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From office-life bragging to Christmas chaos and viral pop culture sendups, “SNL” has turned some of the biggest songs into wildly funny sketches. Join us as we count down the most memorable musical parodies from the show, including “Like a Boss,” “Stu,” “I’m Just Pete,” “What Does My Girl Say?,” “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” and more!
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00:03Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most comical, memorable, and well-done song
00:09parodies on SNL.
00:10For this list, we're including parodied versions of specific songs, partial song parodies embedded in a larger sketch, as well
00:17as sketches that parody parts of multiple songs.
00:2620. Summertime – Parodying Summer Nights
00:30This 2004 Grease parody was Jimmy Fallon's final sketch appearance as an SNL cast member.
00:37Summer lovin' caught me a blast. Summer lovin' happened so fast. I met a girl crazy for me.
00:47He, Tina Fey, and other castmates made sure he'd go out on a high note.
00:52Singing a rather faithful rendition of the famous Summer Nights from the musical Grease, Fallon really got into the dancing
00:59part of this sketch.
01:00Tell me more, tell me more, was it love at first sight?
01:04Tell me more, tell me more, did she put up a fight?
01:09The silly movements, facial expressions, and Jimmy moving Fey's glasses gave the performance its parodic flair.
01:16Only making this casting more fitting is the fact that Fey and Fallon co-hosted the Weekend Update segment for
01:22multiple seasons.
01:23What a send-off it was.
01:25The Saturday Night
01:36Number 19. The Barry Gibb Talk Show – Parodying Nights on Broadway
01:41Talk about 70s vibes. The 1975 song Nights on Broadway by the Bee Gees was a hit, making its way
01:48inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
01:51Sure, the band had plenty of other hits, more famous ones at that, but Nights on Broadway was deemed the
01:57ideal intro for this SNL sketch.
01:59Here we are. Tonight, Barry's guests are. In a room full of strangers.
02:08The sketch's title, The Barry Gibb Talk Show, was named after the band's lead singer.
02:12And as always, I'm still gonna talk to ya. Barry's brother Robin. I don't care what you say.
02:22With Jimmy Fallon as Barry and Justin Timberlake as Barry's brother Robin, the duo uses parody lyrics to Nights on
02:29Broadway as the talk show's theme song.
02:31They nailed it. Talking it up. That can definitely get the head bobbing.
02:36Talking it up. I'm jumping it up. I'm not going to get by myself.
02:40I'm not going to get by myself. I'm not going to get by myself.
02:41Checking up by myself.
02:44In this crazy, crazy stuff.
02:50It's rare for the singer of the original song to also be the singer of the parody, but that's the
02:55case in this SNL sketch with Miley Cyrus.
03:06Well, technically she's playing the role of Minnesota rep Michelle Bachman with Taryn Killam as house speaker John Boner.
03:12We did stop, taking from Cyrus' song, We Can't Stop, aired in the midst of the U.S. government shutdown
03:18in October 2013.
03:29And that is what it pokes fun at while satirizing politicians involved in the matter.
03:33The rhythm is true to the original song, and the political twist on the lyrics is clever.
03:38Also, the video draws obvious parallels to the music video for Cyrus' We Can't Stop.
03:43It's raunchy, bizarre, and memorable.
03:54Number 17. Michael Buble Christmas Duet
03:57Parodying Various
03:59While his holiday album, Christmas, was making waves in late 2011, Michael Buble took his talents to SNL for a
04:06mock commercial.
04:08Silence, silence, silence, silence
04:11Holding, holding, holding, holding
04:14Although it's mainly famous musicians being mocked in this case, parts of Christmas songs are also parodied in the process.
04:21That includes Deck the Hulls with Jimmy Fallon as Sting.
04:25Test the season to be jolly
04:28Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-flow
04:31Fa-la-flow, fa-la-la-flow
04:33Yeah, he really takes that fa-la-la-la-la
04:36in a direction you don't typically hear.
04:39We also hear Nassim Pedrad as M.I.A. take part in a parody Christmas jingle of Up on the
04:44Rooftop.
04:45Then there's Abby Elliott as Kesha hilariously changing the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas.
04:50Eight maids a-milking
04:52Seven dudes a-puking
04:54And that's not even all.
04:55The sketch distorts a whole batch of Christmas classics in the funniest way possible.
