(Warning: This post is very lengthy. Also, my apologies for how long it took me to post this, but it took a lot of time to put this together.)
SEASONS I COMPLETED RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST, BASED ON THEIR RATING AVERAGES IN THIS PROJECT
Season 14 (1988-89): 7.2
Season 15 (1989-90): 7.1
Season 18 (1992-93): 7.1
Season 17 (1991-92): 7.0
Season 21 (1995-96): 7.0
Season 22 (1996-97): 7.0
Season 24 (1998-99): 7.0
Season 16 (1990-91): 6.9
Season 23 (1997-98): 6.9
Season 42 (2016-17): 6.9
Season 26 (2000-01): 6.8
Season 41 (2015-16): 6.8
Season 13 (1987-88): 6.7
Season 25 (1999-00): 6.7
Season 34 (2008-09): 6.7
Season 3 (1977-78): 6.6
Season 4 (1978-79): 6.6
Season 27 (2001-02): 6.6
Season 2 (1976-77): 6.5
Season 12 (1986-87): 6.5
Season 33 (2007-08): 6.5
Season 38 (2012-13): 6.5
Season 40 (2014-15): 6.4
Season 1 (1975-76): 6.3
Season 10 (1984-85): 6.3
Season 32 (2006-07): 6.3
Season 37 (2011-12): 6.3
Season 5 (1979-80): 6.2
Season 39 (2013-14): 6.2
Season 9 (1983-84): 6.1
Season 28 (2002-03): 6.1
Season 31 (2005-06): 6.1
Season 35 (2009-10): 6.1
Season 8 (1982-83): 6.0
Season 19 (1993-94): 6.0
Season 36 (2010-11): 6.0
Season 7 (1981-82): 5.8
Season 11 (1985-86): 5.7
Season 29 (2003-04): 5.7
Season 20 (1994-95): 5.6
Season 6 (1980-81): 5.3
Season 30 (2004-05): 5.3
THE 25 HIGHEST-RATED EPISODES
Dave Chappelle / A Tribe Called Quest (S42 E6): 9.0
Jerry Seinfeld / Annie Lennox (S17 E18): 8.9
Alec Baldwin / The B-52’s (S15 E18): 8.8
Christopher Walken / Arrested Development (S18 E4): 8.8
Tom Hanks / Keith Richards (S14 E1): 8.5
Elizabeth Banks / Disclosure (S41 E5): 8.5
Tom Hanks / Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (S16 E8): 8.4
Christopher Walken / Bonnie Raitt (S15 E11): 8.3
Tracy Morgan / Demi Lovato (S41 E3): 8.2
David Alan Grier / Silverchair (S21 E8): 8.1
Jim Carrey / Soundgarden (S21 E20): 8.1
Tom Hanks / Lady Gaga (S42 E4): 8.1
Steve Martin / The Blues Brothers (S3 E18): 8.0
Chris Evert / Eurythmics (S15 E5): 8.0
Robert Wagner / Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville (S15 E8): 8.0
Kyle MacLachlan / Sinead O’Connor (S16 E1): 8.0
Ray Romano / The Corrs (S24 E15): 8.0
Christopher Walken / Christina Aguilera (S25 E16): 8.0
Jon Hamm / Coldplay (S34 E6): 8.0
Martin Short / Paul McCartney (S38 E10): 8.0
Woody Harrelson / Kendrick Lamar (S40 E6): 8.0
Tom Hanks / Bruce Springsteen (S17 E19): 7.9
Sinbad / Sade (S18 E7): 7.9
Kevin Spacey / Beck (S22 E10): 7.9
Steve Buscemi / Third Eye Blind (S23 E17): 7.9
THE 25 LOWEST-RATED EPISODES
Paul Reiser / Annie Lennox (S20 E15): 2.9
Sarah Jessica Parker / R.E.M. (S20 E5): 3.4
Hilary Swank / 50 Cent (S30 E13): 3.6
Deion Sanders / Bon Jovi (S20 E13): 3.6
Donald Trump / Toots and the Maytals (S29 E16): 3.7
John C. Reilly / My Chemical Romance (S32 E3): 4.1
George Foreman / Hole (S20 E9): 4.1
Matthew McConaughey / The Dixie Chicks (S28 E11): 4.2
Deborah Harry (S6 E10): 4.2
Milton Berle / Ornette Coleman and Prime Time (S4 E17): 4.2
Kate Winslet / Eminem (S30 E4): 4.3
Robert Hays / Joe “King” Carrasco & The Crowns, 14 Karat Soul (S6 E8): 4.3
Tom Green / David Gray (S26 E6): 4.4
Halle Berry / Britney Spears (S29 E3): 4.5
Bob Saget / TLC (S20 E19): 4.5
Nancy Kerrigan / Aretha Franklin (S19 E15): 4.5
Donald Trump / Sia (S41 E4): 4.6
Ashton Kutcher / Gwen Stefani (S30 E15): 4.6
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey / G Unit (S29 E10): 4.6
Charlene Tilton / Todd Rundgren, Prince (S6 E11): 4.6
Malcolm McDowell / Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band (S6 E2): 4.6
Scarlett Johansson / Bjork (S32 E18): 4.7
Lindsay Lohan / Coldplay (S30 E20): 4.7
Johnny Knoxville / System of a Down (S30 E18): 4.7
Teri Garr / The Cult, The Dream Academy (S11 E6): 4.7
SEASONS I COMPLETED WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF FIVE-STAR SEGMENT RATINGS
— Season 17 (1991-92): 25
— (tie) Season 18 (1992-93) and Season 42 (2016-17): 22
— (tie) Season 16 (1990-91) and Season 40 (2014-15): 20
— Season 25 (1999-00): 18
— Season 34 (2008-09): 17
SEASONS I COMPLETED WITH THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF FIVE-STAR SEGMENT RATINGS
(Note: An asterisk indicates a writers strike-shortened season)
— Season 30 (2004-05): 1
— (tie) *Season 6 (1980-81), Season 7 (1981-82), and Season 11 (1985-86): 2
— *Season 10 (1984-85): 4 (I admit, this season’s writers strike, which, IIRC, was very short, is still no excuse for such a small number of five-star ratings from me in a noteworthy season like this)
— Season 20 (1994-95): 5
— (tie) *Season 13 (1987-88), Season 28 (2002-03), Season 29 (2003-04), *Season 33 (2007-08), and Season 36 (2010-11): 6
SEASONS I COMPLETED WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF ONE-STAR SEGMENT RATINGS
(Note: One-and-a-half-star ratings aren’t included)
— Season 20 (1994-95): 27
— Season 30 (2004-05): 19
— (tie) Season 29 (2003-04) and Season 35 (2009-10): 14
— (tie) Season 6 (1980-81), Season 28 (2002-03), and Season 32 (2006-07): 13
— Season 36 (2010-11): 11
SEASONS I COMPLETED WITH THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF ONE-STAR SEGMENT RATINGS
(Note: One-and-a-half-star ratings aren’t included)
(Note 2: An asterisk indicates a writers strike-shortened season)
— (tie) Season 9 (1983-84), *Season 13 (1987-88), Season 14 (1988-89), Season 22 (1996-97), Season 23 (1997-98), Season 24 (1998-99), Season 25 (1999-00) and Season 27 (2001-02): 0
— (tie) Season 2 (1976-77) and Season 15 (1989-90): 1
— (tie) Season 3 (1977-78), *Season 10 (1984-85), Season 16 (1990-91), Season 18 (1992-93), and *Season 33 (2007-08): 2
— Season 12 (1986-87): 3
— (tie) Season 5 (1979-80), Season 17 (1991-92), Season 21 (1995-96): 4
THINGS I NOW FEEL I OVERRATED IN MY REVIEWS
(Note: This isn’t a listing of EVERY single thing I now feel like I overrated, just some of the more noteworthy things that I can remember or feel like pointing out)
(Note 2: An asterisk indicates that I still feel highly of this, but wouldn’t give it quite as high a rating anymore)
(Note 3: An equal symbol indicates that I already gave this a very low rating, but would now give it a one-star rating)
— *Chevy’s Girls (from Norman Lear / Boz Scaggs (S2 E2))
— Security Check (from Sharon Stone / Pearl Jam (S17 E17))
— *The season 17 Jerry Seinfeld episode in general. While I still love the episode, I was bugged by how it was the episode with my highest rating average for the longest time (before the season 42 Dave Chappelle episode dethroned it). I don’t feel it deserved the highest rating average (nor even the second-highest, nor the third, and maybe not even fourth or fifth), nor do I feel that it receiving the highest rating average accurately represented what I personally find to be the strongest episode ever. Even after doing this project, though, I’m not 100% sure what I would call the strongest episode ever. I wouldn’t say the Dave Chappelle episode deserves that spot, either, as much as I love that episode, too. Thinking about it right now, I’d say that I feel the strongest episode ever just might be the season 15 Alec Baldwin episode, which has the third-highest rating average of this project.
