00:00Ladies and gentlemen, Sir Paul McCartney.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the best Paul McCartney moments on SNL,
00:11taking into account context, timing, and his overall performance.
00:21Number 10, The Platinum Lounge.
00:24Mr. Baldwin, you're wanted in the studio.
00:33With Alec Baldwin hosting on this November night in 2006,
00:37two comedic greats in Steve Martin and Martin Short joined him in a sketch called The Platinum Lounge.
00:43And then came musical great Paul McCartney, marking his first appearance on SNL in 13 years.
00:49This was shortly after the release of his fourth classical album, Eke Cormeum.
00:53The Beatles legend was not actually the musical guest on Saturday Night Live that night.
00:57Christina Aguilera was.
00:59But clearly, the crowd was excited to see him, even if just for a brief cameo.
01:04Again, just the three of us.
01:07So, can you get our car so I can talk to Paul?
01:09Absolutely.
01:12Number 9, Monologue Appearance with Paul Rudd.
01:15Most of all, they were just screaming my name.
01:18Paul, Paul, Paul.
01:20It was an incredible experience.
01:27On December 11th, 2010, Paul Rudd hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time.
01:32During his monologue, he talked about people chanting his name outside before the show.
01:37Once he started making comments that were song titles by the Beatles,
01:40it became clear a different Paul was being referenced.
01:44Paul McCartney.
01:45And then the man himself appeared on stage to a warm reception.
01:48Soon, two Pauls became three once SNL cast member Paul Britton arrived.
01:53Wow, thank you so much.
01:54No disrespect, man.
01:55I'm just glad we cleared up this whole Paul business.
01:58Yo, yo, yo.
01:59Featured player, Paul Britton is in the mother freaking house.
02:03With all due respect, McCartney's probably the most famous Paul of all.
02:08And it was certainly cool to see him help the show get going.
02:11Anyway, we've got a great show.
02:13All sorts of Pauls are here.
02:16Stick around.
02:20Number 8, Wonderful Christmastime.
02:22The feeling's here.
02:25Not only comes.
02:28It's time to be here.
02:29Along with the New York City Children's Chorus and his core backing band,
02:33Paul McCartney got us excited for Christmas in the last SNL episode of 2012.
02:38Of course, that was by performing his 1979 holiday classic, Wonderful Christmastime.
02:43This episode as a whole had plenty of Christmas energy.
02:46That included the pageant audition sketch,
02:49which featured the duo of Paul McCartney and Martin Short.
02:52Just be quiet.
02:53You're not to sing right now.
02:55Today.
02:56Now, do you remember your cue?
02:58Yes.
02:59Excellent.
02:59The latter's character insisted McCartney's character couldn't sing.
03:03Yeah, right.
03:04Ultimately, this sketch led into McCartney's performance of Wonderful Christmastime.
03:08That earns the spot on our list,
03:10because it's what everyone was waiting for.
03:13Slipping, having a wonderful Christmas time.
03:18Number 7, First Live Musical Performance on SNL.
03:22Ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney.
03:30Less than two weeks after his 1993 album Off the Ground came out,
03:35Paul McCartney was on SNL promoting it with performances of Get Out of My Way and Biker Like an Icon.
03:40But it was actually an iconic throwback song that was the highlight of his musical guest appearance.
03:57We're talking about the Beatles' Hey Jude, which came out in 1968, 25 years before this Saturday Night Live episode.
04:04This was McCartney's first live, in-studio performance on the show,
04:08and it only felt right that he performed one of his all-time biggest hits.
04:21Number 6, Cut Me Some Slack.
04:23Once again, Paul McCartney.
04:35Paul McCartney and former Nirvana members Dave Grohl,
04:38Chris Novoselic, and Pat Smear first performed this song on December 12, 2012,
04:43at a benefit concert in response to Hurricane Sandy.
04:46A few days later, they performed it on Saturday Night Live.
04:50Cut Me Some Slack would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2014.
04:54During this 2012 SNL episode, McCartney also sang his 2011 tune, My Valentine.
05:00And she was right, this love of mine, my Valentine.
05:09But the performance with former Nirvana members gets the spot on our list,
05:12as that was a truly special moment,
05:15considering the rarity and unexpectedness of that collaboration.