05:00Hey little Jesus, you just a baby
05:02You ride a donkey
05:04I'm your Mercedes
05:05Jesus, I'm so much better than you
05:08Number 16. Anniversary Song
05:11Parodying, see you when you get there
05:13In many cases, song parodies can also be perceived as homages.
05:18In this case, it kind of seems that way.
05:20Especially since this tune is being used as an anniversary song.
05:24Now I see places and faces and things you ain't never thought of thinking
05:27You ain't peepin' then, hey you must be drinkin'
05:30And smokin'
05:31Presented not to be lookin'
05:32But you broke it
05:33Let me get you home
05:34The funniest aspect of the anniversary song sketch with Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig
05:38Is the unexpected turn it takes.
05:41What begins sounding like a classical music performance transitions into a famous 90s hip-hop tune,
05:46See you when you get there by Coolio
05:48Standing up for something
05:49I'll lay down in your game
05:51Listen to the song that we sang
05:53It's up to you to make it be
05:55I guess I'll see you
05:57And y'all see me
05:58Jonah Hill shows off the bars in a performance that's rather faithful to the lyrics of the actual song.
06:03Wiig's reactions, plus the incorporation of backup singers, take this thing to another level.
06:09Props to the orchestra, too.
06:10In the end, Wiig joining Hill for the interlude and outro is awesome.
06:15I'll see you
06:19When you get there
06:21When you get there
06:25I'll see you
06:29When you get there
06:32When you get there
06:3415. Now that's what I call Christmas
06:37Parodying Various
06:39There's a long list of songs and artists parodied in this 2013 sketch
06:44That includes the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Waka Waka This Time for Africa by Shakira with
06:51Kate McKinnon as the Colombian Superstar
07:01Plus you got Jay Pharoah's hilarious rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as DMX. Nailed it!
07:15We're also gifted a creative and well executed parody of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus with Bobby Moynihan as
07:22Andrea Bocelli. It's pure gold.
07:25Throughout this sketch, Jimmy Fallon portrays multiple celebs, but we'll shout out his last, a parody of Pitbull's I Know
07:32You Want Me Calle Ocho.
07:34This musical sketch has a lot of great parodying going on. Bravo!
07:4814. Magical Mysteries Parodying Miracles
07:53The 2010 song Miracles by Insane Clown Posse sparked countless internet memes and gained so much steam that an SNL
08:01parody music video was in the cards.
08:03The world is full of magical mysteries. Puzzles unsolved since ancient history. Where does the sun hide at night? Did
08:11people really used to live in black and white?
08:13The original song basically highlights the magic of everyday things and that aspects of life we may perceive as ordinary
08:19are actually extraordinary.
08:21Nice message, yes, but it's an unusual delivery with mockable lyrics. Combine that with its bizarre psychedelic music video and
08:30people were really clowning on it, including SNL.
08:42Instead of Miracles, the SNL version is called Magical Mysteries. And instead of Insane Clown Posse, it's Thriller Killer Clowns.
08:50In the song parody, they ask hilarious, ridiculous questions about everyday things, clearly poking fun at the original tune. The
08:58mimicking of the music video is on point, too.
09:0813. Baby Blue Ivy Parodying Holocene
09:16In this 2012 sketch, various celebs visited Beyoncé and Jay-Z's house to see their new baby. There are multiple
09:23funny moments, but for this list, we're of course focusing on song parodies. And at the end of this sketch,
09:29we get a brilliant one from Justin Timberlake.
09:31Somewhere baby falls asleep, it's Blue Ivy
09:35The parents are Beyoncé and Jay-Z
09:43He performs a parody of Holocene by Bon Iver as a lullaby for the baby. He's got the tone, the
09:49pitch, and the rhythm down, no doubt about it.
09:52Baby like old ferris wheel gravy
09:58And the way JT incorporates the names of Blue Ivy, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z is so smooth. The fact that
10:05he puts himself to sleep in the process is just the icing on the cake of this amazing parody.
10:13Oh no! Bon Iver put himself to sleep!
10:1712. Tidal
10:19Parodying Various
10:20What incredible talent on display here. In this 2016 sketch, SNL spoofs music streaming service Tidal for its streaming issues.
10:2912. Tidal
10:39After the power goes off and the company is in danger of losing music, an intern, played by Ariana Grande,
10:45steps up to the plate.
10:46She does her best impersonations of multiple iconic singers, Britney Spears, Shakira, Rihanna, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston.
