25 Memorable Moments from Shows Hosted by Musicians!
Posted December 7, 2011 2:25 PM
In honor of this week's host, Katy Perry, we here in the Backstage Blog thought we'd compile a list of some memorable moments from when musicians took center stage in 8H. In chronological order, here are some of those great moments: Paul Simon 11/20/1976
Featuring cameos from musical guest George Harrison, SNL creator/exec producer Lorne Michaels and former cast member Chevy Chase, the Cold Open from Paul Simon's second time hosting is about as memorable as it can get. It even references the legendary SNL/Beatles bribe! So to get us started, from season 2, here's "Paul Simon's Monologue Worries."
Deborah Harry 2/14/1981
Deborah Harry 2/14/1981
Blondie lead singer, Debbie Harry (then going by Deborah Harry) hosted SNL back in early 1981 as evidenced by basically everything happening in this sketch. It's so hard to look at those costumes and remember that everyone in that scene is playing, essentially, a "normal" human being!
Johnny Cash 4/17/1982
Johnny Cash 4/17/1982
Obviously when you have Johnny Cash host, it's inevitable that a sketch featuring female cast members shaking their dandruff over him will be written. He's the man in black! It's just common sense.
Stevie Wonder 5/7/1983
For the first couple of years in the 80's, few things were better at SNL than the combination of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo performing side by side in a sketch. And having them perform as two hairstylists fawning over Stevie Wonder was no exception.
Ringo Starr 12/8/1984
Ringo Starr 12/8/1984
Ringo Starr is front and center in this charmingly self-deprecating sketch that also features Martin Short, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joan Cusack. And is it just us or does Starr kind of look a little like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here?
Dolly Parton 4/15/1989
Dolly Parton 4/15/1989
Dolly Parton is a memorable lady: the hair, the outfits, the voice. Her monologue also features two other big reasons why she is so unforgettable.
Sting 1/19/1991
Sting 1/19/1991
Sting! Der Stinglehoffer! The McStingster! Stingatollah! Stiiiinnnnng! Stingalingadingdong! We also love that the set says office, but Sting's shirt screams pirate.
Hammer 12/7/1991
Hammer 12/7/1991
1991 was undoubtedly a memorable year for Hammer. He had hit singles with "Cant' Touch This" and "Too Legit to Quit," he dropped the MC from his name and he was the host/musical guest of his own episode of SNL! Check him out opposite David Spade in "Dick Clark Productions' Receptionist."
Sting 3/15/1997
Sting 3/15/1997
Sting returned to SNL in 1997 and as everyone knows, when you have Sting back for a second time, you HAVE to put him in an all leather outfit. Those are the rules. And while we don't have any daughters, if we did, we'd probably let Sting date them.
Garth Brooks 11/13/1999
Garth Brooks 11/13/1999
"Ooooo Fred's got slacks..." Lucifer's songs are so catchy and memorable, we still think there might be something to this Devil music. Missed opportunity, Garth Brooks.
Jennifer Lopez 2/10/2001
Jennifer Lopez 2/10/2001
Remember when Destiny's Child kept swapping out those non-Beyonce/Kelly Rowland members of their group? Remember MTV Cribs? Early 2000's time capsule with J.Lo!
Britney Spears 2/2/2002
Britney Spears 2/2/2002
Britney Spears has twice done double duty on SNL, acting as both the host and musical guest for her shows, a feat only a handful of performers have accomplished. Here, from Britney Spears' second time hosting, is "The Leather Man." Chucheeee!
Justin Timberlake 10/11/2003
Looking back on this show, it seems crazy to imagine a world where not only was Justin Timberlake unproven as an actor and comedy performer, but also as a solo musician having just put out his first album post N'Sync. Should we have been surprised his first at bat was such a homerun? To quote Robin Gibb, "No."
Christina Aguilera 2/21/2004
This was the first sketch that aired after the monologue during Aguilera's show and her impression of Samantha from "Sex and the City" was so good, it put any doubts about her turn as host to rest. Check it out:
Janet Jackson 4/10/2004
Not only is this sketch a memorable one for Janet Jackson, it also features then writer, JB Smoove. Leon Black!! Good times!!
Snoop Dogg 5/8/2004
We'd love to get a status check on the MC Night Terror production of "Booty Hotel," please. Particularly interested in those rooms featuring different types of booty. We'll ask Seth.
Ludacris 11/18/2006
Justin Timberlake 10/11/2003
Looking back on this show, it seems crazy to imagine a world where not only was Justin Timberlake unproven as an actor and comedy performer, but also as a solo musician having just put out his first album post N'Sync. Should we have been surprised his first at bat was such a homerun? To quote Robin Gibb, "No."