— =Monologue (from Martin Lawrence / Crash Test Dummies (S19 E14))
— The season 19 Emilio Estevez episode in general, especially the How Much Ya Bench? sketch, which I now find to be way too emblematic of season 19/20s problems to enjoy
— *Baseball Dreams (from Helen Hunt / Hanson (S23 E9))
— *Lez It Up (from Joshua Jackson / ‘N Sync (S25 E14))
— Justin & Jimmy (from 40th Anniversary)
— *Levi’s Wokes (from Ryan Gosling / Jay-Z (S43 E1))
THINGS I NOW FEEL I UNDERRATED IN MY REVIEWS
(Note: Similar to what I said above, this isn’t a listing of EVERY single thing I now feel like I underrated, just some of the more noteworthy things that I can remember or feel like pointing out)
(Note 2: An asterisk indicates that I still don’t care much for this, but I no longer feel it deserves as low a rating as I gave it in my review)
(Note 3: An equal symbol indicates that I gave this a very positive review, but I would now give it a full five-star rating)
— =The Killer Bees (from Elliott Gould / Anne Murray (S1 E9))
— The second half of the season 1 Anthony Perkins episode
— The season 2 Broderick Crawford episode in general, especially the Lucy A-Bomb sketch
— The season 3 Ray Charles episode in general
— Gary Weis’ films
— =Nerds & Milt (from Richard Benjamin / Rickie Lee Jones (S4 E16))
— Season 6 in general. While my reviews of that season as a whole weren’t quite as negative as the general consensus on that season (the only reason that season is tied with season 30 as having my lowest rating average is presumably because it’s a shortened 13-episode season, which skews the rating average a bit compared to full seasons), I’ve recently gained more of an appreciation for that season, thanks to the That Week In SNL podcast’s exploration of it. While I’m still not quite as high on that season as the podcast hosts are, there are now a higher number of things I like about that season than I used to, including the general fascinating, unpredictable vibe that season has. For crying out loud, the podcast even made me come around on the Where’s Cooter sketch (helped by hearing Gail Matthius talk about it in the interview the podcast did with her), which I originally tore apart in my review.
— Marilyn Monroe’s Editorial Reply (from George Kennedy / Miles Davis (S7 E3))
— =Girls To Women (from Elizabeth Ashley / Daryl Hall & John Oates (S7 E13))
— =Stevie Experience (from Stevie Wonder (S8 E19))
— =Rock & Roll and Then Some (from Robin Williams / Adam Ant (S9 E12))
— =Profiles In Sports (from George Carlin / Frankie Goes To Hollywood (S10 E5))
— Investment Firm (from Dabney Coleman / The Cars (S13 E3))
— =Death Be Not Deadly (from Robert Mitchum / Simply Red (S13 E4))
— =Sweeney Sisters (from Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt with The Mariachi Vargas (S13 E8))
— =Barbara & Nancy, and Attitudes (both from John Malkovich / Anita Baker (S14 E10))
— =Bathroom Attendant (from Harvey Keitel / Madonna (S18 E11))
— McIntosh Post-It Notes (from John Malkovich / Billy Joel (S19 E4))
— Home Security (from Kevin Spacey / Beck (S22 E10))
— =The second Celebrity Jeopardy installment (from John Goodman / Jewel (S22 E19))
— Chess For Girls (from Nathan Lane / Metallica (S23 E8))
— =The Clinton Marriage: White House In Crisis, and Stevie Nicks’ Fajita Roundup (both from Lucy Lawless / Elliott Smith (S24 E3))
— The first installment of She’s The Girl With No Gaydar (from John Goodman / Ja Rule (S27 E4))
— Charades (from Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Paul Simon (S31 E18))
— =Lincoln (from Louis C.K. / fun. (S38 E6))
— I’m Going To Fight Andy Rydell (from Cameron Diaz / Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (S40 E7))
— *The Handmaid’s Tale (from Chris Pine / LCD Soundsystem (S42 E19))
A COMPILATION OF EACH HEADER EVER USED ON THIS SITE, BOTH THE FULL-SCREEN HEADER ON THE HOMEPAGE AND THE SHORTER HEADER ON OTHER PAGES
(Note: For those who’ve never picked up on this, the image I used for each header was a shot from the opening montage of the season I was currently reviewing at the time.)
(Note 2: I didn’t start using a header image until towards the end of season 2.)
(Note 3: I used two different headers for Seasons 5 and 11, respectively, due to those seasons each having two different opening montages. Season 6 had two different opening montages as well, but since the second montage from that season only lasted one episode, I didn’t bother changing my header image for that episode.)
(Note: 4: Now that I’m finished with the project, the header you’ll be seeing on this site will be my previously-used header images in a random-order rotation, so you’ll see a different header image on each page you click.)
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5-1
Season 5-2
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11-1
Season 11-2
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 17
Season 18
Season 19
Season 20
Season 21
Season 22
Season 23
Season 24
Season 25
Season 26
Season 27
Season 28
Season 29
Season 30
Season 31
Season 32
Season 33
Season 34
Season 35
Season 36
Season 37
Season 38
Season 39
Season 40
Season 41
Season 42
Season 43
EVERY SINGLE EPISODE’S RATING AVERAGE, SEPARATED BY SEASONS, WITH EACH SEASON’S EPISODES BEING LISTED FROM HIGHEST RATING AVERAGE TO LOWEST
(Note: The rating averages may not represent the reviews’ perception)
Season 1
Richard Pryor / Gil Scott-Heron: 7.4
Lily Tomlin: 7.0
Madeline Kahn / Carly Simon: 6.9
Buck Henry / Gordon Lightfoot: 6.9
Elliott Gould / Anne Murray: 6.8
George Carlin / Janis Ian, Billy Preston: 6.7
Buck Henry / Bill Withers, Toni Basil: 6.6
Peter Boyle / Al Jarreau: 6.6
Candice Bergen / Esther Phillips: 6.5
Robert Klein / Abba, Loudon Wainwright III: 6.4
Peter Cook & Dudley Moore / Neil Sedaka: 6.4
Jill Clayburgh / Leon Redbone: 6.4
Elliott Gould / Leon Redbone, Harlan Collins and Joyce Everson: 6.4
Candice Bergen / Martha Reeves, The Stylistics: 6.3
Raquel Welch / Phoebe Snow, John Sebastian: 6.3
Rob Reiner / (no musical guest): 6.2
Ron Nessen / Patti Smith Group: 5.9
Dyan Cannon / Leon & Mary Russell: 5.9
Kris Kristofferson / Rita Coolidge: 5.9
Dick Cavett / Jimmy Cliff: 5.8
Anthony Perkins / Betty Carter: 5.8
Paul Simon / Randy Newman, Phoebe Snow: 5.6
Desi Arnaz: 5.6
Louise Lasser / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band: 5.1
Season 2
Candice Bergen / Frank Zappa: 7.8
Ralph Nader / George Benson: 7.5
Paul Simon / George Harrison: 7.3
Norman Lear / Boz Scaggs: 7.2
Buck Henry / The Band: 7.2
Steve Martin / Kinky Friedman: 7.0
Elliott Gould / The McGarrigle Sisters, Roslyn Kind: 7.0
Buck Henry / Jennifer Warnes, Kenny Vance: 6.9
