Favorite SNL Musical Moments

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Favorite SNL Musical Moments
Released on March 5, 2025

In the March 5, 2025 episode of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, host Stephen Thompson delves into the rich tapestry of Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) musical history, celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. Joining him is NPR’s TV critic, Eric Deggans, who brings decades of SNL expertise to the conversation. Together, they explore the evolution, impact, and enduring legacy of SNL’s musical segments.

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SNL’s 50th Anniversary and Musical Legacy

Stephen Thompson opens the discussion by highlighting SNL’s milestone 50th anniversary. He underscores the show’s longstanding relationship with music, from early iconic performances to modern-day viral moments. Thompson remarks, “From Lazy Sunday to Domingo to a ton of iconic musical performances, SNL has had a long and fascinating relationship with music” [00:53].

Eric Deggans adds that the show’s ability to stay relevant is partly due to its satirical take on contemporary music culture. He points out that SNL has adeptly used music to comment on and parody evolving trends, making the performances both entertaining and culturally significant.

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The Rise of Pre-Recorded Musical Sketches

A significant portion of their conversation centers on the advent of pre-recorded sketches like "Lazy Sunday" and "Dick in a Box," which have become viral sensations. Deggans explains, “Because SNL had to stay current with pop culture in the music realm, they satirized music videos, which resonated widely” [04:38]. These sketches not only parodied popular music styles but also showcased SNL’s creative prowess in blending comedy with musical talent.

Thompson emphasizes the importance of leveraging the cast’s strengths, noting how Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island team crafted these sketches to perfection. He observes, “The pre-recorded segments give you a sense of how hard live TV is... These segments often become the funniest parts because they are meticulously produced” [07:05]. This meticulous production contrasts with the unpredictability of live performances, allowing SNL to deliver polished and memorable musical moments.

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Iconic Live Performances and Viral Moments

The discussion transitions to some of SNL’s most unforgettable musical performances. Deggans reminisces about witnessing artists like David Bowie and Prince perform live on the show, highlighting how SNL has been a platform for artists to present unique renditions of their work. For instance, he shares his experience with Prince’s live performance of "Electric Chair," marveling at how Prince added his distinctive flair to the Batman soundtrack piece [14:02].

Thompson adds contemporary examples, such as Childish Gambino’s "This Is America" premiere on SNL, praising its impactful staging and delivery. He notes, “He premiered ‘This Is America’... it was really special because you were experiencing it for the first time in a live setting” [15:14]. These performances are lauded not just for their musical excellence but also for their innovative presentation and cultural commentary.

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Innovative Staging and Creative Performances

A highlight of the episode is the exploration of SNL’s creative staging techniques that enhance musical performances. Thompson cites Billie Eilish’s "Bad Guy" performance, where she utilized a rotating cube to create dynamic visual effects. He describes how the stage seemed transformed from a "boxy, straightforward room" to a more imaginative setting, making the performance stand out [17:04].

Deggans concurs, emphasizing the importance of visual innovation in making performances memorable. He remarks, “The sound for artists on SNL was bad for so long... but now, it’s been much more upgraded” [16:24], acknowledging the improvements in production quality that allow for more creative freedom in staging.

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SNL’s Pioneering Relationship with Hip Hop

The conversation also delves into SNL’s influential role in promoting hip hop. Deggans highlights SNL’s early adoption of hip hop artists, noting that the show served as a crucial platform for rappers to showcase their talents to a national audience. He recalls the first live rap performance on SNL by the Funky Four Plus One, introduced by Debbie Harry, marking a significant moment in bringing hip hop to mainstream television [19:20].

Thompson adds that SNL’s connection to New York—a birthplace of hip hop—further solidified its commitment to the genre. He explains, “SNL is about being about New York... they had a lot of artists who were part of the downtown scene, and they really appreciated hip hop” [19:20]. This alignment not only promoted diversity in musical genres but also helped counteract criticisms of the show being too white-centered.

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Memorable Quotes and Highlights

Throughout the episode, memorable quotes from both hosts and SNL sketches punctuate the discussion:

• Eric Deggans on "Lazy Sunday": “It's like the Beastie Boys, if they were D and D nerds” [05:21].
• Stephen Thompson on innovative performances: “If you have ways... to make the stage seem like something other than a really boxy, straightforward squarish room... make it look like you're performing in a wheat field” [17:18].
• Eric Deggans reflecting on sound quality: “The sound for artists on Saturday Night Live was bad for so long... but now, it's been much more upgraded” [16:24].

