Over the five decades that Saturday Night Live has been on the air, almost every major pop and rock act has appeared on the show. So in honor of the show’s milestone 50th season, Rolling Stone has ranked its 50 greatest musical performances.
The highest a pop star ranks on the list is #13: It’s Taylor Swift‘s 2021 performance of the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” which ended with snowflakes falling from the ceiling. Then comes Miley Cyrus‘ campfire performance of Pink Floyd‘s “Wish You Were Here” at #23 — it was part of the show’s 2020 Saturday Night Live at Home episode, broadcast during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The next big pop act to appear on the list is Billie Eilish at #27: Her 2019 performance of “bad guy” found her singing on a rotating set that made it look like she was dancing on the walls and the ceiling. Beyoncé is in at #33 with her 2008 performance of “Single Ladies,” during which she was joined by two dancers, one of which was a pre-Glee Heather Morris.
Olivia Rodrigo‘s 2021 performance of “drivers license” is in at #36; and the most recent performance on the list is Chappell Roan‘s from Nov. 2. She’s in at #49 for the debut of her new song “The Giver.“
Topping the list is David Bowie‘s 1979 performance of “The Man Who Sold the World,” during which he was carried to the mic by performance artists Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias, because he was encased in a plastic tuxedo that restricted his movements.
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