“Saturday Night Live” began broadcasting in 1975 under the title “NBC’s Saturday Night.” Since its inception, SNL has been focused on comedy in many forms: parody, satire, slapstick, and outright absurd characters. The greatest skits in SNL history can leave viewers wheezing with laughter. Our list of the top seven best SNL skits of all time is a collection of some of the most hilarious moments in broadcast history.
As mentioned above, the inaugural season of SNL launched in 1975. The first season cast included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. These people would go on to become towering legends of SNL, creating some of the funniest characters of all time. The Coneheads, Rosanne Rosanna Danna, and The Blues Brothers were all iconic characters that are still remembered fondly today.
Since that first season, SNL has featured a rotating cast of comedians and has featured over 164 cast members. These comedy troupes wrote scenes and scenarios that used laughter to address social anxiety. In 1977, when Bill Murray joined the cast, he was featured in a skit called “Swill” that showed domestic bottled mineral water from Lake Erie. The bottled water was viscous and filled with debris. The serious problem of pollution in the Great Lakes of North America was addressed through satire, but also created awareness of the issue.
The iconic “Weekend Update” segment is one of the most prominent examples of comedy news. Real headlines were lampooned and classic anchors like Chevy Chase would skewer the week’s current events. This would also create a sense of timeliness with each episode. As the years passed, SNL would grow to become not only a catalogue of comedy. SNL is also a record of life in America. It showcases styles, musical guests, and jokes that highlight the zeitgeist of an era.
There are tragic times when we laugh so that we don’t cry. Other times we make merry and laugh until tears flow. Our sources helped us recall the best SNL skits in the show’s ongoing history as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2024. Let us know your favorite SNL sketches in the comments below!
The List: Best SNL Skits, According to Viewers
1. “More Cowbell”
At the top of the list amongst our sources is this classic scene. Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell push a gag as far as it will go. “This sketch takes place in 1976 at Sunshine Studios. It centers around Blue Oyster Cult’s classic hit ‘Don’t Fear (the Reaper)’ led by actors Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle and Christopher Walken as producer Bruce Dickinson,” praises HNHH.
ScreenRant raves, “The punchline of the skit is that Dickinson keeps demanding that the song has more cowbell. If Walken saying, ‘I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell’ doesn’t make someone laugh, then seeing Ferrell dance with his belly hanging out while banging a cowbell certainly will.”
“In this parody of ‘Behind the Music,’ Blue Öyster Cult is about to record their hit song ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper,’ but their producer Bruce Dickinson (played by Christopher Walken) demands their cowbell player Gene Frenkle (played by Will Ferrell) to play louder,” exclaims whatNerd.
2. “Wild & Crazy Guys”
Featuring Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, this famous bit is a 1970s time-capsule. Hairy chests and overflowing swagger are part of this skit’s charm. BestLife says, “[Martin and Aykroyd] are two immigrants hoping to make time with some beautiful American foxes. They’re pretty confident in their chances too, given that, according to Yortuk [Martin], ‘there are no other pair of Czech brothers who cruise and swing so successfully in tight slacks.’”
ScreenRant describes, “The brothers were always looking to pick up some ladies, but the swingers weren’t always successful with women. The characters appeared multiple times on the show, most recently in 2013 when Justin Timberlake hosted the show.”
E!News elaborates, “Some of Saturday Night Live’s greatest players included Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, whose recurring Festrunk Brothers characters always made us laugh as they tried (and failed) to pick up women. Plus, their catchphrase was insanely quotable.”
3. “Matt Foley: Van Down By The River”
Chris Farley took his signature style of slapstick and created an iconic character in Matt Foley. Foley is a down-on-his-luck man who inevitably crashes through walls and tables. Rolling Stone comments, “Beyond Odenkirk’s vivid storyline and Farley’s honest portrayal, Foley was the single best use of the manic energy stored inside SNL’s greatest physical comedian since John Belushi; a bundle of twitches, tics, throat-busting yells, and extreme pratfalls that made Chevy Chase look like Baryshnikov.”
E!News adds, “One of Saturday Night Live’s all-time greats was Chris Farley, whose physical comedy made sketches like ‘Chippendales Audition’ some of the best in the series’ history. However, in our book, Farley’s best was when he played Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who tries to scare kids straight lest they end up ‘living in a van down by the river!’”
ScreenRant details, “When Brian (David Spade) and Stacy’s (Christina Applegate) parents find a bag of marijuana, they bring in a motivational speaker to set them on the right path. Farley, being his energetic self, comes running up the stairs and introduces himself, telling the kids that he lives in a van down by the river. He is a hilariously aggressive motivational speaker and while he may not be the best motivator, the skit turned into one of the best SNL skits to date.”
