10 Most Infamous SNL Musical Guests
Live From New York...It's MAYHEM!!!
At this point, it almost feels like a right of passage to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. After you've made enough of an impact to play the legendary Studio 8H, you can safely say that you have really started to move in the right direction. Then again, a good and bad performance can often make or break whether you stick around.
For one reason or another, these musical guests ended up being more legendary for their foul-ups onstage rather than the music itself. Given that it's live TV, anything can happen, which leads to some of the most ill-advised musical moments ever captured on video, featuring legends either screwing up or losing their minds. However, you can't really hold these artists accountable for just one performance. A lot of prep time goes into these and no matter how much things might start to go over without a hitch, the vibe might not be right for things to actually work out.
For as much time that went into these though, you would think that things could at least go smoothly enough to get these songs done for the viewing public. The stage may be the natural place for stars, but it can also be the be all and end all for even the most talented of artists.
10. Kanye West
A series as long-running as SNL has always gone through their fair share of divas in their time. From Steven Seagal back in the day to modern control freaks, there's always that one person who ruins the vibe of the week for the entire cast and crew. Then again, even the most highly strung of musical guests don't hold a candle to Kanye West.
You could honestly throw a dart at nearly every one of Kanye's performances since 2010 as a bit high-strung, starting with the tour for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Rewriting the entire concept of what the musical guest was supposed, West would frequently get into arguments with the stage designers and bring in his own elaborate productions into the mix, from ballerinas to sometimes just a bare-bones screen operating behind him. There's also the most recent time he was on with the Sunday Service Choir, which involved him wearing a MAGA hat and using his platform for preach more often than he played actual music.
Aside from the weird extracurriculars though, West has seemed to dazzle every time he walked into the studio, whether it be through outraging the congregation or holding them in the palm of his hand. Regardless about what you have to say about his music or otherwise, the guy sure knows how to work the room he's in.