These quotes encapsulate the essence of SNL’s musical journey, blending humor, innovation, and cultural commentary.

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Conclusion: The Enduring Impact of SNL’s Musical Moments

As the episode wraps up, Thompson and Deggans agree that SNL’s musical segments have left an indelible mark on both the show and the broader pop culture landscape. From pioneering live performances to viral comedy sketches, SNL has consistently provided a unique platform for musical expression and innovation. Their discussion underscores the importance of SNL in shaping musical trends and offering artists a stage to experiment and connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Stephen Thompson concludes, “There is a lot of and so lazy [intended to be 'Ebony and Ivory'], but SNL has managed to find ways to surprise and innovate and come up with things that you can't get anywhere else” [09:43].

Eric Deggans echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that while not every musical moment has been groundbreaking, the show’s best moments are those that offer something unique and unforgettable.

The episode, produced by Mike Katzeff and edited by Jessica Reedy, provides listeners with a comprehensive and insightful exploration of SNL’s musical legacy, celebrating half a century of memorable performances and cultural milestones.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Stephen Thompson: “From Lazy Sunday to Domingo to a ton of iconic musical performances, SNL has had a long and fascinating relationship with music.” [00:53]
• Eric Deggans: “Because SNL had to stay current with pop culture in the music realm, they satirized music videos, which resonated widely.” [04:38]
• Deggans on Prince: “He played it Prince's way, which was even more fun. And I actually recorded that on a cassette tape and listened to it for many years.” [14:02]
• Thompson on Billie Eilish: “It was a great song and it's a great performance. That's the kind of thing I find myself looking for.” [17:18]

This episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour offers a nostalgic yet critical look at how SNL has harnessed the power of music to remain relevant and influential across five decades.

Transcript

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[Stephen Thompson]

Perhaps you've heard that Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th anniversary. They've mentioned it once or twice. From Lazy Sunday to Domingo to a ton of iconic musical performances, SNL has had a long and fascinating relationship with music. I'm Stephen Thompson and today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're talking about some of our favorite SNL musical moments.

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[Stephen Thompson]

Joining me today is NPR's TV critic, Eric Deggans.

[Eric Deggans]

Hey Eric, I got a fever and the prescription is more Talk about snl. Oh, that's my.

[Stephen Thompson]

That was uncanny.

[Eric Deggans]

Thank you. Thank you. My Christopher Walken. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm here all day. The fact that you had to say my Christopher Walken tells me it might not have been quite as spot on as intended, but I thought it was fantastic. All right. Well, Saturday Night Live has always made a big deal out of its anniversaries, so its 50th was bound to be a spectacle. Milestone has already spawned TV specials as well as Questlove's movie length documentary titled Ladies and Gentlemen, 50 Years of SNL Music. I'm kind of cynical about this sort of branded documentary and I was completely hooked on this movie within the first 30 seconds.

[Eric Deggans]

Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies.

[Guest 1]

And gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen.

[Eric Deggans]

Now, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen.

[Guest 1]

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's fantastic. You can stream it on Peacock. Now, Eric, you've been watching SNL for decades. You've written extensively about the show. SNL incorporates music in a bunch of different ways. And I wanted to start with one of the ways it's been able to stay relevant in recent years, which is pre recorded sketches like Lazy Sunday and Dick in a Box. Why have those worked so well over the years?

[Eric Deggans]

Because I think one of the things that SNL had to do to kind of stop current with current pop culture in the music realm is satirized music videos. And so what Lazy Sunday does is kind of satirize music videos, but it also kind of satirizes the sort of pseudo hip hop culture that has kind of inundated pop music. And so it's not necessarily satirizing actual hip hop culture, but it's satirizing this sort of milder form of it that we saw kind of pop up in like NSync and Backstreet Boys videos and stuff like that. And that's why it's so funny when you see the whitest guys in the world, you know, basically rap about the Chronicles of Narnia.

