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In the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, the show’s myriad musical highlights have been paired with plenty of controversies, but creator and producer Lorne Michaels has asserted that no musical guest has ever been barred from returning.
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Michaels’ claims emerged in the new three-hour documentary Ladies & Gentleman… 50 Years of SNL Music, which premiered on NBC on Monday (Jan. 27). Alongside notable revelations in regards to the show’s musical history (including the fact that no one seems to know the melody to the SNL theme song), Michaels pushed back at long-standing reports that numerous artists have been banned from the show for various reasons.
“I’ll read it sometimes in the Post, ‘So and so’s banned for life,’” Michaels explained. “We’ve never banned anyone. We’re way too crass and opportunistic. If something’s hot, we’re going to go for it and have it on.”
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Though it’s not exactly clear where the reports that artists have been banned from SNL have emerged from over the years, a number of controversial appearances make it easy to see why bans would be expected.
One of the earliest incidents of an apparently banned performer came from a December 1977 episode in which Elvis Costello stepped in for the Sex Pistols. Despite planning to perform “Less Than Zero”, Costello switched up his set at the last moment and instead performed “Radio Radio” – a track that was critical of commercial radio in his native U.K. Undeterred by the negative reaction his appearance generated from the show’s staff, Costello later returned to the show in 1989, 1991, and again in 1999 where he parodied his first performance alongside the Beastie Boys.
Among the most notable examples of controversial musical guests was that of Sinéad O’Connor, who tore up an image of Pope John Paul II during an a cappella performance of Bob Marley’s “War” in 1992. Protesting sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, O’Connor’s urging for viewers to “fight the real enemy” became one of the most infamous moments on the show’s history.
Other instances also include Los Angeles punk outfit Fear appearing on the show at the insistence of John Belushi in 1981, with their rowdy set reportedly causing $500,000 in damage. A 2004 performance from Ashlee Simpson also gained international notoriety after she was revealed to be lip-syncing due to illness, though she would later return the following year without incident.
The nascent documentary also featured further information about Rage Against the Machine’s 1996 performance, in which they appeared alongside then-presidential candidate Steve Forbes.
Following a version of “Bulls on Parade” (which was planned to feature upside-down American flags hung from their amps until stagehands intervened), bassist Tim Commerford vented his frustration by throwing one of the flags into Forbes’ empty dressing room. The incident caused the Secret Service to respond on behalf of the billionaire, locking the band down in their dressing room until the completion of the show.
The 50 Years of SNL Music documentary – which is co-directed by Oscar-winning Roots drummer Questlove – is part of SNL’s 50th anniversary programming, and arrived following the premiere of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night on Jan. 16.
A big part of the job at Saturday Night Live in the week leading up to showtime is convincing that week’s host or musical guest to appear in sketches that sometimes sound bizarre at best, or potentially disastrous at worst. That was the dilemma frequent SNL guest Justin Timberlake found himself in November 2008 when cast member Andy Samberg hit him up to see if he was in town to hop in on a bit that castmate Bobby Moynihan had cooked up.
“He said Bobby Moynihan has this great idea for a sketch about you, me, and him being Beyoncé’s background dancers that never made the cut,” Timberlake explained in the three-hour doc Ladies & Gentleman… 50 Years of SNL Music, which aired on NBC on Monday night (Jan. 27). “I was like ‘full leotard’? And he’s like, ‘yeah.’ I was like, ‘This is too funny. We have to do this.’”
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Here’s the thing: the three guys were totally down, but convincing Queen Bey to get super silly with them was going to be another matter entirely. In the exhaustive look at the show’s musical history co-directed by Oscar-winning Roots drummer Questlove, current SNL star Bowen Yang explained that “when you pitch a sketch that the musical guest is involved in potentially it can always go wrong.”
And, according to JT, at first Beyoncé was not into it. At all.
“She was very polite about it, but she was very hesitant. And when I say hesitant, I mean like, she was not having it,” Timberlake said. “I’m like: Does she know how funny this is gonna be? How beloved this whole moment will be?” Determined to commit to the bit, Timberlake decided that he had to show his fellow pop superstar how far he was willing to go to convince her.
“I put the leotard and the heels and the hose on and everything, and put a robe on,” he said. “I walked and knocked on her door, I threw the robe down and put my hands on my hips and she was like, ‘No you didn’t!’” Long story short, Bey said yea and the rest is SNL history.