10:55And wow, they're quite good.
11:08At some points, she seems to exaggerate and sort of dramatize. Yet, at times, these performances almost sound like not
11:15just parodies or covers, but full-on impressions.
11:18There were nights when the wind was so cold. Let my body frozen bed at night. Listen to it right
11:30upside the window.
11:32Shall we go for it?
11:3311. Tucci Gang
11:35Parodying Gucci Gang
11:37This musical parody sketch is also a tribute to an actor.
11:41This is for our boy, Stanley.
11:44Let's get it!
11:45Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang.
11:49Some of you don't know the names, but that's that guy from The Hunger Games.
11:53Tucci Gang, a parody of Lil Pump's 2017 viral hit, Gucci Gang, is about Stanley Tucci, who, as Pete Davidson
12:01sings to us, is in film franchises including The Hunger Games and Transformers, among other things.
12:06The song provides a background on Tucci while highlighting his accomplishments over the backdrop of a music video that closely
12:13resembles the Gucci Gang music video.
12:23Davidson also argues that Tucci is underrated and that he deserves more respect.
12:28Tucci himself told Seth Meyers he was flattered by it.
12:32The parody does a great job of mirroring the original and the fact that Tucci rhymes with Gucci obviously helps.
12:38If you didn't know the name, now you do.
12:40Beauty and the Beast and Spotlight
12:42Tucci, writer and director of Big Night
12:44Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang, Tucci Gang
12:4710. UFC 308
12:50Parodying It's All Coming Back to Me Now
12:52This one is ruthless, but also quite funny.
13:02The great impressionist Ariana Grande takes on the role of Celine Dion in this UFC promo that aired on SNL
13:09in 2024.
13:10She sings a rendition of the famous tune It's All Coming Back to Me Now, but with much more violent
13:16and unsettling lyrics, highlighting the violence of UFC in a satirical way.
13:25The words are well chosen, and Grande's voice is exceptional.
13:29The contrast of those powerful soothing vocals with the actual brutality of the words themselves makes for one excellent parody.
13:36But it's all coming back to me now
13:44I am Celine Dion for the UFC
13:489. Bridesmaid Speech
13:51Parodying Espresso
13:53Domingo took SNL by storm with the Bridesmaid Speech sketch in 2024.
13:57The Bridesmaids wanted a celebration
14:02So we took a trip, bachelorette vacation
14:06But before he even enters the room, we get a performance from four bridesmaids played by Ariana Grande, Heidi Gardner,
14:14Egon Wodum, and Sarah Sherman.
14:16Sure, it doesn't sound too good
14:19It's not meant to
14:20But that doesn't mean it's not a good and memorable song parody
14:23Now we're back in the house
14:26In the hot tub
14:27She's there with Domingo
14:29Ask her to leave
14:30Get a hotel
14:31She's vibing with Domingo
14:33To the tune of Sabrina Carpenter's catchy hit Espresso, the women sing about their bachelorette trip, while raising some serious
14:41concerns for the groom about the bride having cheated on him with another man.
