Saturday Night Live is the gold standard of sketch television. The show, which has been on the air for over four decades, is known for their rotating cast of comedians that perform live and often go onto become famous. Its structure includes a celebrity presenter at the beginning, a series of live and taped sketches, and then a featured musical performance.
The best SNL episodes often become part of the cultural discourse. SNL has given laughter to countless elections, mocked pop culture fads, and generated some of the most memorable TV moments of all time.
Without further ado, here is a list of the best SNL Episodes ranked in order of hilarity.
WARNING: Some of the clips below include language, suggestive opinions, and stereotypes that may cause offense. Watch at your own discretion.
8. Season 36, Episode 22: Justin Timberlake/Lady Gaga
- User Rating on IMDb: 8.4
- Original Airdate: May 21, 2011
Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, and Andy Samberg collaborated on a new Lonely Island song called “3-way,” which included Patricia Clarkson and Susan Sarandon. The raunchy performance cemented Timberlake’s image as an SNL golden boy and is still talked about to this day. You cannot help but laugh at the sexual tension in this sketch and the jokes about seeing older women.
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7. Season 37, Episode 10: Jimmy Fallon/Michael Bublé
- IMDb User Rating: 8.4
- Original Airdate: December 17, 2011
Jimmy Fallon’s first time hosting SNL after leaving the show brought back some huge nostalgia as well as guest stars. Chris Kattan, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jude Law were among those who made unexpected debuts. The sketch that cemented the episode as one of the best SNL episodes ever shows Fallon playing a horse without any real costume or makeup. It’s pretty much impossible not to laugh at his “neigh” or galloping.
6. Season 1, Episode 7: Richard Pryor/Gil Scott-Heron
- IMDb User Rating: 8.5
- Original Airdate: December 13, 1975
Richard Pryor performed on SNL only once, but his performance was memorable. Along with Chevy Chase, he appeared in a segment called “Word Association,” in which the two men exchanged racial obscenities that would never be broadcast on television today. The scene remains one of the show’s most stunning and audacious stunts.
5. Season 38, Episode 16: Justin Timberlake
- IMDb User Rating: 8.5
- Original Airdate: March 9, 2013
In another Justin Timberlake appearance, he was the show’s host and musical guest. It was actually this episode that got him inducted into the Five-Timers Club, which also inspired the sketch shown above. Timberlake was welcomed in the skit with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Candice Bergen, and Paul Simon. Dan Aykroyd appeared as the club’s bartender, and Martin Short reprised his role as the waiter. It’s a hilarious stacked cast that SNL fans love.
4. Season 39, Episode 10: Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake
- IMDb User Rating: 8.7
- Original Airdate: December 21, 2013
Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake come together again for a bromance-fueled episode. As one of the best SNL episodes ever, they spoof “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” where Barry Gibb and his brother, Robin, host a political talk show. This is obviously the start of several punchlines. As evidenced by their pitch-perfect singing and perfectly cued jokes, these two have a friendship that translates brilliantly to each and every skit they do.
3. Season 3, Episode 18: Steve Martin/The Blues Brothers
- IMDb User Rating: 8.8
- Original Airdate: April 22, 1978
The renowned duo of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi made their debut as “The Blues Brothers” in this episode. As they sing “Soul Man,” you almost forget that it’s supposed to be funny. That is, until the pair starts dancing and make the band seem way beyond their skills. The act’s cultural significance cannot be emphasized, and this is where it all began, making it an immediate SNL classic.
2. Season 35, Episode 21: Betty White/Jay-Z
- IMDb User Rating: 8.8
- Original Airdate: May 8, 2010
Betty White earned a stint hosting SNL and she made the most of every minute. In this sketch shown above, she pokes fun at her age by mentioning things like calculators as a census worker (Tina Fey) comes to collect her information. More than that, the episode became a homage to the show’s iconic female cast members, both past and present.
1. Season 45, Episode 10: Eddie Murphy/Lizzo
- IMDb User Rating: 8.9
- Original Airdate: December 21, 2019
The iconic Eddie Murphy presented the year-end 2019 show, which included Larry David as Bernie Sanders, Rachel Dratch as Amy Klobuchar, and Fred Armisen as Michael Bloomberg — and that was just the cold open. Murphy plays the role of “Mister Robinson” as they spoof Mr. Rogers and his tagline “a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” This sketch is full of jokes, especially as it pokes fun at a predominantly low-income neighborhood. The icing on the cake for the number one episode is guest star Lizzo singing “Truth Hurts” life from Studio 8H.
Where Can I Watch the Best SNL Episodes?
Since SNL aired on NBC for years, you can watch directly via their website if you have a cable package and login. However, NBC has formed their own streaming platform, so all 48 seasons including these best SNL episodes from our list are available on Peacock TV.
However, that’s not all. You can also see select SNL seasons on Fubo TV. We recommend tuning into NBC for live Saturday Night Live streaming and then if you want to check out our top episodes list and watch a few back, it’s easiest to do so on Peacock. Whether you have an ad-free or with ads package, it will have each and every episode we’re recommending.
While every episode of SNL makes you laugh, these 8 best SNL episodes are truly memorable in the show’s history and are still talked about in pop culture. They feature star-stacked casts from both the full-time comedians and guest stars. It’s always great to see which hosts can jump right in with the other cast members just like Betty White, Justin Timberlake, and Eddie Murphy did. In fact, some of these episodes are known apart from the show itself, so they are definitely worth a watch.
Also Read: 10 Best Episodes of Modern Family and Why They’re Timeless