The BEST episodes of Saturday Night Live
Every episode of Saturday Night Live ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Saturday Night Live!
Each week, a famous guest host appears in sketches and parodies alongside a roster of up-and-coming comedians. A popular musical guest, short films, and Weekend Update - a recurring satirical newscast - form the backbone of one of the most influential and culturally significant TV shows in history.
#1 - Tony Danza/Laurie Anderson
Season 11 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/19/1986
Live from New York, it's... Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Michael Hall! Sketches include "Vietnam Horror Story," "Nancy Reagan's Workout," "Lyndon LaRouche Theatre," "The 30-Second Count," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Big Time Professional Golf," "My Unconditional Love," "Master Thespian," and "The Further Adventures Of Biff And Salena." Laurie Anderson performed "Baby Doll" and "Day The Devil."
#2 - Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges/Randy Newman
Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/1983
Sketches include: Childhood Stories, Texxon, Pimple, Rick's Cafe, Musical Performance "I Love L.A.", Cheap Hunt, Battered Husband, Saundra's House of Massage, Musical Performance "Real Emotional Girl", Guy Crazy
#3 - Rosie O'Donnell/James Taylor
Season 19 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/13/1993
Sketches include ""The Packwood Diaries,"" ""Frank Sinatra Duets,"" ""Daily Affirmation With Stuart Smalley,"" ""Forgetful Waiter,"" ""The Tomboy and the Sissy,"" ""Dick Clark's Receptionist,"" ""Will Work For Food,"" ""Homegirls""
#4 - Jeff Daniels/Color Me Badd
Season 17 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/5/1991
""Johnny Carson's Tonight Show: The 29th and Final Anniversary"", ""Earthies, the Bountiful Diaper Commercial (From Dell Monty)"", ""The Richmeister Vs. The Name Singing Guy"", ""The Chris Farley Show"", ""Community College Bowl"", ""Apex Novelty Guy gets fired for designing bad quality rubber vomit""
#5 - Justine Bateman/Terrance Trent D'Arby
Season 13 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/13/1988
""53rd. Debate of the 1988 Republican Presidential Candidates"", ""Learning to Feel with Denise Venetti, Ph.D."", ""Family Ties: If These Old Walls Could Talk (Flashback-Flashback Episode)"", ""Blocked songwriter Derek Stevens loses his Muse"", ""An older man, the bimbo girlfriend Linda and his Judgemental Friends"".
#6 - Danny DeVito/Bryan Ferry
Season 13 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/5/1987
ive from New York, it's... Danny Devito! Sketches include: "Gorbachev-Reagan," "Siskel & Ebert," "Church Chat," "Eddie Spimozo's Jungle Room," "White Trash Appraiser," "Ann Landers' Playhouse," and "Reminiscing with Doorman." Bryan Ferry performs "The Right Stuff" and "Kiss and Tell."
#7 - Mark Harmon/Suzanne Vega
Season 12 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/9/1987
""The New Charlie's Angels"", ""People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 1986"", ""Grown-up Babies in Modern America"", ""Very Smart Theater presents Attila the Hun: The Early Years"", ""The Myowling Bible Commercial"", ""Einstein Express Commercial: When it has to be there the day before yerterday"", ""A Salmon's Reproductive Tale"", ""Ad Council: Wasting your time in various ways for no good reason"".
#8 - Joe Montana/Debbie Harry
Season 12 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/24/1987
Sketches include: ""NFL Video Countdown,"" ""Leslie and Stu,"" ""Pathological Liar,"" ""Church Chat,"" ""The NFL Today,"" ""Michael Jackson Workout,"" ""Chick Hazard: Private Investigator,"" ""Adobe Car Commercial: It's Made out of Clay"", ""A man and his dumb kidnapper"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Super Bowl Gambling Memories"", ""The Most Honest Guy in the World"".
#9 - Valerie Bertinelli/Eddie Van Halen, Robert Cray
Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/28/1987
Live from New York, it's... Phil Hartman! Sketches include "Reagan-Regan Affair," "McSooshi," "Hard News Cafe," "Discover," "Dinner At The Van Halen's," "Ching Chang In Love," "Washington Center Professionals," "Let's Go To The Movies," "On Broadway," and "Opera Singer Doctor." Eddie Van Halen performed "Stompin' 8H." Robert Cray Band performed "Smoking Gun" and "Right Next Door."
#10 - Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/10/1986
Live from New York, it's... Paul Simon! Sketches include "Geraldo Rivera Opens The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier," "Wall Shackles Prison," "The Late Show with Joan Rivers," "The Limits Of The Imagination," "Dirk Landers, CIA Operative," a guest performance by Penn & Teller, "Producer Tommy Flanagan," "Brim Decaffeinated," "A Mother's Day Message," and "Trojans." Paul Simon performed "You Can Call Me Al," "Homeless" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and "Graceland."
#11 - Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic
Season 11 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/24/1986
Live from New York, it's...Randy Quaid Sketches include: Hands Across America, Moments of Doubt, Glamorous Drinking, National Council of Liquor and Spirits, Actors on Film, Hallmark Cards, Lesbian Pick-Ups, Bocce Ball My Way, Tempting Billy, The People's Second Choice Award, Book Minute, LaBelles At The Movies, My Friend, and Backstage SNL: Lorne Kills The Cast (except for Jon Lovitz, Nora Dunn, and Dennis Miller) George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic perform: ""Let's Take It To The Stage"" and ""Do Fries Go With That Shake""
#12 - Jimmy Breslin & Marvin Hagler/Level 42, E.G. Daily
Season 11 - Episode 17 - Aired 5/17/1986
Sketches are ""Mike 'The Menace' Hall,"" ""Kill Kaddafi?"" ""Tornadoville,"" ""Marvin's Knockout Tips,"" ""Lone Wolf McCord,"" ""The Pat Stevens,"" ""Cabrini Green's Assembly,"" ""Jody Hagler,"" ""Midday with Jennifer Hicks: Bond's Supervillains"", ""Weekend Update with Dennis Miller"", ""Sam Kinison's standup act"". Level 42 performs ""Something About You"" and EG Daily performs ""Say It, Say It"" with Jon Lovitz.