Eric Idle / Joe Cocker, Stuff: 6.8
Eric Idle / Alan Price, Neil Innes: 6.8
Lily Tomlin / James Taylor: 6.5
Steve Martin / The Kinks: 6.4
Shelley Duvall / Joan Armatrading: 6.3
Jodie Foster / Brian Wilson: 6.2
Fran Tarkenton / Leo Sayer, Donny Harper and The Voices Of Tomorrow: 6.2
Julian Bond / Tom Waits, Brick: 6.1
Broderick Crawford / The Meters, Dr. John, Levon Helm, Paul Butterfield: 5.9
Sissy Spacek / Richard Baskin: 5.8
Karen Black / John Prine: 5.7
Ruth Gordon / Chuck Berry: 5.6
Jack Burns / Santana: 5.6
Dick Cavett / Ry Cooder: 5.4
Season 3
Steve Martin / The Blues Brothers: 8.0
Steve Martin / Jackson Browne and The Section: 7.3
Richard Dreyfuss / Jimmy Buffett, Gary Tigerman: 7.3
Art Garfunkel / Stephen Bishop: 7.2
Robert Klein / Bonnie Raitt: 7.1
Michael Palin / Eugene Record: 7.1
Charles Grodin / Paul Simon: 6.9
O.J. Simpson / Ashford & Simpson: 6.9
Christopher Lee / Meat Loaf: 6.9
Mary Kay Place / Willie Nelson: 6.8
Miskel Spillman / Elvis Costello: 6.6
Chevy Chase / Billy Joel: 6.6
Michael Sarrazin / Keith Jarrett, Gravity: 6.6
Buck Henry / Leon Redbone: 6.4
Jill Clayburgh / Eddie Money: 6.2
Steve Martin / The Dirt Band, Randy Newman: 6.1
Hugh Hefner / Libby Titus: 5.9
Madeline Kahn / Taj Mahal: 5.6
Ray Charles: 5.6
Buck Henry / Sun Ra: 5.3
Season 4
Gary Busey / Eubie Blake and Gregory Hines: 7.8
Eric Idle / Kate Bush: 7.6
Michael Palin / The Doobie Brothers: 7.6
Margot Kidder / The Chieftans: 7.6
Richard Benjamin / Rickie Lee Jones: 7.6
Rick Nelson / Judy Collins: 7.4
Fred Willard / Devo: 7.3
Steve Martin / Van Morrison: 7.1
The Rolling Stones: 6.8
Kate Jackson / Delbert McClinton: 6.6
Walter Matthau / (no musical guest): 6.5
Maureen Stapleton / Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow: 6.5
Carrie Fisher / The Blues Brothers: 6.4
Michael Palin / James Taylor: 6.4
Buck Henry / Bette Midler: 6.4
Buck Henry / The Grateful Dead: 6.2
Elliott Gould / Peter Tosh: 6.2
Cicely Tyson / Talking Heads: 5.2
Frank Zappa: 4.8
Milton Berle / Ornette Coleman and Prime Time: 4.2
Season 5
Howard Hesseman / Randy Newman: 7.3
Strother Martin / The Specials: 7.0
Buck Henry / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 6.9
Buck Henry / Andrew Gold, Andrae Crouch and The Voices Of Unity: 6.9
Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss / The Grateful Dead: 6.8
Bea Arthur / The Roches: 6.6
Steve Martin / Blondie: 6.5
Eric Idle / Bob Dylan: 6.5
Bob Newhart / The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn: 6.5
Ted Knight / Desmond Child & Rouge: 6.1
Chevy Chase / Marianne Faithfull, Tom Scott: 5.9
Kirk Douglas / Sam & Dave: 5.9
Martin Sheen / David Bowie: 5.8
Paul Simon and James Taylor / David Sanborn: 5.8
Steve Martin / Paul and Linda McCartney, 3-D: 5.8
Rodney Dangerfield / The J. Geils Band: 5.7
Teri Garr / The B-52’s: 5.6
Bill Russell / Chicago: 5.5
Elliott Gould / Gary Numan: 5.3
Burt Reynolds / Anne Murray: 5.2
Season 6
Bill Murray / Delbert McClinton: 6.7
Karen Black / Cheap Trick, Stanley Clarke Trio: 6.6
Ellen Burstyn / Aretha Franklin, Keith Sykes: 5.9
David Carradine / The cast of “The Pirates of Penzance”: 5.7
(no host) / Jr. Walker & The All Stars: 5.6
Elliott Gould / Kid Creole & The Coconuts: 5.5
Ray Sharkey / Jack Bruce & Friends: 5.5
Jamie Lee Curtis / James Brown, Ellen Shipley: 4.8
Sally Kellerman / Jimmy Cliff: 4.7
Malcolm McDowell / Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: 4.6
Charlene Tilton / Todd Rundgren, Prince: 4.6
Robert Hays / Joe “King” Carrasco & The Crowns, 14 Karat Soul: 4.3
Deborah Harry: 4.2
Season 7
Tim Curry / Meat Loaf: 7.1
(no host) / Rod Stewart: 6.4
George Kennedy / Miles Davis: 6.3
Danny DeVito / Sparks: 6.3
Bill Murray / The Spinners: 6.2
Johnny Cash / Elton John: 6.2
Blythe Danner / Rickie Lee Jones: 6.1
Elizabeth Ashley / Daryl Hall & John Oates: 6.0
Olivia Newton-John: 5.9
James Coburn / Lindsey Buckingham & The Cholos: 5.8
Bruce Dern / Luther Vandross: 5.8
Susan Saint James / The Kinks: 5.7
Donald Pleasence / Fear: 5.6
Lauren Hutton / Rick James: 5.6
Daniel J. Travanti / John Cougar: 5.6
Bernadette Peters / The Go-Go’s, Billy Joel: 5.4
Robert Conrad / The Allman Brothers Band: 5.3
John Madden / Jennifer Holliday: 5.3
Robert Urich / Mink De Ville, Buhweet And De Dupreems: 5.0
Robert Culp / The Charlie Daniels Band: 4.8
Season 8
Stevie Wonder: 7.3
Chevy Chase / Queen: 6.8
Howard Hesseman / Men At Work: 6.8
Joan Rivers / Musical Youth: 6.6
Louis Gossett Jr. / George Thorogood & The Destroyers: 6.5
Bruce Dern / Leon Redbone: 6.4
Sid Caesar / Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes: 6.3
Howard Hesseman / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 6.3
Lily Tomlin / Purvis Hawkins: 6.2
Eddie Murphy / Lionel Richie: 6.1
Robert Guillaume / Duran Duran: 6.1
Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas / The Bus Boys: 6.0
Robert Blake / Kenny Loggins: 5.7
Michael Keaton / The New Joe Jackson Band: 5.5
Ron Howard / The Clash: 5.4
The Smothers Brothers / Laura Branigan: 5.4
Susan Saint James / Michael McDonald: 5.4
Drew Barrymore / Squeeze: 5.3
Mayor Ed Koch / Kevin Rowland & Dexy’s Midnight Runners: 5.3
Beau and Jeff Bridges / Randy Newman: 5.0
Season 9
Don Rickles / Billy Idol: 7.5
Edwin Newman / Kool & The Gang: 6.8
Billy Crystal, Mayor Ed Koch, Edwin Newman, Father Guido Sarducci, and Betty Thomas / The Cars: 6.7
Barry Bostwick / Spinal Tap: 6.5
Betty Thomas / Stray Cats: 6.4
Teri Garr / Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo: 6.4
Jerry Lewis / Loverboy: 6.4
Brandon Tartikoff / John Cougar: 6.1
Flip Wilson / Stevie Nicks: 6.1
Robin Williams / Adam Ant: 6.1
Billy Crystal / Al Jarreau: 6.1
Father Guido Sarducci / Huey Lewis & The News: 6.0
Michael Palin and his mother / The Motels: 5.9
Michael Douglas / Deniece Williams: 5.9
George McGovern / Madness: 5.8
The Smothers Brothers / Big Country: 5.5
Jamie Lee Curtis / The Fixx: 5.5
Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman / Eddy Grant: 5.4
John Candy / Men At Work: 5.4
Season 10
Christopher Reeve / Santana: 7.3
Ed Asner / The Kinks: 7.1
Michael McKean / Chaka Khan: 6.9
George Carlin / Frankie Goes To Hollywood: 6.8
(no host) / The Thompson Twins: 6.7
The Reverend Jesse Jackson / Andrae Crouch and Wintley Phipps: 6.7
Eddie Murphy / The Honeydrippers: 6.7
Harry Anderson / Bryan Adams: 6.6
Howard Cosell / Greg Kihn: 6.5
Ed Begley Jr. / Billy Squier: 6.2
Roy Scheider / Billy Ocean: 6.2
Alex Karras / Tina Turner: 5.8
Bob Uecker / Peter Wolf: 5.7
Ringo Starr / Herbie Hancock: 5.7
Mr. T and Hulk Hogan / The Commodores: 5.7
Kathleen Turner / John Waite: 5.5
Pamela Sue Martin / The Power Station: 5.3
Season 11
George Wendt and Francis Ford Coppola / Philip Glass: 6.9