[Guest 1]

That's the Chronic. What calls the Narnia. We love that Chronic Light. Calls of Narnia pass. That Chronic Light kills the Narnia.

[Eric Deggans]

And it's cut in a way to make it look like it's kind of the Beastie Boys, you know, if they were D and D nerds. So it makes sense that that would be SNL's first viral hit. And really the success of that video way back in the day kind of inspired SNL to lean into that and do a lot more of those kind of satires, which gave us D in a Box. And even further one, cut a hole in a box.

[Guest 1]

Put your junk in that box, Make a open the box. That's the way you do it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Part of it that jumps out to me is it's a perfect example of looking at who you've assembled as your cast and leaning into their strengths. So you have Andy Samberg, and Andy Samberg is a very gifted comic actor, but he's also part of this kind of mock musical troupe, Lonely island, and kind of leaning into their strengths, leaning into their talents to create these things. The other thing that always jumps out at me about the pre recorded musical segments is it gives you a sense of how hard live TV is, how difficult it is to create those moments live in front of a studio audience compared to a pre recorded segment where you can get absolutely every little thing right. And so sometimes those segments jump out at me in the context of a 90 minute broadcast as, oh, well, that was by far the funniest part. Well, that's the part they got to fuss over and produce and remix and do all sorts of stuff with to make it last.

[Eric Deggans]

Well, you know, one of the things you learn from Questlove's documentary, and you also learn this if you watch how Saturday's creative process works. Lorne Michaels, the executive producer, what he does is he throws creative people the deep end and sort of says, what do you got right? So Lazy Sunday, I think, was something that these guys kind of put together because they thought it was funny. And it became this gigantic hit. And then later on, when Justin Timberlake was gonna host the show, Lauren kind of threw him together with Lonely island and said, hey, try something. The doc sort of, you know, has these guys saying, you know, they didn't really have that D in a Box video. The final version of it until Saturday. They didn't really know what they had until right before the show was going to start to air. Part of the excitement is you. You have this deadline. And Lorne Michaels has often said, and he's been quoted saying this, you know, it doesn't go on because it's ready. It goes on because it's 11:30pm on a Saturday.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think when SNL is at its best, it's using whether it's live energy or a very tight deadline, like sometimes working with those limit creates something that goes incredibly viral. And it's wild how that's worked for SNL over the years.

[Eric Deggans]

Well, and I think the other thing to keep in mind about SNL in music is that it also excels when it's providing something that you can't get somewhere else. And the thing that's hard, I think, for younger audiences to relate to is that when Saturday Night Live first started airing in 1975, there were not a lot of places to see musicians or musical artists do what they do in a live context. There wasn't that many programs that featured, you know, contemporary pop musicians playing their stuff live. You had American Bandstand where people went on and kind of lip synched and the Soul Train where they also kind of lip synced. You had the Midnight Special that would go on, you know, super late on Fridays. And this ABC had this thing called In Concert. But if you wanted to see what David Bowie was like live outside of buying a ticket, if you were lucky enough to live, where he might be playing. Saturday Night Live was where you saw him. It's where I saw Frank Zappler played live first. It's where I saw Devo play live first. You're hearing about all these bands and you're reading about them in the music press and you're. You're listening to them on radio, but you don't really know what they look like live or what they sound like live until they come on snl. And, you know, if Saturday Night Live has struggled in recent years, particularly musically, it's that idea that it's not really presenting you something that you can't find somewhere else anymore.

[Stephen Thompson]

There is a lot of and so lazy.

[Eric Deggans]

Sunday might be the last example of when they did something that was special and unique and you couldn't really find it anywhere else.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I mean, you say that, but they have managed to find ways to surprise and innovate and come up with things that you can't get anyplace else. And one way they've been able to do that is by incorporating musicians who are game to do a little bit of comedy. Like a few years ago, they had a sketch about an orchestra where they brought in Lizzo to play flute while twerking.

[Eric Deggans]

This is a traditional symphony, you know, one where you sit down and play. Oh, so you want me to sit.

[Advertiser 1]

Down on the twerk?

[Eric Deggans]

Got it.

[Guest 1]

No, no.

[Stephen Thompson]

They're still able to concoct things that you wouldn't really have. Another way. There's not necessarily another forum outside of, I guess, the occasional late night talk show to create some of those music comedy mashups and sketches. They're able to do that in ways that most shows are not able to pull off.

