When Saturday Night Live debuted on television in 1975, the decision was made to have each episode feature a musical guest and that has remained the same ever since. As a result of that one decision and the fact that the show’s producers have kept the tradition of having a musical guest every episode alive, some truly great musicians have performed on SNL’s stage.
Unfortunately, some Saturday Night Live musical guests have been a pain in the butt for the show’s producers. In fact, it is no secret that on some occasions, SNL musical guests haven’t gotten along with the show’s stars. With that in mind, it makes sense that SNL’s producers have welcomed reliable performers back again and again. With that in mind, it begs an obvious question, which SNL musical guests have appeared the most times?
10 Randy Newman Has Been The SNL Musical Guest 6 Times
A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, Randy Newman is known for songs like “Short People”, “You Can Leave Your Hat On”, and “Mama Told Me Not to Come”. One of Saturday Night Live’s earliest musical guests, Newman performed during the show’s second episode. Ultimately, Newman was SNL’s musical guest six times between 1975 and 1988.
9 Sting Has Been The SNL Musical Guest 6 Times
After rising to fame as a member of The Police, Sting launched a solo career which allowed him to become even more rich and famous, amazingly enough. A big enough star that he has performed on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest and host, Sting performed both roles during a 1991 episode. In total, Sting was an SNL musical gust six times between 1987 and 1999 on top of the fact that in 1997, he was the host for an episode without performing any music.
8 Coldplay Have Been The SNL Musical Guest 6 Times
An incredibly successful band, it has often seemed like everything Coldplay touches turns to gold. Considered to be among the best-selling music acts of all time, Coldplay has accumulated a long list of accolades over the years. On top of everything else Coldplay has accomplished, they have had the honor of being SNL’s musical guest 6 times between 2001 and 2019.
7 Beck Has Been The SNL Musical Guest 7 Times
When Beck’s song “Loser” became a surprise hit, there was no way to know that he would go on to enjoy an incredibly unique and successful career. Known for his ability to blend genres and plow his own path, Beck is nearly universally respected in the musical world. Due to his long-lasting career, Beck has performed music on the SNL stage seven times between 1997 and 2014.
6 Kanye West Has Been The SNL Musical Guest 7 Times
The last time he was on the show, his behavior was so controversial that Kanye West reportedly is banned from SNL. Despite that, however, there is no doubt that West’s SNL musical performances have largely been praised over the years. With that in mind, it makes sense that West has been the show’s musical guest seven times between 2005 and 2018.
5 Eminem Have Been The SNL Musical Guest 7 Times
According to Forbes, Eminem was the best-selling male music artist of the 2010s and Billboard named him the “Artist of the Decade” between 2000 and 2009. Suffice it to say, Eminem is among the top musical artists of the last twenty years. As a result of all that success, Eminem has been SNL’s musical guest seven times between 1999 and 2017. On top of that, Eminem made a cameo appearance on the show in 2020.
4 Tom Petty Was The SNL Musical Guest 8 Times
During Tom Petty’s legendary career, he has released so many hit songs that it would be foolhardy to try to list them all here. That said, some of Petty’s most beloved songs that he has released with and without the Heartbreakers include “Learning to Fly”, “Free Fallin'”, and “I Won't Back Down”. Sadly, Petty went into cardiac arrest due to mixed drug toxicity and lost his life in 2017. Before that, Petty performed on SNL eight times between 1979 and 2010.
3 The Foo Fighters Have Been The SNL Musical Guest8 Times
In the music world, there are a lot of bands that reportedly are very hard to deal with. On the other end of the spectrum, The Foo Fighters have developed a reputation as a band that is entirely made up of professional and great people. Sadly, in 2022 The Foo Fighters’ much beloved and respected drummer Taylor Hawkins suddenly passed away. Before that, he and the rest of The Foo Fighters performed on SNL eight times between 1995 and 2020.
2 Paul Simon Has Been The SNL Musical Guest12 Times
A two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Paul Simon is the kind of performer who has the innate ability to write infectious music that stands the test of time. Widely considered to be one of the celebrities that are most closely associated with Saturday Night Live, Simon has appeared on the show a staggering eighteen times. Only the musical guest on twelve of those occasions, Simon performed on the show repeatedly between 1975 and 2018.
1 Dave Grohl Has Been The SNL Musical Guest 14 Times
The only artist to appear on this list twice, Dave Grohl has performed music on the Saturday Night Live stage fourteen times. After making his SNL debut as a member of Nirvana in 1992, Grohl returned to the show a second time in 1993 with the other members of that band. On top of that, Grohl headlined The Foo Fighters all eight times they were the SNL musical guest. Finally, Grohl played the drums for Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as well as Them Crooked Vultures when they all performed n SNL.
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