In the final sketch (which is not officially available on YouTube), host Paul Rudd plays the “Single Ladies” video director introducing the singer to her new backup dancers, who she is nervous about.
“Oh look, don’t worry about the other dancers, B-Town,” Rudd tells her. “I hand-picked them myself, these guys are pros.” The three men then enter in all their black leotard, white tights and black heels regalia, assuring Bey that they are definitely warmed up, “like biscuits,” Moynihan says, with Timberlake adding the unhelpful second helping, “yeah, dance biscuits!”
Smash cut to the trio gyrating impertinently on, around and at Beyoncé and the singer repeatedly stopping filming until Rudd finally admits that they are his stepsons, who his wife said he had to spend more time with. “Aww, I didn’t know these were your sons,” Beyoncé says. “That’s very noble of you.”
“So you’ll let them be in your music video?” Rudd asks. “Hell no,” Bey replies.
Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music is available to stream now on Peacock.
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After making its premiere on October 11, 1975 with musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian, Saturday Night Live has been a music and cultural TV institution over the last 50 years.
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And now to celebrate the 50th anniversary, award-winning musician and filmmaker Questlove, along with co-director Oz Rodriguez, made a new documentary called Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music. It features a behind-the-scenes look at SNL’s musical guests, including Jack White, Miley Cyrus, Bad Bunny, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Dua Lipa, Mick Jagger, Tom Morello, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish & Finneas, Dave Grohl, Debbie Harry and many others.
When Does ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ Start?
Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music airs starting on Monday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The TV special broadcasts on NBC, while it’s also available to stream the following day on Peacock.
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Where to Watch ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ for Free
Cord-cutters have a few ways to watch Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music online — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services — such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo — also offer a free trial so you can watch NBC for free.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch the TV special with Peacock, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
How to Watch ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ With Peacock
The TV special airs on NBC and streams the following day on Peacock for Premium or Premium Plus subscribers only. If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, you can get access with a Peacock monthly subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month for the ad-supported plan, or $13.99 per month for the ad-free plan.
Along with Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, you can also watch the backlog of SNL starting with season 1 and going all the way through season 50 — that’s a whopping 50 seasons of TV with a subscription to Peacock. In addition, you’ll get access to original programming, such as Love Island USA, Bel-Air, The Traitors and others; hit movies, including The Wild Robot, Monkey Man, Abigail, The Holdovers, Oppenheimer and others; live sports from NBC Sports; live news from NBC News; and more than 50 streaming channels.
How to Watch ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ With DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with NBC for Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as CBS, ABC, Fox, and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ With Hulu + Live TV
Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music on NBC is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $82.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including ABC, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
How to Watch ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music’ with Fubo
To watch Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music on NBC, Fubo starts at $59.99 for the first month, $84.99 per month afterwards (the streamer’s current deal) with more than 210 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, CBS and ABC, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as ESPN, Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music is available to watch on NBC via DirecTV Stream or Hulu + Live TV, on Monday, Jan. 27 with a start time of 8 p.m. ET/PT. The TV special is streamable on Peacock on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
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Timothée Chalamet hosted SNL for a third time and starred in six sketches that made it to air Saturday night (Jan. 25) in an episode that also had him on the bill as musical guest. Pulling double duty as host and music act, Chalamet seamlessly shifted between being himself in his monologue and embracing his Bob Dylan […]
Lin-Manuel Miranda made a surprise return as Alexander Hamilton during a cameo on Saturday Night Live.
The NBC sketch comedy show’s cold open on Jan. 25 featured Miranda reprising his iconic Hamilton role in a hilarious spoof of the U.S. founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence.
The nearly seven-minute sketch began with Miranda, dressed in full Hamilton attire, joining his fellow statesmen as he rapped about America’s future.
“What matters is the nation we build,” the Tony winner rapped. “Because in America, all men are created equal. America, not England. We’re doing the sequel. And we will have leaders, but no one thing. In America we will never have a king.”
The Broadway star’s performance was interrupted by SNL cast member James Austin Johnson, who impersonated Donald Trump. Johnson’s Trump took the spotlight, boasting about becoming the 47th president.