[Eric Deggans]

Yeah, maybe one of the more recent examples would be, you know, they've had sketches where they've had Bruno Mars and I think Ariana Grande come on and do impersonations of other people.

[Advertiser 1]

With the hot guy.

[Eric Deggans]

Buddy looks gay, heard his name, flamingo, second location made. So, you know, it's nice to have Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande doing impressions during the show, but that's not gonna change the game the way Lazy Sunday did or the way the early musical performances did, or some of the other things that they did. You know, having Captain Beefheart on this incredibly avant garde artist, having David Bowie perform in a dress, all this crazy, interesting stuff. Having, you know, the first hip hop performance on live network television, which they also did.

[Stephen Thompson]

And there have certainly been, you know, and since we're talking about music, we can refer to some of the SNL bits that have, for lack of a better term, gone viral in the days before Internet virality. Something like Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy doing Stevie Wonder doing Ebony and Ivory. And Joe Piscopo is playing Frank Sinatra.

[Eric Deggans]

Just living in perfect harmony.

[Guest 1]

We're talking salt and pepper, Sammy and Bean. Stevie and me are peachy King.

[Eric Deggans]

I mean, people could talk about them and you could watch them when they were replayed. But even that Ebony and Ivory thing, I think that happened in the 80s before a lot of people even had VHS's in their. In their homes. And that was the point of it, right? You had to watch Saturday Night Live when it happened. Otherwise you were going to miss out and you weren't going to see Eddie Dube. James Brown in the hot tub.

[Stephen Thompson]

James Brown in the hot tub for sure. So, Eric, you mentioned the opportunity to see artists like David Bowie on television through snl. You know, for the past seven years, I've put together a ranking of each season's musical Guests where I will rank them from worst to best. Awesome, you know, So I think the two of us can put our heads together here. What to you makes a transcendent SNL musical performance, not in the sketches, but as, like, the musical headliner.

[Eric Deggans]

Hopefully it shows you something about the artist that is a little revelatory that maybe you didn't know or maybe wasn't widely known. And, you know, I talked about seeing Captain Beefheart for the first time. You know, you hear about how sort of odd and eclectic that music is, but to see it actually perform live, you're just like. It's like a band got thrown down a flight of stairs, some of it. Or, you know, to see Frank Zappa perform. And they even had the show's announcer, Don Pardo, read this narrated spot in the middle of the song, I'm the Slime. And it was just amazing for a fan of Zappa and a fan of SNL to hear those two influences come together.

[Guest 1]

I'm the slime oozing out from your. Take it away, Don Pardo. You will obey me While I lead you and eat the garbage that I feed you.

[Eric Deggans]

Another big one for me was seeing Prince do Electric Chair from the Batman soundtrack. Because, again, you know, I wasn't able to necessarily go see Prince live anywhere. I think by then I had not yet seen him live in person, although eventually I would see him twice. And so this was just an opportunity to see Prince played live. And, of course, he didn't play the song like it was on the record. He played it Prince's way, which was even more fun. And I actually recorded that on a cassette tape and listened to it for many years. So there's your viral moment right there.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. I mean, those are great answers. And you've certainly watched SNL for longer than I have religiously. I've kind of dipped in and out of it over the years until these last seven years when I've done these rankings. And what I've found, putting the rankings together is that those segments work best either when you're introducing something that's never been seen before. A recent example that I would bring up is Childish Gambino performing this Is America.

[Guest 1]

This is America don't catch you slipping, no don't catch you slipping, no look.

[Eric Deggans]

What I'm whipping now.

[Stephen Thompson]

He premiered this Is America in the second slot. Generally, you get the ladies and gentlemen, Childish Gambino. And then they perform the hit, and then they're like, once again, Childish Gambino. And it's, you know, God knows what time of night it is. But he trotted out this Is America, the world premiere on SNL in the second musical slot. And to me, that was really special. Cause you're watching this deeply vibrant song and kind of experiencing it for the first time in a live setting in a way that felt exciting. And very often those segments can feel very canned and they're very constrained by that boxy space, by iffy sound mixes. It's something that I return to again and again whenever I do these rankings.