4. “Celebrity Jeopardy”
“Celebrity Jeopardy” is a long-running skit that has involved celebrities playing other celebrities for years. Often offering inane caricatures of the famous, these sketches always garner guffaws. GameRant explains, “It could be the funniest skit in SNL history. Other lists on the internet discuss the same subject, and it’s a guarantee that this SNL skit is on all of them. Celebrity Jeopardy is beloved by fans… and the laughs don’t quit.”
MovieWeb offers, “This sketch pokes fun at how silly celebrities are at Celebrity Jeopardy in real life while also layering on the idea that they are celebrities who could very easily play themselves, but instead choose to portray other stars. This sketch is so absurd, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t even crack a smile at their antics.”
whatNerd states “One of the most common elements of any SNL episode is the use of celebrity impressions. The ‘Celebrity Jeopardy’ spoof features Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek struggling with celebrity contestants who disrupt the game with their ego or ignorance.”
5. “David S. Pumpkins”
This skit is not particularly witty, clever, or thought provoking. Instead, it is a celebration of silly, slap-happy humor starring Tom Hanks. BuzzFeed claims, “Call it played, but this sketch has to be No. 1 on this list. It’s absurd, funny, and now a Halloween staple. The sketch builds each moment and never fizzles out. I imagine it’s not everyone’s humor, but it feels very much what an SNL sketch is supposed to be.”
ScreenRant relates, “Hanks plays the character David S. Pumpkins, who isn’t exactly frightening like the other floors of fright. David S. Pumpkins is accompanied by two skeleton dancers, played by Bobby Moynihan and Mikey Day. The skit is relatively new compared to others, but it’s an unforgettably hilarious one with a character who has returned every Halloween since 2016.”
“The ‘David S. Pumpkins’ sketches have perplexing appeal—so much so that even Tom Hanks doubted them. But they work! Everyone loves the sheer randomness of Tom Hanks in a curly wig and Halloween coat,” reviews whatNerd.
6. “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood”
Eddie Murphy created one of the funniest skits in SNL history. It satirized the very real problems of poverty and systemic racism in America. ScreenRant offers this opinion, “One of his best SNL skits was ‘Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood.’ The skit parodied the famous show ‘Mister Roger’s Neighborhood’ starring Fred Rogers. Instead of teaching children life lessons, Mr. Robinson was a criminal who often taught children about illegal things like shoplifting.”
HNHH asserts, “Whenever Eddie Murphy made an appearance, it meant a flurry of hilarity and mirth. While today we revere him as one of the most accomplished comedic actors in history, back in 1984 he was just starting out. His ‘Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood’ sketch parodying ‘Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood’ featured the comic genius at his prime.”
“Eddie Murphy was a standout during his time at SNL, and with him came memorable characters like Buckwheat, Velvet Jones, Gumby, and Mister Robinson—who was his funniest SNL creation,” evaluates whatNerd.
7. “Wayne’s World”
“Wayne’s World” is one of the most successful SNL skits to become a movie. Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey displayed a rare synergy with this iconic comic duo. Complex compliments, “Unlike other celebrated SNL sketches that took a nosedive once they hit the big screen, the ‘Wayne’s World’ movies are classics to this day: They had characters strong enough to carry them and quotes hysterical enough to keep fans echoing them decades after the 1992 premiere.”
ScreenRant provides context, “Mike Myers was at one point one of the most sought-after comedians in Hollywood and like many actors, Saturday Night Live really launched his career. Myers had many different characters on the show, but his most famous was Wayne Campbell… co-host of a public-access cable show along with Garth Algar (Dana Carvey). The skit was so well received that it was given two feature-length films starring Myers and Carvey.”
whatNerd articulates, “Just the sheer party-ready excitement from the cheerful Wayne and the coy Garth makes every segment of theirs unforgettable. Throw in their signature catchphrases and you have a skit that defined SNL.”
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“Jane, you ignorant slut….”
Nov.1975-LMAO!
Shirley, you can’t be serious; no early years??? The Blues Brothers skits (before the movie), Samurai xxx skits, The Bassomatic skit, Julia Childs skit, Mainway Toys consumer probe of unsafe toys (The bag of glass is my favorite. Kept my toddlers occupied for hours, even learning how to play doctor – for real. Well yeah, the screaming could be distracting at times. But that’s what the volume dial on the stereo is for). One last; the recurring Steve Martin skits.
What?!?!? What about The Continental?
‘White Like Me’ (Eddie Murphy)
‘Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute’ (Dan Aykroyd)
… and just in time for Christmas …
‘Schweddy Balls’ (Alec Baldwin)