14:45That would be Domingo, of course
14:47It's an absurd laughable song, but it's just what the sketch required to make its mark
14:52Came all this way
14:53Had to explain
14:54Direct from Domingo
14:57Kelsey's a friend
14:58She's like my sis
14:59But we did hook up though
15:01Number 8
15:02We Are The World 3
15:03Raising awareness of the We Are The World 2 disaster
15:07Parodying We Are The World
15:09It's a bit bold to do a parody of a famous charity anthem like this
15:13But SNL was willing to go there of course
15:16There comes a time
15:18When we heed a certain call
15:21And the world
15:23Must come together as one
15:26There's a huge cast for this We Are The World parody sketch
15:29Including Jennifer Lopez as Rihanna
15:32Kristen Wiig as Gwen Stefani
15:33Nassim Pedrad as Shakira
15:35Bill Hader as Eddie Vedder
15:37And Will Forte as Willie Nelson
15:39And more
15:57Lyrics are changed for comedic effect, impressions are plentiful, and the satire of the large-scaled recording session is well
16:05done
16:05A musical performance with that many people involved is no easy feat
16:09But SNL pulled it off while giving us some laughs along the way
16:13And that's why it lands on our list
16:15It all makes sense now
16:17We are the world
16:20We are the world
16:21We'll do it the first time
16:25Number 7
16:26Ebony and Ivory
16:27Parodying Ebony and Ivory
16:29Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder's 1982 song about racial harmony topped the charts in a multitude of countries
16:36Just two months after Ebony and Ivory came out, it was parodied on SNL
16:43Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect
16:52Side by side
16:53Stevie, Stevie, hold on, hold on, Stevie
16:55Now something tells me that this is more than a song about playing the piano
16:59Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo teamed up for this piano duet
17:03Piscopo actually takes on the role of Frank Sinatra
17:06Who was very involved in civil rights activism as a vocal proponent of racial equality
17:11You are black
17:13I am white
17:15Life's an Eskimo pie
17:17Let's take a bite
17:19The SNL rendition of the song about racial harmony has much more direct and blunt lyrics than the original
17:25Add in the chemistry between Piscopo and Murphy and this musical parody sketch is one of the more memorable ones
17:31from the early 80's era of SNL
17:33Perfect harmony
17:35We're talking salt and pepper
17:37Sammy and Dean
17:39Stevie and me are peachy keen
17:43Number 6
17:44Airport Sushi
17:45Parodying Various
17:47Even the cashier questions a customer's decision to purchase sushi at the airport in this 2020 sketch
17:53And dreams it's haunting you
17:56That fish you ate
18:00The expiration date
18:03Is N18
18:05If that wasn't enough of a warning
18:07In comes Kenan Thompson in quite the eye-catching costume to sing about the Phantom of the Bathroom
18:13A parody of the Phantom of the Opera
18:15Cecily Strong only adds to the comedic musical showcase
18:19Later Kate McKinnon dressed in an Auntie Anne's apron sings a comical rendition of Tomorrow
18:24I know some of it was Mike Bloomberg
18:28But it still feels like de Blasio is to blame
18:35And Jake Gyllenhaal performs a hilarious parody of Wicked's Defying Gravity
18:40He seems very, very open to being searched extensively by TSA
18:45I enjoy security
18:49You can search way up in my cavity
18:55You can't pat me down
18:58For the fantastic finale, David Byrne turned his talking head song Road to Nowhere into Plain to Nowhere
19:05We didn't even name all the song parodying in this awesome sketch
19:09You're on a plane to nowhere
19:13Come on inside
19:17They say it's about to take off
19:21That is a lie
19:23Number 5
19:24What Does My Girl Say?
19:26Parodying The Fox
19:28What Does The Fox Say?
19:30This electronic dance song went viral in 2013
19:33The Fox, What Does The Fox Say?
19:35Was instantly infectious, memorable, and for many, annoying
19:39But it's all of that as a combination that made it prime material for a fun SNL parody
19:45But there's one sound that y'all should know
19:50What does my girl say?
19:52YANG YANG YANG YANG YANG YANG
19:55Instead of What Does The Fox Say?
19:58J Pharo asks, What Does My Girl Say?
20:00And rather than singing about animal sounds
20:03He sings about his girlfriend's jealousy and how she's badgering him about his phone
20:07What does my girl say?
20:09You done, you done messed up now.
20:11You done, you done messed up now.
20:13You done, you done messed up now.
20:15After Kerry Washington turns the tables as the girlfriend who suspects her boyfriend has been cheating,
20:20the question becomes, what does my guy say?
20:23And things only get funnier.
20:25Farrow and Washington bounce off each other brilliantly.
20:28They kill it.
20:29What does my guy say?
20:31Please don't, please don't, please don't go.
20:32Please don't, please don't, please don't go.
20:34You pay, you pay for my phone.
20:36I really don't, don't, don't need him.
20:38Number 4.
20:39I'm Just Pete.
20:41Parodying I'm Just Ken.
20:42Barbie was one of the defining pop culture phenomena of 2023.
20:47The buildup to its release coinciding with Oppenheimer was massive.
20:51While the Barbie soundtrack has multiple notable tunes,
20:55the one we associate with Ryan Gosling's Ken is I'm Just Ken.
20:59A few months after people first heard that song at the movie theater,
21:02Pete Davidson parodied it while mocking his own personal life.
21:19He's joked about himself a lot before, that's for sure.
21:22The presentation as a music video captures the essence of the movie scene,
21:27as Pete makes fun of himself in various ways,
21:29some harsher than others.
21:31I'm just Pete, my dating life is not discreet.
