Becoming the musical guest on Saturday Night Live is a major career milestone, but returning to Studio 8H again and again puts an artist in a much smaller group. From rock legends and pop superstars to hip-hop icons, several performers have built remarkable histories with the long-running NBC show, making five or more appearances across different eras of their careers.
The tradition stretches back to the program’s earliest seasons, when artists such as Randy Newman and James Taylor helped establish the musical guest role as an essential part of the weekly format. Both have performed six times, with Newman making his debut during the show’s inaugural season in 1975 and Taylor first appearing in 1976.
Rock acts have also built some of the longest relationships with the show. Foo Fighters lead this group with nine musical guest appearances between 1995 and 2023, while Coldplay have performed eight times since their 2001 debut. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Beck each reached seven appearances.
Hip-hop has its own notable representatives. Eminem and Kanye West each accumulated seven appearances, with both artists making their SNL debuts in the late 1990s and 2000s, respectively. Justin Timberlake also became a familiar presence, combining five musical guest appearances with three occasions on which he pulled double duty as host and performer.
Scroll down to see the artists with at least five musical guest appearances in Saturday Night Live history, including their performance dates and episode hosts.
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Artists Who Have Performed Five or More Times on SNL
1. Randy Newman — 6 appearances
- October 18, 1975 — Host: Paul Simon
- January 21, 1978 — Host: Steve Martin
- December 8, 1979 — Host: Howard Hesseman
- February 26, 1983 — Hosts: Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges
- December 6, 1986 — Hosts: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short
- October 22, 1988 — Host: John Larroquette
2. James Taylor — 6 appearances
- September 18, 1976 — Host: Lily Tomlin
- May 12, 1979 — Host: Michael Palin
- March 15, 1980 — Host: Teri Garr
- January 23, 1988 — Host: Robin Williams
- December 14, 1991 — Host: Steve Martin
- November 13, 1993 — Host: Rosie O’Donnell
3. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — 7 appearances
- November 10, 1979 — Host: Buck Henry
- February 19, 1983 — Host: Howard Hesseman
- May 20, 1989 — Host: Steve Martin
- October 12, 1991 — Host: Kirstie Alley
- November 19, 1994 — Host: John Turturro
- September 28, 1996 — Host: Tom Hanks
- May 15, 2010 — Host: Alec Baldwin
4. Paul McCartney — 5 appearances
- May 17, 1980 — Host: Steve Martin
- February 13, 1993 — Host: Alec Baldwin
- December 11, 2010 — Host: Paul Rudd
- December 15, 2012 — Host: Martin Short
- May 16, 2026 — Host: Will Ferrell
5. Foo Fighters — 9 appearances
- December 2, 1995 — Host: Anthony Edwards
- November 6, 1999 — Host: Dylan McDermott
- February 22, 2003 — Host: Christopher Walken
- November 12, 2005 — Host: Jason Lee
- October 13, 2007 — Host: Jon Bon Jovi
- April 9, 2011 — Host: Helen Mirren
- December 16, 2017 — Host: Kevin Hart
- November 7, 2020 — Host: Dave Chappelle
- October 28, 2023 — Host: Nate Bargatze
6. Beck — 7 appearances
- January 11, 1997 — Host: Kevin Spacey
- January 9, 1999 — Host: Bill Paxton
- December 4, 1999 — Host: Christina Ricci
- February 15, 2003 — Host: Jennifer Garner
- April 16, 2005 — Host: Tom Brady
- October 28, 2006 — Host: Hugh Laurie
