A Look at Some of the Best Musical Guests in the History of Saturday Night Live
Topps RIPPED is celebrating Saturday Night Live’s historic 50th season with multiple articles about the show’s biggest stars, best sketches, and connection with Topps and The Hobby
From breakout moments to pop culture controversies, musicians have played a key role on SNL. Whether performing as a musical guest or a host (or, in these cases, both), these stars have long brought excitement, variety, and spectacle to the show. Let’s look at some of the musicians who have lit up the SNL stage while on double duty.
2011 Topps American Pie #196 Kanye West Interrupts Taylor Swift SSP
Taylor Swift – 2009
SNL Accomplishments
• Hosted the Show in 2009
• Five-Time musical guest
memorable moment
• opening “Monologue Song,” in which she called out Kanye West for interrupting her at the 2009 MTV video music awards
What They Said
• “She came to us and said, ‘I wrote a song for the opening monologue.’ So we brought Taylor into Lorne, and she sings this song, which is not only a beautiful song by a beautiful singer but also a perfect SNL monologue. Fully formed.” – Seth Meyers on Swift’s 2009 monologue
2000 Topps NSYNC Rainbow Prism #1 Justin Timberlake RC
Justin Timberlake – 2003, 2006, 2014
SNL Accomplishments
• five-time host (most for a musician)
• first appeared in 2000 as musical guest with nsync
memorable moment
• won an emmy for one of the most memorable musical sketches of all time: performing “D*** inBoxbox” with Andy Samberg
What They said
• “(THE FCC) SAID you can’t say ‘D***’ on the air. And we were like, ‘Oh, right. But if you just bleep it, would we be fine?’ And They said, ‘Yeah, if you bleep it out.’” – Timberlake on getting the famous sketch on air
2013 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks #NF-RS The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones – 1978; Mick Jagger – 2012
SNL Accomplishments
• the band hosted and performed in 1978
• mick jagger did double duty in 2012
memorable moment
• the chaotic preparation for the much-hyped episode led to mick jagger appearing in only a couple of sketches, and keith richards’ sketches being cut following dress rehearsal
What They saID
• “If you want to go up to Mick Jagger and tell him he has to wear underwear, be my guest.” – snl assistant costume designer karen roston to the nbc censor who was worried about jagger’s attire
2022 GPK Rock N Roll Hall of Lame #4a Demolition Dolly
Dolly Parton – 1989
SNL Accomplishments
• hosted and performed in 1989
memorable moment
• dolly poked fun at herself in “planet of the enormous hooters,” a sketch originally written for raquel welch way back in 1976
What They saID
• “I loved Dolly Parton. She came in and said, ‘Look, okay, here’s the deal. I won’t use any cuss words, and I won’t make fun of Jesus. Those were her two demands. And anything else was carte blanche.” – former snl cast member jan hooks
2007 Topps Hollywood Zombies #45 Britney Speared
Britney Spears – 2000, 2002
SNL Accomplishments
• did double duty in 2000 at only 18 years of age (youngest ever)
• in 2020, became the only Woman celebrity to do double duty twice
memorable moment
• Hilarious Sketch “inside barbie’s dreamhouse” in which Britney plays skipper, who learns that she is barbie’s daughter, not sister
What They saID
• “I was extremely nervous, and i’m excited that i’ve done it before because i would have been about to fall Out of my pants. i would have been sick” – Spears on coming back to host to do double duty for a second time
