Pick a Day

Music History Events: Saturday Night Live

March 14, 1998 The Backstreet Boys appear on Saturday Night Live for the first time, performing "As Long As You Love Me" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)."

February 28, 1998 Garth Brooks hosts Saturday Night Live. As the musical guest, he performs his hit "Two Piña Coladas."

May 18, 1996 Soundgarden perform for the first (and only) time on Saturday Night Live, playing "Pretty Noose" and "Burden In My Hand." Jim Carrey hosts.

April 13, 1996 Seconds before their first Saturday Night Live performance, Rage Against the Machine's roadies place upside-down American flags on their amplifiers in a band-sanctioned protest of the American political system - billionaire candidate Steve Forbes is hosting the show. The SNL crew quickly tears them down, and the band is booted from building without a second song.

January 20, 1996 Tori Amos makes her Saturday Night Live debut, performing "Caught A Lite Sneeze" and "Hey Jupiter" from her third album, Boys For Pele.

October 28, 1995 Alanis Morissette makes her first appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing "Hand In My Pocket" and "All I Really Want."

April 15, 1995 Dave Matthews Band appear on Saturday Night Live for the first time, performing "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching."

November 20, 1993 With their debut album Core climbing the charts, Stone Temple Pilots are musical guests on Saturday Night Live.

April 11, 1992 Pearl Jam are the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, where they perform two songs and gape at host Sharon Stone.More

March 14, 1992 Garth Brooks makes his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing "Rodeo" and "The River" from his album Ropin' The Wind.

April 12, 1990 Sinead O'Connor refuses to appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in protest of the guest host, comedian Andrew Dice Clay.

April 1, 1989 Living Colour make a splash as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, performing "Cult of Personality" and "Open Letter (To a Landlord)."

January 30, 1988 Robbie Robertson of The Band appears on Saturday Night Live, making his first live TV appearance in 12 years.

November 15, 1986 Lou Reed and Sam Moore perform their updated version of "Soul Man" on Saturday Night Live. The song is being featured in the movie of the same name.

November 10, 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut album, Welcome To The Pleasuredome, debuts at #1 in the UK, but the band is in America, making their US TV debut on Saturday Night Live, where they perform their UK smash "Two Tribes" and their cover of "Born To Run."

April 19, 1980 The Specials become the first ska band to guest on Saturday Night Live, where they play "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young." Their energetic performance wows the crowd but fails to break ska music in America.

December 9, 1978 Kate Bush makes her first and only appearance on Saturday Night Live. The British singer-songwriter performs the songs "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" and "Them Heavy People" from her debut album, The Kick Inside.