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“Never say never,” Johnson’s Trump said as Miranda and the other founding fathers froze in place. “Kidding of course, though many ways I’m not. I’m in my king era.”
He continued, “But just like the founding fathers, I am creating a new country as well. And just like them, we’re doing it very whitely. DEI is over. It’s dead. Workplaces must go back to looking like the TV show The Office: mostly white people but with one funny Black guy who is having a really bad time.”
After making a playful jab at Trump’s 18-year-old son Barron, Johnson’s Trump declared his second inauguration a “tremendous success,” saying, “It was inside due to cold and fear. But we had a lot of surprise guests. Like Melania. That was nice.”
The president then took aim at Miranda, teasing him for being “tricked into coming here and now he’s frozen on stage.”
“Oh, look at Lin,” Johnson’s Trump said, mocking Miranda’s stillness. “Look at how bad he wants to do a rap. He wrote a whole rap and he doesn’t get to do it. Oh, the audience would have eaten that up. But we’re not gonna hear it.”
Getting closer to Miranda’s frozen Hamilton, Johnson’s Trump taunted, “He’s in sniffing distance of an EGOT and he’s got to stand there until I’m done.” Miranda finally broke character, cracking a smile as Trump continued, “Lindy, Lindy, Lindy, Lindy. Laura Linney. Lin-Manuel Miranda Cosgrove. There he is.”
Saturday’s episode also featured Timothée Chalamet, star of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, pulling double duty as both host and musical guest. You can catch recaps of his monologue here and his musical performances here.
Watch SNL‘s “Founding Fathers Cold Open” below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Timothée Chalamet playfully poked fun at himself during his Saturday Night Live monologue on Jan. 25.
The 29-year-old actor, who stars as Bob Dylan in the new film A Complete Unknown, took on dual roles as both host and musical guest for the night. Returning for his third time as host, the New York native opened his nearly five-minute monologue by joking about his frequent losses at major award shows and his struggle with facial hair.
“This is my third time hosting Saturday Night Live, but the first time hosting it with a little stache and a little goatee,” Chalamet quipped, referencing a Golden Globes joke. “That’s 37 hairs right there,” he added, as the camera zoomed in on his goatee.
Chalamet also reflected on his role as the folk icon, which follows his 2023 film Wonka.
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“I will say, it was a little weird playing Bob Dylan right after I played Willy Wonka,” he said. “But I actually discovered that the two men have a lot in common. They’re both eccentric, they’re both innovators, and they both captured and enslaved hundreds of Oompa-Loompas.”
Chalamet then shifted to his repeated losses at awards shows, showing a montage of his disappointed reactions when winners were announced.
“It’s an enormous honor going to these award shows,” he said before setting up the video. “It’s a great experience but I just keep losing. And each time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn’t sting. Let’s take a look. Oh man, just another lonely night with my Dune popcorn bucket.”
A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, has earned eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture. After the compilation video, Chalamet was set to practice an acceptance speech — only to be interrupted by SNL cast member Kenan Thompson, who humorously took the faux award for himself.
Chalamet wrapped up his monologue by teasing the Dylan songs he would perform later in the show.
“You might not know the Bob Dylan songs I’m performing, but they’re my personal favorites,” he told the audience. “And I’m so grateful Saturday Night Live is still doing weird stuff life this 50 years in.”
He added with a grin, “They’re either really nice for letting me do this or incredibly mean, and this is all a big prank. I sincerely can’t tell. We’ll find out.”
Introduced by SNL alum Adam Sandler, Chalamet began his musical guest spot with a high-energy performance of “Outlaw Blues,” which smoothly transitioned into a more intimate, spoken-word version of “Three Angels,” with surprise guest James Blake on keyboards and backing vocals. He later returned with an acoustic guitar for a heartfelt cover of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” again accompanied by Blake on keys and vocals.
Watch Chalamet’s full SNL monologue below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Timothée Chalamet brought his Bob Dylan character to Studio 8H during his Saturday Night Live appearance on Jan. 25.
The 29-year-old actor, who portrays the folk icon in the new film A Complete Unknown, took on dual roles as both host and musical guest for the evening. As anticipated, Chalamet embraced his Dylan persona during his musical segments, delivering a trio of songs by the legendary artist.