#13 - Conan O'Brien/Don Henley
Season 26 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/10/2001
Live from New York, it's...Will Ferrell Sketches include: Bush's Good Health, Subshack, The Boston Teens At The Liquor Store, Moleculo: The Molecular Man, Napster Testimony, Taint-less Ted, Find The Black People At The Knicks Game, VH-1 Diva-Thon, Democratic National Committee, and Sports Century: The White Boxer Don Henley performs: ""Everything is Different Now"" and ""Heart of the Matter"" (the second performance was cut on the NBC rerun and replaced with a DeMarco Bros. sketch where Chris Parnell, Chris Kattan, and Conan O'Brien audition for Don Henley)
#14 - Rosie O'Donnell/Whitney Houston
Season 22 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/14/1996
Sketches include ""Bill Clinton and Bob Dole,"" ""Spartan Cheerleaders,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Goat Boy,"" ""Rita Delvecchio,"" and ""The Local News with Joe Blow.""
#15 - Alec Baldwin/Paul McCartney
Season 18 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/13/1993
Sketches include ""Dateline NBC,"" ""The Mimic,"" ""The Chris Farley Show,"" ""Soap Opera Digest,"" ""Gap Girls,"" ""Naked Woman Theater,"" ""Daily Affirmation With Stuart Smalley,"" ""The Bodyguard,"" and ""French Class"".
#16 - Mena Suvari/Lenny Kravitz
Season 26 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/20/2001
Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Airport Metal Detector,"" ""Janet Reno's Dance Party, ""Rap Street,"" ""Veronica & Co.,"" and ""The DeMarco Brothers.""
#17 - Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman/Eddy Grant
Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/15/1983
Sketches are ""Calvin Klein Cream Pies,"" ""Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,"" ""Crazy Edelman,"" ""Book Beat,"" ""What Would Frank Do?"" ""Amos n' Andy,"" and ""Spanish Class."" Eddy Grant performs ""I Don't Wanna Dance,"" ""Electric Avenue,"" and ""Living on the Front Line.""
#18 - Cameron Diaz/Jimmy Eat World
Season 27 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/6/2002
Live From New York, It's...Will Ferrell & Ana Gasteyer! Sketches include ""The Culps In Lamaze Class,"" ""17th Annual Auto Show Spokeman Awards,"" ""MTV Spring Break 2002,"" ""SNL 530,"" ""Astronaut Jones,"" ""Celine Dion on CBS,"" ""Gorgeous Living,"" ""The First Female Peepers,"" ""MTV 4"", and ""My Big, Thick Novel."" Jimmy Eat World performed ""The Middle"" and ""Sweetness.""
#19 - Bill Russell/Chicago
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/3/1979
Sketches include ""Kennedy in '80,"" ""Banshee,"" ""The Black Shadow,"" ""The Landers Files,"" ""Mr. Bill at Home,"" ""Nick in the Arctic,"" ""Eleanor Roosevelt,"" ""Sports Hot Line,"" and ""Big n' Tall That's All."" Chicago performs their 1970 hit ""I'm a Man"" and their then-current single ""Street Player.""
#20 - Lily Tomlin
Season 8 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/22/1983
Sketches include ""Lily Confronts Eddie,"" ""Geraldine,"" ""Irish-American Radio Hour,"" and ""Coffees of the World.""
#21 - Robert Guillaume/Duran Duran
Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/19/1983
Tim Kazurinsky was attacked by the monkey during the dress rehearsal of ""I Married A Monkey."" Tim was able to escape, but the monkey (actually a male) ripped off the dress he was wearing and began pleasuring himself.
#22 - Stevie Wonder
Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/1983
Sketches include ""VD,"" ""Kannon AE-1,"" ""Stevie Wonder Impersonator,"" ""Hitler: The Secret Diaries,"" ""The Story of Stevie Wonder,"" ""Stevie at Dion's Salon,"" ""Cotton Land,"" and ""The Hunchback Busboy."" Wonder performs the songs ""Fingertips,"" ""Overjoyed,"" and ""Go Home.""
#23 - Dudley Moore/Al Green
Season 11 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/25/1986
Sketches include ""Monks and Football,"" ""The Pat Stevens Show,"" ""Master Thespian"", ""The Limits of the Imagination"", ""Name That Tune,"" and ""Die Foriegner Die!"" Al Green performs ""Going Away.""
#24 - Sean Penn/L.L. Cool J., Michael Penn & the Pull
Season 13 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/24/1987
Live from New York, it's... Sean Penn! Sketches include "Fatal Attraction 2," "Wall Street Week," "Church Chat," "Pitman & Bullock," "The Teeny Cafe," "Keister Family Talk," "Discover," "The Spimozo Brothers," and "Cat Dentist" (film). LL Cool J performs "Go Cut Creator Go." Michael Penn and The Pull performs "This & That."
#25 - Robert Mitchum/Simply Red
Season 13 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/14/1987
Sketches include: The Rolling Paper Chase, Compulsion, Death Be Not Deadly, The Mountain Man, Musical Performance "The Right Thing", Weekend Update, Sweeney's Comeback, Out Of Gas, Andre & Rex: Macho Hairstylists, BeautyBath, Musical Performance "Suffer", Mysterious Old Man