John Lithgow / Mr. Mister: 6.7
Tom Hanks / Sade: 6.7
Ron Reagan / The Nelsons: 6.6
Pee-Wee Herman / Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band: 6.2
Dudley Moore / Al Green: 6.0
Tony Danza / Laurie Anderson: 5.9
Madonna / Simple Minds: 5.8
Harry Dean Stanton / The Replacements: 5.8
Chevy Chase / Sheila E.: 5.5
Catherine Oxenberg and Paul Simon / Ladysmith Black Mambazo: 5.5
Oprah Winfrey / Joe Jackson: 5.4
Anjelica Huston and Billy Martin / George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic: 5.3
Griffin Dunne / Rosanne Cash: 5.2
Jimmy Breslin / Level 42, E.G. Daily: 5.2
Jay Leno / The Neville Brothers: 5.1
Jerry Hall / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: 4.8
Teri Garr / The Cult, The Dream Academy: 4.7
Season 12
Robin Williams / Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo: 7.7
William Shatner / Lone Justice: 7.7
Bill Murray / Percy Sledge: 7.6
Malcolm-Jamal Warner / Run DMC: 6.8
Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short / Randy Newman: 6.8
Joe Montana and Walter Payton / Debbie Harry: 6.8
John Lithgow / Anita Baker: 6.8
Garry Shandling / Los Lobos: 6.8
Charlton Heston / Wynton Marsalis: 6.6
Steve Guttenberg / The Pretenders: 6.5
Paul Shaffer / Bruce Hornsby & The Range: 6.5
Sigourney Weaver / (no musical guest): 6.4
Willie Nelson: 6.3
Valerie Bertinelli / The Robert Cray Band: 6.2
John Larroquette / Timbuk 3: 6.2
Mark Harmon / Suzanne Vega: 6.0
Sam Kinison / Lou Reed: 5.9
Dennis Hopper / Roy Orbison: 5.9
Rosanna Arquette / Ric Ocasek: 5.8
Bronson Pinchot / Paul Young: 5.6
Season 13
Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt with The Mariachi Vargas: 7.8
Tom Hanks / Randy Travis: 7.3
Steve Martin / Sting: 7.0
Carl Weathers / Robbie Robertson: 7.0
Robert Mitchum / Simply Red: 6.9
Sean Penn / LL Cool J, The Pull: 6.8
Robin Williams / James Taylor: 6.6
Candice Bergen / Cher: 6.5
Danny DeVito / Bryan Ferry: 6.4
Angie Dickinson / David Gilmour, Buster Poindexter: 6.4
Judge Reinhold / 10,000 Maniacs: 6.4
Dabney Coleman / The Cars: 6.3
Justine Bateman / Terrance Trent D’Arby: 5.7
Season 14
Tom Hanks / Keith Richards: 8.5
John Larroquette / Randy Newman with Mark Knopfler: 7.8
Steve Martin / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 7.7
Matthew Modine / Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: 7.6
John Malkovich / Anita Baker: 7.6
Mary Tyler Moore / Elvis Costello: 7.5
Glenn Close / The Gipsy Kings: 7.4
Kevin Kline / Bobby McFerrin: 7.3
John Lithgow / Tracy Chapman: 7.2
Ted Danson / Luther Vandross: 7.2
Wayne Gretzky / Fine Young Cannibals: 7.2
Leslie Nielsen / Cowboy Junkies: 7.1
Mel Gibson / Living Colour: 7.1
Danny DeVito / The Bangles: 7.0
Dolly Parton: 6.9
Matthew Broderick / The Sugarcubes: 6.8
Demi Moore / Johnny Clegg & Savuka: 6.8
Melanie Griffith / Little Feat: 6.8
Tony Danza / John Hiatt and The Goners: 6.6
Geena Davis / John Mellencamp: 6.5
Season 15
Alec Baldwin / The B-52’s: 8.8
Christopher Walken / Bonnie Raitt: 8.3
Chris Evert / Eurythmics: 8.0
Robert Wagner / Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville: 8.0
Rick Moranis / Rickie Lee Jones: 7.8
James Woods / Don Henley: 7.6
John Goodman / K.D. Lang & The Reclines: 7.6
Rob Lowe / The Pogues: 7.5
Andie MacDowell / Tracy Chapman: 7.4
Ed O’Neill / Harry Connick Jr.: 7.2
Fred Savage / Technotronic: 7.2
Woody Harrelson / David Byrne: 6.9
Tom Hanks / Aerosmith: 6.9
Bruce Willis / Neil Young: 6.5
Kathleen Turner / Billy Joel: 6.5
Candice Bergen / The Notting Hillbillies: 6.4
Debra Winger / Eric Clapton: 6.1
Corbin Bernsen / The Smithereens: 6.0
Quincy Jones / (many musical guests): 5.6
Andrew Dice Clay / The Spanic Boys, Julee Cruise: 5.6
Season 16
Tom Hanks / Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: 8.4
Kyle MacLachlan / Sinead O’Connor: 8.0
Patrick Swayze / Mariah Carey: 7.8
John Goodman / Faith No More: 7.6
Joe Mantegna / Vanilla Ice: 7.5
George Wendt / Elvis Costello: 7.5
Susan Lucci / Hothouse Flowers: 7.2
Sting: 7.2
Roseanne Barr / Deee-Lite: 7.2
George Steinbrenner / The Time: 6.8
Kevin Bacon / INXS: 6.8
Alec Baldwin / Whitney Houston: 6.8
Jeremy Irons / Fishbone: 6.7
Dennis Quaid / The Neville Brothers: 6.6
Catherine O’Hara / R.E.M.: 6.6
Dennis Hopper / Paul Simon: 6.4
Jimmy Smits / World Party: 6.2
Michael J. Fox / The Black Crowes: 6.2
Delta Burke / Chris Isaak and Silvertone: 6.2
Steven Seagal / Michael Bolton: 4.9
Season 17
Jerry Seinfeld / Annie Lennox: 8.9
Tom Hanks / Bruce Springsteen: 7.9
Michael Jordan / Public Enemy: 7.7
Kirstie Alley / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 7.7
Kiefer Sutherland / Skid Row: 7.7
Linda Hamilton / Mariah Carey: 7.6
Susan Dey / C+C Music Factory: 7.5
Jason Priestley / Teenage Fanclub: 7.3
Christian Slater / Bonnie Raitt: 7.0
Rob Morrow / Nirvana: 6.9
John Goodman / Garth Brooks: 6.9
Mary Stuart Masterson / En Vogue: 6.8
Jeff Daniels / Color Me Badd: 6.6
Hammer: 6.6
Woody Harrelson / Vanessa Williams: 6.6
Macaulay Culkin / Tin Machine: 6.4
Roseanne and Tom Arnold / The Red Hot Chili Peppers: 6.4
Chevy Chase / Robbie Robertson: 6.1
Sharon Stone / Pearl Jam: 5.9
Steve Martin / James Taylor: 5.8
Season 18
Christopher Walken / Arrested Development: 8.8
Sinbad / Sade: 7.9
Miranda Richardson / Soul Asylum: 7.8
Joe Pesci / Spin Doctors: 7.7
Harvey Keitel / Madonna: 7.7
Alec Baldwin / Paul McCartney: 7.7
Christina Applegate / Midnight Oil: 7.4
Kirstie Alley / Lenny Kravitz: 7.2
Nicolas Cage / Bobby Brown: 7.0
Michael Keaton / Morrissey: 6.9
Tom Arnold / Neil Young: 6.9
Bill Murray / Sting: 6.9
Danny DeVito / Bon Jovi: 6.8
Luke Perry / Mick Jagger: 6.8
Jason Alexander / Peter Gabriel: 6.8
Catherine O’Hara / 10,000 Maniacs: 6.5
Glenn Close / The Black Crowes: 6.5
Kevin Kline / Willie Nelson and Paul Simon: 6.5
John Goodman / Mary J. Blige: 6.3
Tim Robbins / Sinead O’Connor: 6.2
Season 19
John Malkovich / Billy Joel: 7.5
Patrick Stewart / Salt-N-Pepa: 7.5
Heather Locklear / Janet Jackson: 6.9
Charlton Heston / Paul Westerberg: 6.8
Shannen Doherty / Cypress Hill: 6.7
Rosie O’Donnell / James Taylor: 6.5
Sally Field / Tony! Toni! Toné!: 6.5
Helen Hunt / Snoop Doggy Dogg: 6.5
Jeff Goldblum / Aerosmith: 6.4
Nicole Kidman / Stone Temple Pilots: 6.3
Charles Barkley / Nirvana: 6.0
John Goodman / The Pretenders: 6.0
Martin Lawrence / Crash Test Dummies: 5.7
Kelsey Grammer / Dwight Yoakham: 5.5
Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger / UB40: 5.3
Emilio Estevez / Pearl Jam: 5.2
Sara Gilbert / Counting Crows: 5.1
Jason Patric / Blind Melon: 5.0
Christian Slater / Smashing Pumpkins: 4.8
Nancy Kerrigan / Aretha Franklin: 4.5
Season 20
Alec Baldwin / Beastie Boys: 7.1
Bob Newhart / Des’ree: 7.1