[Eric Deggans]

Dude, the sound. The sound for artists on Saturday Night Live was bad for so long. So long. I first visited the show in 1994 and Seal was the musical guest. And I could not believe how crappy the band sounded in person. It sounded better on the broadcast.

[Stephen Thompson]

Interesting.

[Eric Deggans]

But I knew they were great musicians. Yeah, I've always been sort of dismayed, particularly in the early seasons, but now, you know, that's been much more upgraded.

[Stephen Thompson]

Do you have a recent favorite?

[Eric Deggans]

Do I have a recent favorite? I mean, you know, the last time I visited the show, Ryan Gosling was hosting and Jay Z was the musical guest. And just being in the room with Jay Z when he's doing his thing was amazing, amazing, amazing. So that's my favorite for the final.

[Guest 1]

Time, you know, Bellevue these fools. I never seen her on the rock. So many chores. I never seen a worker with so many cars. They couldn't stop you. Not as tough as you say you are.

[Stephen Thompson]

I guess one that I would add to that conversation from recent years, that has really stood out to me. Did you see the Billie Eilish performance? She's performing Bad Guy and they put her in a rotating cube.

[Eric Deggans]

Absolutely awesome. So awesome.

[Stephen Thompson]

And they have a rotating camera and they're basically able to, you know. And this is an old fashioned movie technique where it looks like the dancer is climbing the walls and dancing on the ceiling. But she did that. And then they did this wonderful little thing. It was a technique they did to make the stage. Instead of trying to make the stage seem bigger, they made it seem smaller. Then at the end of the performance, which was really dynamic and colorful and clever, the camera pans back and shows you kind of how they did it. And I just sat there at home like, you just showed me something I've never seen on SNL before. And it's a great song and it's a great performance. That's the kind of thing I find myself looking for. If you have ways, if you have techniques to make that stage seem like something other than a really boxy, straightforward squarish room and make it look like you're performing in a wheat field. Make it look like you're performing in a shoebox. Make it look like you're performing someplace else. Kendrick Lamar has done some clever stuff with space on that stage. That's often what I find myself looking for in those live performances.

[Eric Deggans]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Stephen Thompson]

One thing I wanted to touch on briefly was SNL's relationship with hip hop. Because SNL, for all its flaws, has been a very early adopter for hip hop. They had Gil Scott Heron performing on SNL in 1975.

[Eric Deggans]

Yep.

[Stephen Thompson]

They had, you know, run DMC kind of in their prime. They have been, I think, pretty forward looking about hip hop and giving showcases for rappers to put their best foot forward on that stage.

[Eric Deggans]

Yeah, without a doubt. And I think part of that is because so much of rap history is wrapped up in New York. And one of the things that SNL is about is it's about being about New York. Right. So. And they had a lot of artists who would be, you would consider, be part of the downtown scene in New York. So, you know, Debbie Harry and Blondie and, you know, the Talking Heads and, you know, bands like that and those bands, they really appreciated hip hop. And, you know, the first live rap performance on national TV was the Seminole rap group Funky Four Plus One. And the reason they were on SNL was because Debbie Harry sort of interceded when she was hosting the show to have them come on and she introduced them. Please welcome my friends from the Bronx, the Funky Four Plus One more.

[Guest 1]

Yeah, if you're ready for this.

[Eric Deggans]

So there's always been this sense that, you know, the New York part of hip hop is something that SNL was interested in and liked. I also, you know, being the cynical media critic that I am, think it was also the show's way of pushing back against accusations that it was too white centered. Right. I mean, the very first musical guest was Billy Preston. So they're used to bringing on black performers as musicians.

[Guest 1]

Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. And I'm not stuffing, believe you me.

[Eric Deggans]

And it's their way of pushing back against, you know, the marginalization of women's voices. Garrett Morris is the only non white cast member in the early seasons of the show.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, well, 50 years of music, we could literally talk about this stuff all day. We want to know about your favorite SNL musical moments. Find us at Facebook dot. That brings us to the end of our show. Eric Deggans, thanks so much for being here.

[Eric Deggans]

Thank you for having me. It was so much fun.

[Stephen Thompson]

Always a pleasure. This episode was produced by Mike Katzeff and edited by Jessica Reedy. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Stephen Thompson, and we will see you all next time.

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