05:26Number 5, Maybe I'm Amazed at SNL 40.
05:30A band came out of England, you know, and it changed the world.
05:35But enough about the Rolling Stones.
05:37Ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney.
05:42The Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special was a three-and-a-half-hour event
05:46that had tons of guests and several musical performances.
05:50Paul McCartney made his mark on the historic night
05:52with a performance of Maybe I'm Amazed from his 1970 debut solo album.
06:07It's a track that's five years older than Saturday Night Live.
06:11It was fitting for this honorary episode to include a legendary musical guest
06:15whose solo career took off the same decade that SNL started.
06:18McCartney showcased his famous vocals and piano playing
06:21in a lovely display of nostalgia and celebration.
06:25And I'm amazed, I'm amazed with you.
06:41Number 4, The Chris Farley Show Appearance.
06:44Remember when you went to Japan and at the airport they arrested you
06:51because you had some pot?
06:53It wasn't all singing for Paul McCartney during his February 13, 1993 musical guest appearance.
06:59Among other things, he was paired up with one of SNL's all-time greats in Chris Farley,
07:03making for arguably the singer's most memorable sketch moment.
07:06The host of The Chris Farley Show sure was giddy to see him,
07:10asking silly questions in typical funny Farley ways,
07:13and highlighting various aspects of the singer's career.
07:16You remember when you were with the Beatles?
07:19And you were supposed to be dead?
07:22And, uh...
07:24McCartney's composure was pretty impressive.
07:26Just seeing these two together,
07:28comedy legend and music legend, was special.
07:31And looking back, it only feels that much more so.
07:35God dang it!
07:36Oh, stupid!
07:38I knew I threw that out.
07:40You did fine, you did fine, Chris.
07:43Number 3, The Coming Up Music Video Premiere.
07:46Well, the pants hitting the window didn't work.
07:49My serenade didn't even work.
07:51But I know this is gonna work.
07:53Rock!
07:55Rock!
08:02The first time Paul McCartney appeared on Saturday Night Live
08:05was just five years into the show's existence.
08:07His 1980 appearance included being a part of a Weekend Update exclusive report segment,
08:13in which Father Guido Sarducci interviews McCartney outside his home,
08:17asking marijuana-related questions,
08:19referring to his then-recent arrest in Japan.
08:21If you were still smoking,
08:23do you think it would have taken longer or shorter?
08:28Of course, it might have taken longer.
08:29You know, it might have seemed shorter and that, but, uh...
08:33But I don't see that that matters.
08:35But what gets the spot on our list is the music video for Coming Up,
08:38which made its premiere on Saturday Night Live that night.
08:41To use this platform to provide the first glance
08:44and listen for people throughout the United States was innovative.
08:54Number 2. Musical Performance
08:57Ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney.
09:11The nostalgia was in full effect for Paul McCartney's 2010 musical guest appearance on SNL.
09:16He performed Jet, Band on the Run, A Day in the Life, Get Back,
09:21and John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance.
09:34All of which originated before Saturday Night Live even began in 1975.
09:39This musical guest appearance took place 17 years after his previous one on the show,
09:43so it sure had been a long time coming.
09:46And McCartney delivered.
09:48This performance was longer, better, and more memorable,
09:51while feeling like a celebration of some of his finest work.
09:54Get back, get back, get back to where you once belong
10:06Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album Balance,
10:11classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
10:14Check out the full track and album below.
10:17Gold by silence, guilt by his prayer
10:21I am the echo, you can't outrun the jokes on you
10:27The blade's begun
10:31Number 1. Closeout Performance at SNL 50
10:35Once there was a way
10:39To get back home
10:43The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special
10:46was a lengthy, star-studded celebration.
10:48And in the end, Paul McCartney was the man to cap it all off.
10:52It was an amazing way to close out the big night.
10:55The timeless musician delivered an epic medley performance
10:58of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight,
11:00and the end from the 1969 Beatles album Abbey Road.
11:04I never give you my pillow
11:10I only send you my invitations
11:16SNL 50 took place in 2025,
11:19meaning the album preceded it by over five and a half decades.
11:23McCartney showed us that not only do the poetic lyrics remain powerful,
11:26but so does his voice.
11:54What do you think is Paul McCartney's most underrated work?
11:57Let us know in the comments.
Comments