21:36I generate tons of publicity for everything except my comedy.
21:44And in the end, there's even a reference to an actual incident
21:47where he crashed his car into a house.
21:49It's a really well done parody.
21:51I deleted all my accounts online
21:55Cause the doctors said the internet wasn't good for me
22:01Number 3. Sunday Night Football Theme Song
22:05Parodying Waiting All Day for Sunday Night
22:08Once that theme song for Sunday Night Football comes on,
22:12you know it's almost game time.
22:13Football touchdowns Sunday night
22:17The tough get rough in a primetime fight
22:21Back in 2010, Faith Hill was the singer of the intro.
22:25That year, Saturday Night Live poked fun at it in an epic fashion
22:29with Jane Lynch as the singer.
22:30Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader as announcers
22:33only add to the comedy of Lynch's musical performance
22:36with their hilarious reactions.
22:48From the get-go, Lynch shows off her vocals
22:51and makes it clear she was the ideal choice for this part.
22:55Every time the announcers make it seem the theme song is over
22:57and that they've had enough, Lynch just keeps going.
23:01Eventually, she even starts singing about nachos.
23:03This song parody blends satire, randomness, and silliness beautifully.
23:20Number 2. Stew Parodying Stan
23:23This Christmas-themed parody hit the air
23:26two decades after Eminem's 2000 song Stan came out.
23:30It was worth the wait,
23:31and Pete Davidson was just the guy for the part.
23:35Dear Santa, I can't believe the year is almost over.
23:37It's getting colder, I'm a year older, but I'm still your soldier.
23:41You're my hero, cause you always bring me the assist.
23:43So once again, we're back to zero.
23:45Here we go, my Christmas list.
23:47Eminem's Stan is about an obsessive and increasingly angry fan
23:50who writes numerous aggressive letters to the rapper.
23:53Davidson's parody is also about aggressive letters
23:56and an increasingly angry stan of sorts.
23:58My girl thinks that I'm obsessed.
24:00I even got a tattoo of your name across my chest.
24:03Just bring that PS5, bro.
24:04If it's the only thing you do, sincerely, you're Stu.
24:07P.S. We should live together, too.
24:09However, in this case, it centers on a boy named Stu
24:12whose letters are directed toward Santa Claus.
24:15This kid really wants a PlayStation 5 for Christmas.
24:18Like, really wants one.
24:20I guess even the great Saint Nick can't track down a PS5.
24:23Hey, Santa, I drank the fifth to Egg Dog.
24:25Dare me to drive?
24:26You ruined Christmas.
24:28I wish I never told you what was on my wish list.
24:30Screw you, you elves, you stupid beard.
24:32The dark comedy sketch masterfully draws parallels
24:34to the settings, outfits, and character in the Stan music video.
24:38Slim Shady even makes a cameo.
24:41The lyrics here are creative, funny, and fitting.
24:44What's this?
24:45To Shady from Santa.
24:47That's crazy.
24:48A PS5?
24:49I didn't even ask for this.
24:51I guess Shady must have been a good boy this year.
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25:10Boom.
25:11I can make an apology video.
25:13Oh, you so would.
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25:20Number one.
25:21Like a Boss
25:22Parodying Like a Boss
25:24The Lonely Island has had a number of hits air on SNL,
25:28but in terms of song parodies in which a specific pre-existing song is parodied,
25:33Like a Boss is the cream of the crop.
25:35Talk to corporate, approve memos, lead a workshop, remember birthdays, direct workflow, my own bathroom.
25:44It's inspired by Slim Thug's tune of the same title.
25:47In this SNL digital short, a businessman, played by Andy Samberg,
25:52raps about daily office life and the crazy, over-the-top,
25:55and extremely unprofessional things that go on in his life as a boss.
25:59Cry deeply, demand a refund, eat a bagel, harassment lawsuit, no promotion, fit the vodka.
26:08It only gets more out of pocket as it goes.
26:11It's explicit, explosive, and hilarious.
26:14And it's quite the memorable spin-off of the 2004 tune.
26:17I'm the boss.
26:18Yeah, I know.
26:19I got that.
26:20You said that 400 times.
26:21I'm the boss.
26:22Yeah, yeah, I got it.
26:23I'm the boss.
26:24Okay, great, I heard you.
26:25Bye.
26:26Which of these song parodies do you find most catchy?
26:29Let us know in the comments.
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