- March 1, 2014 — Host: Jim Parsons
7. Eminem — 7 appearances
- October 23, 1999 — Host: Norm Macdonald
- October 7, 2000 — Host: Rob Lowe
- May 11, 2002 — Host: Kirsten Dunst
- October 30, 2004 — Host: Kate Winslet
- December 18, 2010 — Host: Jeff Bridges
- November 2, 2013 — Host: Kerry Washington
- November 18, 2017 — Host: Chance the Rapper
8. Coldplay — 8 appearances
- April 7, 2001 — Host: Alec Baldwin
- May 21, 2005 — Host: Lindsay Lohan
- October 25, 2008 — Host: Jon Hamm
- November 12, 2011 — Host: Emma Stone
- May 3, 2014 — Host: Andrew Garfield
- November 2, 2019 — Host: Kristen Stewart
- February 4, 2023 — Host: Pedro Pascal
- October 5, 2024 — Host: Nate Bargatze
9. Justin Timberlake — 5 appearances
- October 11, 2003 — Host: Justin Timberlake
- December 16, 2006 — Host: Justin Timberlake
- March 9, 2013 — Host: Justin Timberlake
- December 21, 2013 — Host: Jimmy Fallon
- January 27, 2024 — Host: Dakota Johnson
10. Maroon 5 — 5 appearances
- February 21, 2004 — Host: Christina Aguilera
- May 19, 2007 — Host: Zach Braff
- November 5, 2011 — Host: Charlie Day
- November 17, 2012 — Host: Jeremy Renner
- October 4, 2014 — Host: Sarah Silverman
11. Kanye West — 7 appearances
- October 1, 2005 — Host: Steve Carell
- September 29, 2007 — Host: LeBron James
- December 13, 2008 — Host: Hugh Laurie
- October 2, 2010 — Host: Bryan Cranston
- May 18, 2013 — Host: Ben Affleck
- February 13, 2016 — Host: Melissa McCarthy
- September 29, 2018 — Host: Adam Driver
12. Arcade Fire — 6 appearances
- February 24, 2007 — Host: Rainn Wilson
- November 13, 2010 — Host: Scarlett Johansson
- September 28, 2013 — Host: Tina Fey
- March 17, 2018 — Host: Bill Hader
- May 7, 2022 — Host: Benedict Cumberbatch
- May 10, 2025 — Host: Walton Goggins
13. Taylor Swift — 5 appearances
- January 10, 2009 — Host: Neil Patrick Harris
- November 7, 2009 — Host: Taylor Swift
- November 11, 2017 — Host: Tiffany Haddish
- October 5, 2019 — Host: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
- November 13, 2021 — Host: Jonathan Majors
14. Lady Gaga — 5 appearances
- October 3, 2009 — Host: Ryan Reynolds
- May 21, 2011 — Host: Justin Timberlake
- November 16, 2013 — Host: Lady Gaga
- October 22, 2016 — Host: Tom Hanks
- March 8, 2025 — Host: Lady Gaga
15. Rihanna — 5 appearances
- December 5, 2009 — Host: Blake Lively
- October 30, 2010 — Host: Jon Hamm
- May 5, 2012 — Host: Eli Manning
- November 10, 2012 — Host: Anne Hathaway
- May 16, 2015 — Host: Louis C.K.
16. Jack White — 5 appearances
- March 3, 2012 — Host: Lindsay Lohan
- April 14, 2018 — Host: John Mulaney
- October 10, 2020 — Host: Bill Burr
- February 25, 2023 — Host: Woody Harrelson
- April 4, 2026 — Host: Jack Black
17. Miley Cyrus — 6 appearances
- October 5, 2013 — Host: Miley Cyrus
- October 3, 2015 — Host: Miley Cyrus
- November 4, 2017 — Host: Larry David
- December 15, 2018 — Host: Matt Damon
- April 25, 2020 — Host: Kristen Wiig
- May 8, 2021 — Host: Elon Musk
18. The Strokes — 5 appearances
- January 19, 2002 — Host: Jack Black
Performances: “Last Nite” and “Hard to Explain” - January 21, 2006 — Host: Peter Sarsgaard
Performances: “Juicebox” and “You Only Live Once” - March 5, 2011 — Host: Miley Cyrus
Performances: “Under Cover of Darkness” and “Life Is Simple in the Moonlight” - October 31, 2020 — Host: John Mulaney
Performances: “The Adults Are Talking” and “Bad Decisions” - November 7, 2026 — Host: Druski
Performances: “Lonely in the Future” and “Going Shopping”
Photo: SNL / YouTube
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