Pick a Day

Music History Events: TV Appearances

December 10, 2015 The TV movie Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors airs on NBC.More

December 3, 2015 A live adaptation of The Wiz airs on NBC. Based on the book (but not the film) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz began as a stage production in 1975, and was made into a movie (with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross) in 1978.More

March 25, 2015 Mariah Carey joins James Corden for the first installment of Carpool Karaoke.More

December 19, 2014 Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's show for the final time, as the host has announced his retirement.More

October 7, 2014 The TV series The Wonder Years, which went off the air in 1993, is finally released on DVD. What took so long? The distributor spent years clearing most of the 285 songs that were used on the show, including the theme, Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends."

September 15, 2014 Barbra Streisand appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing selections from her duets album with the host standing in for her various duet partners. It marks her first late-night interview since 1967, when she appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

March 5, 2013 Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath and rapper Coolio appear on Celebrity Wife Swap, where they send their respective partners to each others' homes. McGrath's wife, Carin, struggles with all the chores she has to do at Coolio's house, while Coolio's girlfriend Mimi - who leaves him just weeks after the episode is taped - squirms under the watchful eye of helicopter parent McGrath.

May 20, 2012 Lady Gaga appears on The Simpsons, where she tries to help Lisa improve her social standing in the episode "Lisa Goes Gaga."

May 23, 2010 Bret Michaels of Poison wins Season 9 of Donald Trump's show The Celebrity Apprentice.

May 13, 2010 12-year-old Greyson Chance appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, performing his cover of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi." Two weeks later, DeGeneres starts a record label and signs him.

November 24, 2009 Donny Osmond wins Season 9 of Dancing With The Stars.

July 30, 2009 "No Scrubs" songwriter Kandi Burruss, formerly of Xscape, joins the cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta and produces "Tardy For The Party" for co-star Kim Zolciak.

July 15, 2009 45 years after he played at the Ed Sullivan Theater with The Beatles, Paul McCartney returns to the venue to appear on The Late Show With David Letterman. Earlier in the day, McCartney plays a few songs from the theater's marquee, surprising the onlookers in Manhattan.

February 20, 2009 The White Stripes, favorites of the host, play "We're Going To Be Friends" on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. It ends up being the last performance by the group, which splits up two years later.

January 13, 2009 Season 8 of American Idol debuts, with songwriter Kara DioGuardi added as a fourth judge.

October 18, 2008 Adele is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "Cold Shoulder" and "Chasing Pavements." Sarah Palin is on the show, which leads to a huge audience and lots of exposure for Adele, giving her a big boost in America.

July 13, 2008 Joan Jett plays a murder victim on the "Reunion" episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Her character hosts a show called Rock 'n Talk before she meets her demise.

March 24, 2008 Britney Spears makes the first of two appearances on How I Met Your Mother, playing a receptionist smitten with Josh Radnor's character, Ted.

March 12, 2008 American Idol does an all-Beatles episode, somehow securing the rights to the songs after years of negotiations.

January 17, 2008 Gene Simmons is the third contestant fired by Donald Trump on Season 7 of The Celebrity Apprentice.More

September 24, 2007 The Big Bang Theory premieres on CBS with a theme song written and recorded by Barenaked Ladies.

September 9, 2007 During a performance by Alicia Keys at the MTV Video Music Awards, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock get in a fight, prompting presenter Jamie Foxx to decry the "white on white violence."

July 15, 2007 After getting favorable ratings for their unruly reality series Flavor of Love, featuring hip-hop legend Flavor Flav, VH1 decides to cash in on a bygone era of rock n' roll with a similar spectacle called Rock of Love, starring one the biggest names in hair metal: Bret Michaels of Poison.More

May 24, 2006 Taylor Hicks wins Season 5 of American Idol, defeating Katharine McPhee.

May 10, 2006 Chris Daughtry gets voted off Season 5 of American Idol in a shocker, as he is favored to win. He finishes fourth, with Taylor Hicks claiming the victory.

May 25, 2005 Carrie Underwood wins Season 4 of American Idol and becomes their most successful alum in terms of sales. Her debut album goes on to sell over 8 million copies in America.

April 21, 2004 Future Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson gets voted off season three of American Idol, where she finishes in seventh place.More

December 28, 2003 Out on bail and awaiting trial on charges he molested a teenage boy, Michael Jackson proclaims his innocence on 60 Minutes, telling Ed Bradley, "I was outraged. I could never do something like that."

October 11, 2003 Justin Timberlake makes his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, doing double-duty as host and musical guest. It's the first of many appearances he makes on the show through the coming years; his sketches eventually grow to include a Bee Gees parody, a sketch about dating Lady Gaga, a bailiff in a courtroom trial of an alligator, "the Target lady," appearing in drag onstage with Beyoncé, and the infamous "Dick in a Box" bit.

September 22, 2003 Auditioning for the third season of American Idol, William Hung performs a lively, but stupefyingly bad rendition of the Ricky Martin hit "She Bangs."More