Dana Carvey / Edie Brickell: 6.9
John Travolta / Seal: 6.7
David Hyde Pierce / Live: 6.7
John Goodman / The Tragically Hip: 6.7
George Clooney / The Cranberries: 6.4
Damon Wayans / Dionne Farris: 6.2
Courteney Cox / Dave Matthews Band: 6.1
David Duchovny / Rod Stewart: 6.1
Marisa Tomei / Bonnie Raitt: 5.8
Jeff Daniels / Luscious Jackson: 5.8
Roseanne / Green Day: 5.6
John Turturro / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 5.4
Steve Martin / Eric Clapton: 4.9
Bob Saget / TLC: 4.5
George Foreman / Hole: 4.1
Deion Sanders / Bon Jovi: 3.6
Sarah Jessica Parker / R.E.M.: 3.4
Paul Reiser / Annie Lennox: 2.9
Season 21
David Alan Grier / Silverchair: 8.1
Jim Carrey / Soundgarden: 8.1
John Goodman / Everclear: 7.8
Christopher Walken / Joan Osborne: 7.7
David Schwimmer / Natalie Merchant: 7.5
Phil Hartman / Gin Blossoms: 7.4
Steve Forbes / Rage Against The Machine: 7.4
Anthony Edwards / Foo Fighters: 7.3
Teri Hatcher / Dave Matthews Band: 7.2
Mariel Hemingway / Blues Traveler: 7.0
Alec Baldwin / Tori Amos: 7.0
Danny Aiello / Coolio: 6.9
Gabriel Byrne / Alanis Morissette: 6.7
Elle MacPherson / Sting: 6.7
Madeline Kahn / Bush: 6.6
Chevy Chase / Lisa Loeb: 6.5
Laura Leighton / Rancid: 6.5
Quentin Tarantino / The Smashing Pumpkins: 6.4
Christine Baranski / The Cure: 6.3
Tom Arnold / Tupac Shakur: 5.1
Season 22
Kevin Spacey / Beck: 7.9
Martin Short / No Doubt: 7.8
Rob Lowe / Spice Girls: 7.7
Dana Carvey / Dr. Dre: 7.4
Robert Downey Jr. / Fiona Apple: 7.4
John Goodman / Jewel: 7.4
Chris Rock / The Wallflowers: 7.3
Phil Hartman / Bush: 7.3
David Alan Grier / Snoop Doggy Dogg: 7.2
Sting / Veruca Salt: 7.0
Alec Baldwin / Tina Turner: 6.9
Mike Myers / Aerosmith: 6.9
Jeff Goldblum / En Vogue: 6.8
Tom Hanks / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 6.6
Lisa Kudrow / Sheryl Crow: 6.6
Neve Campbell / David Bowie: 6.6
Rosie O’Donnell / Whitney Houston: 6.4
Bill Pullman / New Edition: 6.2
Chevy Chase / Live: 5.9
Pamela Lee / Rollins Band: 5.9
Season 23
Steve Buscemi / Third Eye Blind: 7.9
John Goodman / Paula Cole: 7.7
Garth Brooks: 7.7
Mayor Rudy Giuliani / Sarah McLachlan: 7.3
Helen Hunt / Hanson: 7.3
Sylvester Stallone / Jamiroquai: 7.1
Nathan Lane / Metallica: 7.1
Julianne Moore / Backstreet Boys: 7.1
Sarah Michelle Gellar / Portishead: 7.0
Greg Kinnear / All Saints: 6.8
Jon Lovitz / Jane’s Addiction: 6.7
Claire Danes / Mariah Carey: 6.7
Brendan Fraser / Bjork: 6.6
Chris Farley / The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: 6.6
David Duchovny / Puff Daddy featuring Jimmy Page: 6.6
Matthew Perry / Oasis: 6.5
Matthew Broderick / Natalie Merchant: 6.5
Scott Wolf / Natalie Imbruglia: 6.2
Samuel L. Jackson / Ben Folds Five: 6.1
Roma Downey / Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott: 6.1
Season 24
Ray Romano / The Corrs: 8.0
Alec Baldwin / Luciano Pavarotti with Vanessa Williams: 7.8
Joan Allen / Jewel: 7.4
Cameron Diaz / The Smashing Pumpkins: 7.3
John Goodman / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 7.3
Lucy Lawless / Elliott Smith: 7.2
Bill Paxton / Beck: 7.2
David Spade / Eagle-Eye Cherry: 7.1
Brendan Fraser / Busta Rhymes featuring The Roots: 7.1
Gwyneth Paltrow / Barenaked Ladies: 7.0
James Van Der Beek / Everlast: 6.9
Sarah Michelle Gellar / Backstreet Boys: 6.9
Kelsey Grammer / Sheryl Crow: 6.8
Drew Barrymore / Garbage: 6.8
Ben Stiller / Alanis Morissette: 6.7
Vince Vaughn / Lauryn Hill: 6.7
Jennifer Love Hewitt / Beastie Boys: 6.5
Cuba Gooding Jr. / Ricky Martin: 6.5
Bill Murray / Lucinda Williams: 6.4
Season 25
Christopher Walken / Christina Aguilera: 8.0
Norm Macdonald / Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Eminem: 7.6
Joshua Jackson / ‘N Sync: 7.5
Jerry Seinfeld / David Bowie: 7.3
Jennifer Aniston / Sting: 7.3
Tobey Maguire / Sisqo: 7.3
Garth Brooks / Chris Gaines: 7.1
Britney Spears: 7.1
Ben Affleck / Fiona Apple: 6.9
The Rock / AC/DC: 6.9
Julianna Margulies / DMX: 6.7
Christina Ricci / Beck: 6.6
Heather Graham / Marc Anthony: 6.5
Jamie Foxx / Blink-182: 6.4
Alan Cumming / Jennifer Lopez: 6.2
Danny DeVito / R.E.M.: 6.1
Freddie Prinze Jr. / Macy Gray: 6.0
John Goodman / Neil Young: 6.0
Dylan McDermott / Foo Fighters: 5.9
Jackie Chan / Kid Rock: 5.5
Season 26
Calista Flockhart / Ricky Martin: 7.8
Conan O’Brien / Don Henley: 7.7
Christopher Walken / Weezer: 7.7
Rob Lowe / Eminem: 7.6
Val Kilmer / U2: 7.6
Sean Hayes / Shaggy: 7.4
Pierce Brosnan / Destiny’s Child: 7.2
Kate Hudson / Radiohead: 7.2
Alec Baldwin / Coldplay: 7.1
Dana Carvey / The Wallflowers: 6.8
Charlize Theron / Paul Simon: 6.8
Charlie Sheen / Nelly Furtado: 6.8
Renee Zellweger / Eve: 6.7
Katie Holmes / Dave Matthews Band: 6.6
Julia Stiles / Aerosmith: 6.3
Jennifer Lopez: 6.2
Lara Flynn Boyle / Bon Jovi: 6.2
Lucy Liu / Jay-Z: 6.1
Mena Suvari / Lenny Kravitz: 5.5
Tom Green / David Gray: 4.4
Season 27
Jon Stewart / India.Arie: 7.7
Sir Ian McKellen / Kylie Minogue: 7.5
John Goodman / Ja Rule: 7.3
Ellen DeGeneres / No Doubt: 7.2
Billy Bob Thornton / Creed: 7.1
Derek Jeter / Bubba Sparxxx, Shakira: 7.1
Seann William Scott / Sum41: 7.0
Jack Black / The Strokes: 7.0
Hugh Jackman / Mick Jagger: 6.8
Alec Baldwin / P.O.D.: 6.7
Britney Spears: 6.6
Winona Ryder / Moby: 6.6
The Rock / Andrew W.K.: 6.5
Cameron Diaz / Jimmy Eat World: 6.3
Kirsten Dunst / Eminem: 6.3
Gwyneth Paltrow / Ryan Adams: 6.0
Reese Witherspoon / Alicia Keys: 5.8
Drew Barrymore / Macy Gray: 5.8
Jonny Moseley / Outkast: 5.8
Josh Hartnett / Pink: 5.6
Season 28
Christopher Walken / Foo Fighters: 7.9
Senator John McCain / The White Stripes: 7.4
Al Gore / Phish: 7.3
Ray Liotta / The Donnas: 7.1
Dan Aykroyd / Beyonce: 6.9
Brittany Murphy / Nelly: 6.8
Matt Damon / Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: 6.6
Salma Hayek / Christina Aguilera: 6.6
Ray Romano / Zwan: 6.5
Queen Latifah / Ms. Dynamite: 6.1
Nia Vardalos / Eve: 6.0
Jennifer Garner / Beck: 6.0
Adrien Brody / Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder: 5.7
Robert DeNiro / Norah Jones: 5.5
Ashton Kutcher / 50 Cent: 5.5
Sarah Michelle Gellar / Faith Hill: 5.1
Eric McCormack / Jay-Z: 5.1
Jeff Gordon / Avril Lavigne: 5.1
Bernie Mac / Good Charlotte: 5.0
Matthew McConaughey / The Dixie Chicks: 4.2
Season 29
Ben Affleck / N.E.R.D.: 7.4
Justin Timberlake: 7.1
Snoop Dogg / Avril Lavigne: 6.8
Megan Mullally / Clay Aiken: 6.5
Lindsay Lohan / Usher: 6.5
Colin Firth / Norah Jones: 6.1
Janet Jackson: 6.1
Kelly Ripa / Outkast: 6.0
Jack Black / John Mayer: 5.8
Andy Roddick / Dave Matthews: 5.8
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen / J-Kwon: 5.8
Alec Baldwin / Missy Elliott: 5.5
Elijah Wood / Jet: 5.5
Christina Aguilera / Maroon 5: 5.4
Rev. Al Sharpton / Pink: 5.2