Christina Aguilera 2/21/2004
This was the first sketch that aired after the monologue during Aguilera's show and her impression of Samantha from "Sex and the City" was so good, it put any doubts about her turn as host to rest. Check it out:
Janet Jackson 4/10/2004
Not only is this sketch a memorable one for Janet Jackson, it also features then writer, JB Smoove. Leon Black!! Good times!!
Snoop Dogg 5/8/2004
We'd love to get a status check on the MC Night Terror production of "Booty Hotel," please. Particularly interested in those rooms featuring different types of booty. We'll ask Seth.
Ludacris 11/18/2006
Ludacris. T-Pain. Blizzard Man. It's what rap dreams are made of. "Rap song. Rap soooooong." Blizzard man. (And yes, we know that this technically comes from a later show when Luda was the musical guest, we just love it so much, so sue us.)
Justin Timberlake 12/16/2006
Coming back for his second time hosting, Justin Timberlake (and the Digital Shorts) struck gold with "Dick in a Box," a short that solidified both Timberlake and the Shorts as comedy staples here at SNL and made us a little afraid to look inside boxes for while.
Jon Bon Jovi 10/13/2007
New Jersey Game Show! Oh! Every outfit is perfect in this sketch. Oh!
Tim McGraw 11/22/2008
We love a man who sneaks his own beers into Monte Carlo Poker Tournaments. Tim McGraw is exactly what the Bond movies are missing! Watch as 007 gets a lucky does of trailer trash!
Taylor Swift 11/7/2009
Back in early 2009, when she was the musical guest for the Neil Patrick Harris show, Taylor Swift made a short, but memorable cameo in the "Broadway Saves" sketch, so memorable in fact, that we had her back to host at the end of 2009. And we're still laughing at the moment in this sketch when Sudeikis starts to tell Swift where to put an erection during the "birds and bees" talk.
Justin Timberlake 5/9/2009
Third time hosting, Timberlake and Andy Samberg team up again to celebrate Mothers' Day because obviously every Mothers' Day needs a Mothers' night... sorry Mom.
Jennifer Lopez 2/27/2010
Returning for her second time hosting, Jennifer Lopez takes some time during her monologue to reflect on how she's changed in the ten years since she first hosted. Nowadays she's holding her own orange juice.
Miley Cyrus 3/5/2011
Okay, stay with us on this one: Vanessa Bayer playing Miley Cyrus on a fictitious Miley Cyrus Talk Show welcomes the actual Miley Cyrus who's playing Justin Bieber as a guest on her show. Doing Miley at Miley!
Justin Timberlake 5/21/2011
Even though Timberlake and Samberg completed the Dick Short Trilogy during this show (Timberlake's fourth time hosting), we gotta give it up to the Merryville Brothers for being such a hilarious moment. Taran, Timberlake, and Bill had us all laughing as deviously handsy animatronic amusement park ride robots.
Justin Timberlake 12/16/2006
Coming back for his second time hosting, Justin Timberlake (and the Digital Shorts) struck gold with "Dick in a Box," a short that solidified both Timberlake and the Shorts as comedy staples here at SNL and made us a little afraid to look inside boxes for while.
Jon Bon Jovi 10/13/2007
New Jersey Game Show! Oh! Every outfit is perfect in this sketch. Oh!
Tim McGraw 11/22/2008
We love a man who sneaks his own beers into Monte Carlo Poker Tournaments. Tim McGraw is exactly what the Bond movies are missing! Watch as 007 gets a lucky does of trailer trash!
Taylor Swift 11/7/2009
Back in early 2009, when she was the musical guest for the Neil Patrick Harris show, Taylor Swift made a short, but memorable cameo in the "Broadway Saves" sketch, so memorable in fact, that we had her back to host at the end of 2009. And we're still laughing at the moment in this sketch when Sudeikis starts to tell Swift where to put an erection during the "birds and bees" talk.
Justin Timberlake 5/9/2009
Third time hosting, Timberlake and Andy Samberg team up again to celebrate Mothers' Day because obviously every Mothers' Day needs a Mothers' night... sorry Mom.
Jennifer Lopez 2/27/2010
Returning for her second time hosting, Jennifer Lopez takes some time during her monologue to reflect on how she's changed in the ten years since she first hosted. Nowadays she's holding her own orange juice.
Miley Cyrus 3/5/2011
Okay, stay with us on this one: Vanessa Bayer playing Miley Cyrus on a fictitious Miley Cyrus Talk Show welcomes the actual Miley Cyrus who's playing Justin Bieber as a guest on her show. Doing Miley at Miley!
Justin Timberlake 5/21/2011
Even though Timberlake and Samberg completed the Dick Short Trilogy during this show (Timberlake's fourth time hosting), we gotta give it up to the Merryville Brothers for being such a hilarious moment. Taran, Timberlake, and Bill had us all laughing as deviously handsy animatronic amusement park ride robots.
