Want” release. > > “Destroyer” was their 3rd remake of “All Day and All of the Night” and rocked. Hard. > > “Art Lover” was a lovely little ditty about a pedophile voyeur! > > Certainly not bland… Well, yeah. I like the songs (particularly _Art Lover_, which is not IMO about a pedophile but a father who’s lost his own child), but I just didn’t think it was a great performance. The also appeared circa 1985 and performed _Do It Again_ which is both a bland song and was a blah performance. The Kinks were always inconsistent, both in Ray’s writing and in the execution. ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/27 "2009-07-11T03:40:07Z")
Ornette Coleman did a great performance of “Times Square” when Milton Berle hosted. That was what got me into his music in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/28 "2009-07-11T03:44:16Z")
I have another one that was memorable to me. Peter Tosh singing “Take A Walk and Don’t Look Back”. After the first verse you can hear the crowd freaking out when Mick Jagger unexpectedly walks out on stage and makes the song a duet. It was a great catchy tune and Mick was having fun with it. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/29 "2009-07-11T03:51:52Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Well, yeah. I like the songs (particularly _Art Lover_, which is not IMO about a pedophile but a father who’s lost his own child), but I just didn’t think it was a great performance. > > The also appeared circa 1985 and performed _Do It Again_ which is both a bland song and was a blah performance. The Kinks were always inconsistent, both in Ray’s writing and in the execution. Re-visiting the lyrics to “Art Lover”, I guess it could go either way. I like the song myself, but some of those verses are pretty creepy, no? Seeing them do “Destroyer” made me buy the album, and delve into Kinks beyond “You Really Got Me” and “Lola”. Not many SNL performances hit me like that one, I thought it was strong and full of energy. I taped it and watched over and over. I don’t recall the “Back Where we Started” show. I’m sure I saw it, but it didn’t leave as deep a groove in the noodle like the '81 appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/30 "2009-07-11T04:06:08Z")
I didn’t see it myself, but since it brought me my husband, I’d have to say Kate Bush’s SNL appearance. I can’t find the performances on YouTube, but she performed “The Man With The Child In His Eyes” wearing a gold catsuit while on top of a piano played by Paul Schaeffer, then later “Them Heavy People” wearing a trench coat and fedora. She was the special guest of Eric Idle, who requested her specifically and brought her over from England just for that one night. A lot of people didn’t realize that she’s very rarely performed as herself, that most of her performances/videos are as the characters in the songs, so a lot of folks thought she was weird and pretentious. Luckily, my husband was blown away and became a fan. If he hadn’t been, or if he hadn’t watched TV that night, we never would have met. So, I’m a fan, but I also owe her the happiness my soul mate has given me the last 28 years. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/31 "2009-07-11T04:11:22Z")
Oh yeah, the Bowie performance blew me away, and I was just a wee kiddie then. My all time fave was seeing Queen. You could have heard the SQUEE clear at the South Pole, I was so happy. Worst? I vote for Ashlee Simpson. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/32 "2009-07-11T04:32:24Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > -Elvis Costello getting pissed, refusing to play the song he was scheduled to play, and launching into an impromptu version of a song he was expressly asked NOT to peform by the network. That would be “Radio Radio”. > [@](#): > > Worst: It’s gotta be Sinead O’Conner, during her infamous ripping up the picture of the pope. That in itself didn’t bother me - in fact, it got a hell of a lot more attention than it deserved. But it did come on the tail end of the single-most boring musical number in the show’s history, an a capella version of Bob Marley’s “War.” Demonstrated that O’Conner isn’t nearly as strong a singer as she was reputed to be. …or that Bob Marley isn’t a good enough songwriter to sound good acapella. I’m leaning towards that, as I heard O’Conner live and acapella and been astounded (and believe Marley to be vastly over-rated.) My personal bests are the Kate Bush performance Equipoise mentioned and Todd Rundgren’s performance on the episode hosted by Charlene Tilton…that is never, ever repeated because of Charles Rocket’s moronic decision to drop the F bomb on live TV. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/33 "2009-07-11T05:31:59Z")