Drew Barrymore / Kelis: 5.0
Jennifer Aniston / Black Eyed Peas: 4.8
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey / G Unit: 4.6
Halle Berry / Britney Spears: 4.5
Donald Trump / Toots and the Maytals: 3.7
Season 30
Paul Giamatti / Ludacris featuring Sum41: 7.0
Will Ferrell / Queens of the Stone Age: 6.6
David Spade / Jack Johnson: 6.5
Topher Grace / The Killers: 6.1
Queen Latifah: 5.7
Luke Wilson / U2: 5.6
Jude Law / Ashlee Simpson: 5.5
Robert DeNiro / Destiny’s Child: 5.5
Paris Hilton / Keane: 5.4
Ben Affleck / Nelly: 5.3
Tom Brady / Beck: 5.3
Jason Bateman / Kelly Clarkson: 5.2
Liam Neeson / Modest Mouse: 5.1
Colin Farrell / Scissor Sisters: 4.9
Cameron Diaz / Green Day: 4.9
Johnny Knoxville / System of a Down: 4.7
Lindsay Lohan / Coldplay: 4.7
Ashton Kutcher / Gwen Stefani: 4.6
Kate Winslet / Eminem: 4.3
Hilary Swank / 50 Cent: 3.6
Season 31
Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Paul Simon: 7.8
Jack Black / Neil Young: 7.6
Jon Heder / Ashlee Simpson: 6.7
Jason Lee / Foo Fighters: 6.7
Matt Dillon / Arctic Monkeys: 6.7
Scarlett Johansson / Death Cab For Cutie: 6.4
Steve Carell / Kanye West: 6.3
Dane Cook / James Blunt: 6.3
Steve Martin / Prince: 6.1
Natalie Portman / Fall Out Boy: 6.1
Kevin Spacey / Nelly Furtado: 6.1
Alec Baldwin / Shakira: 5.9
Tom Hanks / Red Hot Chili Peppers: 5.8
Catherine Zeta-Jones / Franz Ferdinand: 5.7
Peter Sarsgaard / The Strokes: 5.5
Antonio Banderas / Mary J. Blige: 5.2
Lindsay Lohan / Pearl Jam: 5.1
Eva Longoria / Korn: 4.9
Lance Armstrong / Sheryl Crow: 4.8
Season 32
Dane Cook / The Killers: 7.3
Hugh Laurie / Beck: 7.1
Alec Baldwin / Christina Aguilera: 7.1
Jeremy Piven / AFI: 7.0
Rainn Wilson / Arcade Fire: 6.9
Peyton Manning / Carrie Underwood: 6.8
Shia LaBeouf / Avril Lavigne: 6.8
Molly Shannon / Linkin Park: 6.8
Matthew Fox / Tenacious D: 6.6
Drew Barrymore / Lily Allen: 6.6
Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Snow Patrol: 6.6
Forest Whitaker / Keith Urban: 6.5
Justin Timberlake: 6.0
Ludacris: 5.8
Jake Gyllenhaal / The Shins: 5.8
Annette Bening / Gwen Stefani, Akon: 5.7
Jaime Pressly / Corinne Bailey Rae: 5.6
Zach Braff / Maroon 5: 5.5
Scarlett Johansson / Bjork: 4.7
John C. Reilly / My Chemical Romance: 4.1
Season 33
Tina Fey / Carrie Underwood: 7.6
Shia LaBeouf / My Morning Jacket: 7.2
LeBron James / Kanye West: 7.0
Ashton Kutcher / Gnarls Barkley: 7.0
Christopher Walken / Panic At The Disco: 6.8
Jonah Hill / Mariah Carey: 6.3
Brian Williams / Feist: 6.2
Steve Carell / Usher: 6.1
Jon Bon Jovi / Foo Fighters: 6.0
Amy Adams / Vampire Weekend: 5.9
Seth Rogen / Spoon: 5.7
Elliot Page / Wilco: 5.6
Season 34
Jon Hamm / Coldplay: 8.0
Anne Hathaway / The Killers: 7.8
John Malkovich / T.I.: 7.8
Dwayne Johnson / Ray LaMontagne: 7.4
Ben Affleck / David Cook: 7.3
Will Ferrell / Green Day: 7.3
Josh Brolin / Adele: 6.9
Neil Patrick Harris / Taylor Swift: 6.9
Tracy Morgan / Kelly Clarkson: 6.9
Paul Rudd / Beyonce: 6.8
Justin Timberlake / Ciara: 6.7
Michael Phelps / Lil Wayne: 6.5
Zac Efron / Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 6.5
Hugh Laurie / Kanye West: 6.3
James Franco / Kings of Leon: 6.2
Bradley Cooper / TV on the Radio: 6.2
Tim McGraw / Ludacris and T-Pain: 6.1
Seth Rogen / Phoenix: 6.1
Anna Faris / Duffy: 6.0
Steve Martin / Jason Mraz: 5.8
Alec Baldwin / Jonas Brothers: 5.6
Rosario Dawson / Fleet Foxes: 5.4
Season 35
Charles Barkley / Alicia Keys: 7.3
Jon Hamm / Michael Bublé: 7.3
Ryan Reynolds / Lady Gaga: 7.2
Betty White / Jay-Z: 7.0
Taylor Swift: 6.8
Blake Lively / Rihanna: 6.6
Zach Galifianakis / Vampire Weekend: 6.4
Joseph Gordon-Levitt / Dave Matthews Band: 6.3
Gerard Butler / Shakira: 6.1
Drew Barrymore / Regina Spektor: 6.0
Ashton Kutcher / Them Crooked Vultures: 6.0
Jennifer Lopez: 5.9
Alec Baldwin / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: 5.9
Jude Law / Pearl Jam: 5.8
Tina Fey / Justin Bieber: 5.8
Ryan Phillippe / Ke$ha: 5.8
James Franco / Muse: 5.6
Sigourney Weaver / The Ting Tings: 5.6
Megan Fox / U2: 5.3
January Jones / Black Eyed Peas: 5.2
Taylor Lautner / Bon Jovi: 4.9
Gabourey Sidibe / MGMT: 4.8
Season 36
Ed Helms / Paul Simon: 7.2
Jon Hamm / Rihanna: 6.6
Anne Hathaway / Florence + The Machine: 6.6
Jim Carrey / The Black Keys: 6.6
Zach Galifianakis / Jessie J: 6.5
Paul Rudd / Paul McCartney: 6.2
Helen Mirren / Foo Fighters: 6.2
Amy Poehler / Katy Perry: 6.1
Jane Lynch / Bruno Mars: 6.1
Russell Brand / Chris Brown: 6.1
Justin Timberlake / Lady Gaga: 6.1
Elton John: 5.9
Emma Stone / Kings of Leon: 5.8
Gwyneth Paltrow / Cee Lo Green: 5.8
Jesse Eisenberg / Nicki Minaj: 5.8
Tina Fey / Ellie Goulding: 5.8
Bryan Cranston / Kanye West: 5.6
Robert DeNiro / Diddy-Dirty Money: 5.6
Dana Carvey / Linkin Park: 5.6
Miley Cyrus / The Strokes: 5.5
Jeff Bridges / Eminem and Lil Wayne: 5.4
Scarlett Johansson / Arcade Fire: 4.8
Season 37
Alec Baldwin / Radiohead: 7.4
Jimmy Fallon / Michael Bublé: 7.4
Maya Rudolph / Sleigh Bells: 7.3
Charlie Day / Maroon 5: 7.2
Steve Buscemi / The Black Keys: 6.7
Jason Segel / Florence + The Machine: 6.5
Charles Barkley / Kelly Clarkson: 6.5
Zooey Deschanel / Karmin: 6.5
Anna Faris / Drake: 6.3
Eli Manning / Rihanna: 6.3
Emma Stone / Coldplay: 6.2
Ben Stiller / Foster The People: 6.0
Channing Tatum / Bon Iver: 6.0
Jonah Hill / The Shins: 6.0
Will Ferrell / Usher: 6.0
Katy Perry / Robyn: 5.9
Sofia Vergara / One Direction: 5.9
Daniel Radcliffe / Lana Del Rey: 5.8
Josh Brolin / Gotye: 5.7
Mick Jagger with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, and Jeff Beck: 5.7
Melissa McCarthy / Lady Antebellum: 5.5
Lindsay Lohan / Jack White: 5.5
Season 38
Martin Short / Paul McCartney: 8.0
Jamie Foxx / Ne-Yo: 7.9
Louis C.K. / fun.: 7.7
Zach Galifianakis / Of Monsters And Men: 7.5
Seth MacFarlane / Frank Ocean: 7.3
Anne Hathaway / Rihanna: 7.3
Ben Affleck / Kanye West: 7.1
Christoph Waltz / Alabama Shakes: 6.9
Joseph Gordon-Levitt / Mumford & Sons: 6.6
Kevin Hart / Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: 6.5
Jennifer Lawrence / The Lumineers: 6.3
Jeremy Renner / Maroon 5: 6.2
Vince Vaughn / Miguel: 6.2
Bruno Mars: 6.1
Justin Timberlake: 6.0
Daniel Craig / Muse: 5.9
Adam Levine / Kendrick Lamar: 5.8
Melissa McCarthy / Phoenix: 5.7
Christina Applegate / Passion Pit: 5.5
Kristen Wiig / Vampire Weekend: 5.1
Justin Bieber: 4.9
Season 39
Louis C.K. / Sam Smith: 7.6
Kerry Washington / Eminem: 7.3
Tina Fey / Arcade Fire: 7.0
Edward Norton / Janelle Monáe: 6.8
Lady Gaga: 6.8
Josh Hutcherson / HAIM: 6.8
Anna Kendrick / Pharrell Williams: 6.7
Miley Cyrus: 6.4
Jonah Hill / Bastille: 6.4
Andrew Garfield / Coldplay: 6.4
Jim Parsons / Beck: 6.3
Drake: 6.1
Charlize Theron / The Black Keys: 6.1
Melissa McCarthy / Imagine Dragons: 6.0