Introduced by SNL alum Adam Sandler, Chalamet opened with a high-energy rendition of “Outlaw Blues,” which smoothly transitioned into a more intimate, spoken-word version of “Three Angels,” accompanied by surprise guest James Blake on keyboards and backing vocals.
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Later in the episode, Chalamet returned with an acoustic guitar for a heartfelt cover of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” with Blake once again supporting him on vocals and keys. During his opening monologue, Chalamet shared that he chose these songs because they are his “personal favorites.”
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Fresh off portraying Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown — which has earned eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture — Chalamet previously revealed that he performed all his own vocals for the film.
Saturday marked Chalamet’s first time serving as SNL’s musical guest, although he’s appeared on the show twice before. He first hosted in 2020 and returned in 2023, starring in a viral sketch where he portrayed Troye Sivan in a sleep-paralysis hallucination.
SNL is currently in its 50th season, with a special anniversary episode set for Feb. 16. This season has also featured notable hosts like Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, John Mulaney, Chris Rock and Martin Short, while musical guests have included Hozier, Gracie Abrams and Stevie Nicks, among others.
Watch Chalamet’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
For half a century, it has been one of the most coveted, sought-after gigs in music. Performing two music numbers on Saturday Night Live is a rite of passage, a gig that has drawn legends (Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, John Prine, Paul Simon), rebels who took the opportunity to make some noise (Elvis Costello, Rage Against the Machine, Sinead O’Connor) and just about every pop star known to man (Eminem, Destiny’s Child/Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson).
It’s all covered in obsessive detail in the upcoming anniversary doc, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, one of a barrage of specials and look-backs celebrating the pioneering sketch show’s storied history. The first trailer for the doc co-directed by Roots drummer Questlove teases behind-the-scenes footage and stories, interviews with famous performers and a dive into some of the show’s headline-making musical moments.
It opens with a montage of guest hosts uttering the iconic “ladies and gentlemen” intro, including Steve Carrell, George Clooney, Madonna, Quentin Tarantino, Sydney Sweeney, Travis Kelce, Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet and Chris Rock, among many others.
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Over glimpses of performances by the Grateful Dead, Wonder, James Brown, Lauryn Hill and Bruce Springsteen, Rage guitarist Tom Morello says that SNL has served as a “time capsule through the decades for America.” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl adds, “for me it was the most iconic American show of all time” alongside adorably awkward footage of his younger self with his Nirvana bandmates making nice with host NBA legend Charles Barkley.
Dua Lipa talks about the pressure of not knowing what will happen on the show that notoriously switches things up until the moment cameras click on, with Cyrus hinting at the precarious nature of live TV, calling it “the tightrope walk… they wanna see you dangle, they don’t wanna see you fall.” Jagger chronicles running from a sketch to the stage to perform, “covered in sweat” amid sprints to quick-change between commericals.
Cast members from throughout the years also talk about the landmark early TV slots of hip-hop legends The Funky 4 Plus One More, Run-DMC and Tupac Shakur, as well as moments when acts such as Rage and Costello “went rogue” with envelope-pushing performances. It also promises to unpack one of the most controversial sets in SNL history: O’Connor’s infamous 1992 shocker when she did a cover of Bob Marley’s “War” before holding up a picture of the Pope and tearing it to pieces as she said “fight the real enemy.”
Along the way, there are stops at the legendary studio-trashing tornado unleashed by John Belushi favorites hardcore punk madmen Fear, as well as Ashley Simpson’s 2004 lip synch fiasco.
Among the other talking heads in the film are: Justin Timberlake, Paul Shaffer, Jimmy Fallon, Eddie Murphy, Olivia Rodrigo, Jack White, Kacy Musgraves, Conan O’Brien, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Andy Samberg, Chris Stapleton, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Bad Bunny and many former and current cast members.
The three-hour doc co-directed by Oz Rodriguez and Questlove will air on NBC on Jan. 27 and stream on Peacock the next day.
Watch the 50 Years of SNL Music trailer below.
Timothée Chalamet is both hosting this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, in addition to performing as the musical guest. In a new promo clip for the upcoming episode, he appears alongside the show’s cast member Sarah Sherman for a series of hilarious conversations. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
Timothée Chalamet is gearing up to pull double duty on this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live as both the host and musical guest, and needs all the help he can get. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a new one-minute promo for the episode released […]