Not best or worst, but most memorable: 1978 or thereabouts: The Rolling Fucking Stones. I happened to be at a gay house party, probably 100 - 200 guests, me (straight guy) getting my ass pinched a lot. I was in the TV room when the Stones played. Some really femme guy called out “Ooooohhhhh, Mick!”. Cracks me up remembering it. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/34 "2009-07-11T06:45:13Z")
Looking over an [episode guide](http://www.tv.com/Saturday+Night+Live/show/365/episode.html?printable=1) it seems like the performances I remember most came from a particularly good stretch in 1989. Episode 261 - Elvis Costello - _Let Him Dangle_ Episode 262 - Living Colour - _Cult of Personality_ Episode 263 - Dolly Parton - _Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That_ Episode 264 - John Mellencamp - _Pop Singer_ and _Jackie Brown_ Episode 265 - Fine Young Cannibals - _She Drives Me Crazy_ and _Cool Thing_ Episode 266 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - _Runnin’ Down a Dream_ and _Free Fallin’_ Also, Roy Orbison did an excellent rendition of _Crying_ in 1987. They replayed it a year later, the week that he died. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/35 "2009-07-11T12:14:23Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but the most memorable musical number for me had to be Laura Brannigan’s performance of _Gloria_. There are a lot of high notes in that song, and she must have been having problems with her throat- she couldn’t hold the notes and had to stop singing. My brothers knew Laura Brannigan in those days- they actually knew her before her debut album was released, as they worked at the Princeton CLub, where she and her husband were regulars. I remember the episode you mention, precisely because she missed so many high notes. When they saw her the following Monday, they tried to tell her and her husband how much they’d liked the performance, but Laura looked glum, and shook her head. Her husband smiled, thanked my brothers, but admitted it had been a rough gig, since Laura’s voice had been off for a few days, and they didn’t think “Gloria” sounded very good. They were much happier with her second number, “Living a Lie.” As for me, I don’t think there’s ever been a better musical moment than when John Belushi came on stage to sing “Feeling Alright” with Joe Cocker, who wasn’t expecting him at all. Belushi did Cocker better than Cocker did, and Joe looked pissed off! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/36 "2009-07-11T13:08:18Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > “King Tut” was classic. It is agreed that whole episode was the best SNL ever aired. Fantastic when Blue Lou burst out of the sacarphagus doing the sax solo ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/37 "2009-07-11T14:28:41Z")
There was a Christmas show with Linda Ronstadt, there was a musical segment where she and others were dressed in beautiful Victorian clothes and sang a Christmas medley. Never forgot that, for some reason. Oh gosh, years ago, back in the Gilda Radner days, the cast members, and was it Garrett Morris? - they sang an acapella doo wop type of song that was VERY good, but I can’t remember the name of that song!!! ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/38 "2009-07-13T00:32:02Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > As for me, I don’t think there’s ever been a better musical moment than when John Belushi came on stage to sing “Feeling Alright” with Joe Cocker, who wasn’t expecting him at all. > > Belushi did Cocker better than Cocker did, and Joe looked pissed off! That’s the one I came here to post! Awesome song, great performances from both Cocker and Belushi, and funny as hell! If I was Joe Cocker, I might have suspected that that would happen sooner or later. John Belushi’s Joe Cocker impression was well established by that point, and he was doing it before SNL. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/39 "2009-07-13T03:41:13Z")
I’m a big Clapton fan so I’m gonna say Clapton. I recall he got three songs and also jammed with the band on the outros to commercial breaks. Has anyone else ever got three songs? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591/40 "2009-07-13T03:51:33Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I’m a big Clapton fan so I’m gonna say Clapton. I recall he got three songs and also jammed with the band on the outros to commercial breaks. Has anyone else ever got three songs? Generally, only the really big artists get to do three songs on SNL. In addition to Eric Clapton, the “3 song” club includes U2, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and REM. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-snl-musical-numbers/502591.md?page=3)