Lena Dunham / The National: 5.9
Paul Rudd / One Direction: 5.8
Jimmy Fallon / Justin Timberlake: 5.7
Seth Rogen / Ed Sheeran: 5.6
Bruce Willis / Katy Perry: 5.4
John Goodman / Kings of Leon: 5.2
Andy Samberg / St. Vincent: 4.9
Season 40
Woody Harrelson / Kendrick Lamar: 8.0
Michael Keaton / Carly Rae Jepsen: 7.8
J.K. Simmons / D’Angelo: 7.5
Dwayne Johnson / George Ezra: 7.5
Martin Freeman / Charli XCX: 7.4
Jim Carrey / Iggy Azalea: 7.1
Louis C.K. / Rihanna: 7.1
Sarah Silverman / Maroon 5: 6.4
Bill Hader / Hozier: 6.4
Chris Rock / Prince: 6.4
Chris Hemsworth / Zac Brown Band: 6.3
Blake Shelton: 6.1
Amy Adams / One Direction: 6.0
Taraji P. Henson / Mumford & Sons: 5.9
Kevin Hart / Sia: 5.8
Cameron Diaz / Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars: 5.7
Scarlett Johansson / Wiz Khalifa: 5.6
Chris Pratt / Ariana Grande: 5.3
Reese Witherspoon / Florence + The Machine: 5.2
James Franco / Nicki Minaj: 5.1
Dakota Johnson / Alabama Shakes: 5.1
Season 41
Elizabeth Banks / Disclosure: 8.5
Tracy Morgan / Demi Lovato: 8.2
Peter Dinklage / Gwen Stefani: 7.9
Adam Driver / Chris Stapleton: 7.8
Larry David / The 1975: 7.8
Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Nick Jonas: 7.7
Fred Armisen / Courtney Barnett: 7.4
Ryan Gosling / Leon Bridges: 7.3
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler / Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: 7.2
Melissa McCarthy / Kanye West: 7.0
Brie Larson / Alicia Keys: 6.8
Ariana Grande: 6.6
Miley Cyrus: 6.3
Ronda Rousey / Selena Gomez: 6.3
Amy Schumer / The Weeknd: 6.2
Drake: 6.0
Matthew McConaughey / Adele: 5.9
Russell Crowe / Margo Price: 5.8
Chris Hemsworth / Chance the Rapper: 5.7
Jonah Hill / Future: 5.1
Donald Trump / Sia: 4.6
Season 42
Dave Chappelle / A Tribe Called Quest: 9.0
Tom Hanks / Lady Gaga: 8.1
Aziz Ansari / Big Sean: 7.9
Margot Robbie / The Weeknd: 7.7
Emma Stone / Shawn Mendes: 7.3
Kristen Stewart / Alessia Cara: 7.3
Emily Blunt / Bruno Mars: 7.2
Louis C.K. / The Chainsmokers: 7.2
Melissa McCarthy / HAIM: 7.0
Benedict Cumberbatch / Solange: 6.8
Dwayne Johnson / Katy Perry: 6.8
John Cena / Maren Morris: 6.7
Jimmy Fallon / Harry Styles: 6.7
Lin-Manuel Miranda / Twenty One Pilots: 6.5
Kristen Wiig / The xx: 6.5
Alec Baldwin / Ed Sheeran: 6.5
Chris Pine / LCD Soundsystem: 6.4
Scarlett Johansson / Lorde: 6.3
Felicity Jones / Sturgill Simpson: 6.2
Octavia Spencer / Father John Misty: 5.9
Casey Affleck / Chance the Rapper: 5.3
Season 43
Larry David / Miley Cyrus: 7.3
Ryan Gosling / Jay-Z: 7.1
Kumail Nanjiani / P!nk: 6.8
Gal Gadot / Sam Smith: 6.4
ONE FAVORITE SEGMENT OF MINE FROM EACH SEASON I COVERED, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
(Note: This isn’t a compilation of my #1 favorite segment from each season, just *a* favorite segment of mine from each season. It would be too difficult for me to choose my absolute #1 favorite segment from each season in the short amount of time I have right now. Also, for some of these picks, I won’t go for the obvious fan favorite of the season, and I’ll instead choose a lesser-appreciated piece. I’ll also try to have this compilation as a whole accurately represent my general sense of humor.)
If you’re having trouble identifying some of the above favorite segments of mine from their screencaps or are curious what episodes they come from, here’s a guide:
Season 1: The Last Voyage Of The Starship Enterprise (from Elliott Gould / Leon Redbone, Harlan Collins and Joyce Everson)
Season 2: Gary Gilmore (from Candice Bergen / Frank Zappa)
Season 3: Andy Kaufman reads The Great Gatsby (from Art Garfunkel / Stephen Bishop)
Season 4: The Pepsi Syndrome (from Richard Benjamin / Rickie Lee Jones)
Season 5: Bad Clams (from Buck Henry / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
Season 6: Script In Development (from Bill Murray / Delbert McClinton)
Season 7: Girls To Women (from Elizabeth Ashley / Daryl Hall & John Oates)
Season 8: Special Report: Buckwheat Shot (from Bruce Dern / Leon Redbone)
Season 9: Witness Relocation (from Don Rickles / Billy Idol)
Season 10: Walking After Midnight (from Ed Asner / The Kinks)
Season 11: Grand Finale (from George Wendt and Francis Ford Coppola / Philip Glass)
Season 12: Mastermind (from Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short / Randy Newman)
Season 13: Wilson Trap Doors (from Judge Reinhold / 10,000 Maniacs)
Season 14: Robot Repair (from Mary Tyler Moore / Elvis Costello)
Season 15: Diner (from Alec Baldwin / The B-52’s)
Season 16: Happy Fun Ball (from Roseanne Barr / Deee-Lite)
Season 17: Mr. Belvedere Fan Club (from Tom Hanks / Bruce Springsteen)
Season 18: An Insane Idiot and His Collection of Descending-Size Deer Heads (from Harvey Keitel / Madonna)
Season 19: Across the Bar (from Heather Locklear / Janet Jackson)
Season 20: Denver Airport (from John Goodman / The Tragically Hip)
Season 21: Wake Up and Smile (from David Alan Grier / Silverchair)
Season 22: The Late Show with David Letterman (from Kevin Spacey / Beck)
Season 23: TV Funhouse: Fun With Real Audio (from Helen Hunt / Hanson)
Season 24: Jingleheimer Junction (from Cameron Diaz / The Smashing Pumpkins)
Season 25: Celebrity Jeopardy (from Norm Macdonald / Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Eminem)
Season 26: Centaur (from Christopher Walken / Weezer)
Season 27: Music International (from Jack Black / The Strokes)
Season 28: Box (from Salma Hayek / Christina Aguilera)
Season 29: Tennis Talk with Time Traveling Scott Joplin (from Andy Roddick / Dave Matthews)
Season 30: Pepper Grinder (from Will Ferrell / Queens of the Stone Age)
Season 31: Dopplegangers (from Matt Dillon / Arctic Monkeys)
Season 32: Carpool (from Alec Baldwin / Christina Aguilera)
Season 33: Read To Achieve (from LeBron James / Kanye West)
Season 34: Rocket Dog (from Tracy Morgan / Kelly Clarkson)
Season 35: Potato Chip Thief (from Blake Lively / Rihanna)
Season 36: Merryville Trolley Ride (from Jim Carrey / The Black Keys)
Season 37: Coach Bert (from Steve Buscemi / The Black Keys)
Season 38: Roundball Rock (from Vince Vaughn / Miguel)
Season 39: Monster Pals (from Seth Rogen / Ed Sheeran)
Season 40: Helpfund (from Bill Hader / Hozier)
Season 41: Meet Your Second Wife! (from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler / Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band)
Season 42: Totino (from Kristen Stewart / Alessia Cara)
Season 43: Papyrus (from Ryan Gosling / Jay-Z)
And finally…
THINGS ABOUT SNL THAT I WAS MOST SURPRISED TO DISCOVER FROM DOING THIS PROJECT AND GOING THROUGH SNL’S TIMELINE CHRONOLOGICALLY
— Me enjoying Chevy Chase as a cast member more than I expected.
