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, live from New York, a famous guest host appears in sketches and parodies alongside a company 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 comedy 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 - Dylan McDermott/Foo Fighters
Season 25 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/6/1999
Sketches include ""The Practice,"" ""The Jim Gray Show,"" ""Early Show,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,"" ""Mango,"" ""Colette Reardon,"" ""State Lotto Drawing,"" and ""Disbelieving Mom.""
#4 - John Goodman/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2)
Season 24 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/10/1999
Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Arthur Dugan"" ""Shaun Mondavi Vineyards,"" ""Bobby Wraps it Up,"" ""Hello Dolly,"" ""Santa Clause,"" ""Happy Smile Patrol,"" and ""The Roadside Brothel.""
#5 - Bill Paxton/Beck
Season 24 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/9/1999
Sketches include ""Gingrich and Livingston,"" ""The View,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Titanic Lost Ending,"" ""Fat Albert,"" ""NewsForce,"" ""Postal Services,"" ""Fantastic Voyage,"" and ""Extreme Hunting.""
#6 - Claire Danes/Mariah Carey
Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1997
Sketches include ""Bill and Hillary Clinton,"" ""Barry Scheck's Apartment,"" ""The View,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Peter Pan,"" ""Mr. Peepers,"" ""CEO Dreamboats Magazine,"" and ""The Louvre.""
#7 - Sting/Veruca Salt
Season 22 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/15/1997
Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Evita,"" ""The Nude Crusade,"" ""Rolf,"" ""The Atteburys,"" ""Kyle DeMarco,"" and ""Race and Racism.""
#8 - Paul Reiser/Annie Lennox
Season 20 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/18/1995
Sketches include ""Newt Gingrich's Sister,"" ""Where's Superman?,"" ""Mad About You Aliens,"" ""Sparklebrite Toothpaste,"" and ""One Brother Cafe.""
#9 - Bob Newhart/Des'ree
Season 20 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/11/1995
Sketches include ""C-SPAN: Colin Ferguson,"" ""Ricki Lake,"" ""Book Buzz,"" ""Baywatch,"" ""Poster Worker Evaluation,"" ""Hi Bob,"" and ""Sports Beat."" Des'ree performed ""You Gotta Be"" and ""Feels So High.""
#10 - 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""
#11 - Kirstie Alley/Lenny Kravitz
Season 18 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/24/1993
""Rodney King Song: Fire Bad by Recurring SNL Characters for Unity"", ""Quinko's Mmmph Board Game Commercial"", ""SNL Cheers wannabes come to cheer Kirstie up"", ""Hotel staff loves the Bellissima wife at La Cantoria"", ""The Montel Williams Show"", ""Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey"", ""Kirstie Alley meets Zoraida, the NBC page"", ""The all natural makeover"", ""Schiller's Reel presents: Security Camera Spectacular!""
#12 - Miranda Richardson/Soul Asylum
Season 18 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/20/1993
Live from New York, it's... Julia Sweeney Sketches include "Pat's Crying Game," "Green & Fazio" (two parts), "The Rain People," "World War II Hospital," "Eager & Jones," "Russell Simmmons Def Magic Show Jam," "MTV Spring Break," "Dieter's Dream" (film), and "Jack McManus' Bar." Soul Asylum performs "Somebody To Shove" and "Black Gold."
#13 - Catherine O'Hara/10,000 Maniacs
Season 18 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/1992
""Perot's Press Conference and the Republican Dirty Tricks"", ""Ass Don't Smell Commercial: The Name Says It All"", ""The Richmeister's Halloween Encounter with Death"", ""Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey"", ""Weekend Update with Kevin Nealon"", ""Daily Affirmations with Stewart Smalley"", ""New York's Strangest and Most Bizarre People: Shorty, The Guy Who Can't Cross The Street"".
#14 - Mary Stuart Masterson/En Vogue
Season 17 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/21/1992
Sketches include ""The McLaughlin Group"" and ""Lisa Pograsic, Very Pregnant Undercover Cop.""
#15 - Steve Martin/James Taylor
Season 17 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/14/1991
Sketches include ""Steve Martin Decides to Try,"" ""Theatre Stories,"" ""The Dark Side with Nat X,"" and ""Tarzan, Chris Farley, & Frankenstein.""
#16 - MC Hammer
Season 17 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/7/1991
Live from New York, it's ... Dana Carvey! Sketches include "Bush's Gift Ideas," "Bad Haircut Support Group," "The Daily Star," "Tales From The Barbecue," "Johnny Letter," "Deep Thoughts," "Remembrances of Love," and "Dick Clark Productions." Hammer performs "Too Legit To Quit," "Addams Groove," and "This is the Way We Roll."
#17 - Delta Burke/Chris Isaak
Season 16 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/11/1991
Sketches include: Balz-Off, Hollywood Minute, Deep Thoughts, The Weight Watchers Meeting, Wayne's World, A Message From The President, Yelling At Your Kids, and Karaoke Hog
#18 - George Wendt/Elvis Costello
Season 16 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/18/1991
Sketches include ""Dennis Miller is Nervous,"" ""Da Superfans,"" ""Mr. No Depth Perception,"" ""Pat Gets a Haircut,"" ""Doo-Wop,"" ""Deep Thoughts,"" ""Burger Barn,"" ""Li'l General Fireworks,"" and ""The Sunrise Show.""
#19 - 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."
#20 - 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.
#21 - 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""
#22 - 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"".
#23 - 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."
#24 - 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"".
#25 - 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"".