— Bill Murray having such a strong showing throughout his first episode as a cast member, given how well-documented it is that he struggled a lot during his early days on SNL.
— The conceptual Charles Grodin episode from season 3 being much better than I remember finding it to be when I previously watched it many years earlier.
— How damn fun the O.J. Simpson episode from season 3 is, given the fact that I went into that episode expecting it to feel very awkward to watch in hindsight, due to O.J.’s notorious future.
— John Belushi having far more range than I expected, given the fact that, before doing this project, I had mostly remembered him for playing wild, loud, outrageous roles.
— Dan Aykroyd being an even more reliable cast member than I expected, to the degree that he became my favorite member of the original cast.
— The first half of season 5 mostly being pretty good, and how that season’s well-documented burnout and decline wasn’t fully visible until the second half of the season.
— On a somewhat similar note to above, me finding the first half of the notorious season 6 more hit-and-miss rather than outright bad.
— How good one-season wonder Tony Rosato was.
— Brad Hall starting to grow on me towards the end of his tenure (after he got booted from Saturday Night News), after I spent most of his tenure finding his performance style too try-hard and corny.
— The two Eddie Murphy-hosted episodes from the 80s, while both certainly good, not being classics like I had remembered.
— Season 10 not being as heavily reliant on pre-tapes as legend has it.
— Christopher Guest being an even better cast member than I previously thought.
— The Dick Ebersol era being better than I expected (minus season 7, which I found a little boring, mainly the middle of the season), given how I went into that era expecting it to be as overly bland and safe as I had remembered it being.
— Randy Quaid being much more of a valuable member to the troubled season 11 cast than I had remembered. Before reviewing season 11, I had always dismissed Randy’s SNL stint as just being a poor man’s predecessor to Phil Hartman.
— The strength of the late 80s renaissance era not really kicking into absolute full swing until season 14, three seasons into that era. Seasons 12 and 13 are both certainly pretty solid, but not quite as strong as I had remembered (which is understandable for season 12, as that was that cast’s first season). Before doing these reviews, I used to lump seasons 12 and 13 with seasons 14 and 15 as being pretty much equally fantastic.
— Dennis Miller’s decline as a Weekend Update anchor starting earlier than I had remembered. My memory had his decline (where he came off burned-out and kinda went through the motions) just being in the second half of his final season, but I discovered through this project that his decline really started sometime in the second half of his penultimate season. This decline of his wasn’t too bad, though, as he’s still one of my personal all-time favorite Update anchors.
— The extremely hot start season 17 had in its first six episodes (minus the Jeff Daniels episode).
— The Nancy Kerrigan episode from season 19, while definitely bad, not being “Worst episode ever” levels of bad like I had always previously felt.
— Me liking Melanie Hutsell as a cast member a lot more than I used to (I couldn’t STAND her when I was younger), despite still having some issues with her.
— The notorious season 20, while definitely undeniably bad as a whole, not being nearly as bad to me when breaking that season down episode-by-episode. There were a good number of things that season that I came around on after previously hating them, and I came out of that season feeling it had more good episodes than bad.
— Michael McKean being a little better as a cast member than I had previously given him credit for. Similar to what I said about Randy Quaid, until I reviewed seasons 19 and 20, I had always dismissed Michael’s SNL stint as just being a poor man’s successor to Phil Hartman. Turns out Michael had some good moments if you look beyond the Hartman-esque roles the show pigeonholed him in.
— The four season 24 episodes that I used to regularly refer to as that season’s “Quadfecta of Suck” (Kelsey Grammer, Vince Vaughn, Bill Murray, and John Goodman) turning out to be much better than I had remembered, particularly the Goodman episode.
— Me not getting as sick of the Spartan Cheerleaders or Mary Katherine Gallagher as I was initially worried I would when I entered the late 90s era in this project.
— The season 28 Matthew McConaughey episode being much worse than I had remembered.
— The generally-mediocre season 29 having a pretty nice upswing in quality towards the end, which I hadn’t remembered.
— The Paris Hilton episode from season 30 not being “Worst episode ever” levels of bad like I had always previously felt. Hell, it wasn’t even one of the worst episodes of its season (and that season certainly has a lot of contenders).
— Me coming to the realization after all these years that, out of all six of Tina Fey’s years as Weekend Update anchor, I only like two of them (her first two).
— Seth Meyers being a better sketch performer than I (and he himself) had previously given him credit for.
— The so-called mid-season slump of season 34 not being as bad as I had remembered, aside from the Rosario Dawson episode.
— Me eventually coming around on a few of Kristen Wiig’s characters/impressions that I used to absolutely despise: Target Lady, Gilly, and Kathie Lee Gifford.
— The January Jones episode from season 35, while definitely bad, not being “Worst episode ever” levels of bad like I had always previously felt.
— Me not being nearly as salty towards the 2009-2012 years as I was when they originally aired.
— Fred Armisen’s badness as a cast member not suddenly starting in season 35 like I had felt when his tenure originally aired. Turns out that, instead of suddenly getting bad in season 35 after being solid in all of his previous seasons, Fred had a very gradual three-year decline in seasons 32-34 that led to his outright badness from season 35 onward.
— Kyle Mooney not being an awkward live performer in his first season as I felt when that season originally aired.
— Me having more appreciation for Nasim Pedrad than I did when her tenure originally aired.
— The Elizabeth Banks and Peter Dinklage episodes from season 41 being even stronger than I had remembered.
— On a related note to above, season 41 in general being even stronger than I had remembered.
— Me liking Sasheer Zamata as a cast member more than I used to, despite SNL’s severe under-utilization of her.
— Season 43 not having nearly as rough of a start as I felt when it originally aired.
— Me not finding Kate McKinnon’s peak years (2014-2017) to be as consistently strong as I used to.
— Me having much more of a liking for Pete Davidson than I did when seasons 40-43 originally aired. As I said in my review of his first episode, my dislike for Pete used to be so strong that he was one of many things that ended up driving me away from watching new SNL episodes in late 2018. I also said in my review of his first episode that I would now try to go into his tenure with an open mind, and it turns out that doing so has greatly helped me develop goodwill towards him.
— Me having more of a liking for Leslie Jones than I did when seasons 40-43 originally aired. While I certainly never had a disliking for her anywhere near on the level of my former disliking of Pete, I used to have mixed feelings on her skills as a sketch performer, despite always liking her as a person. When reviewing her tenure in this project, however, I ended up finding her to be a delight in most of her sketch appearances.
And, well, we’ve come to the end of my farewell post. While it’s a disappointment that I have to prematurely end my part in this project for reasons explained here, I’m very proud of doing this project, how I’ve accomplished so much with it, and how insanely far I’ve come. When I first launched this site on the night of June 27, 2018, I was somewhat confident, but at the same time, a part of me had a “You’re insane for thinking you can pull this off” feel. That part of me thought I wouldn’t last long AT ALL attempting the daunting task of daily SNL reviews, and thought this project would end up being a failed, short-lived experiment that wouldn’t have made it past my coverage of season 3 or 4. Despite that nagging doubt I initially had, I went on with this project anyway, and, as we know now, I ended up keeping this project going for almost three full years and made it all the way to freakin’ season 43 (which was the most recent season when I started this project), neither of which the “You’re insane for thinking you can pull this off” part of me back on June 27, 2018 ever would’ve predicted. I’m so happy that I’ve made it this far.
For anyone worried that this site will be closed down now that I’m finished with the project, nope, I’ll absolutely be keeping it open for as long as I can.
Thank you to The Wicker Breaker for inspiring me to do this project. Thank you to fellow SNL blogger & reviewer Bronwyn Douwsma for providing me with the complete version of some episodes that I wouldn’t have had complete versions of otherwise. Thank you to all of my readers and commenters, for supporting me and for making the comments section of this site bigger and more vibrant than I ever could’ve imagined. Thank you to those in the comments section who provided the info for most of the above lists in this post. And thank you to all of the people on this site, on Twitter, and in emails who showered me with love and support in response to my retirement announcement.
On a major note, while this is the end of my part in the One SNL A Day project, it’s not the end of the One SNL A Day project in general. It’s been decided that volunteers from the comments section community of my site will graciously continue my project by reviewing the remaining episodes that I was going to review before deciding to end my project early. RoseArt, a frequent commenter on my site, is currently in the process of building a separate site for this continuation of my project. Yet another sign of what a wonderful comments section community my site has. When the new site launches, I’ll make a post on my site stating the name and URL of the new site, and I’ll also leave a link on my site’s menu bar and homepage.
Farewell, everyone. Words cannot express how much it warmed my heart to recently find out (after my retirement announcement) how much this project has meant to people, and what a great resource they find this site to be for SNL info. Things like that show me that this site went on to become much bigger and more important than I ever would’ve imagined it would when I first launched it and assumed it would just be an obscure site with a very modest following.