Live from New York!Lists about Saturday Night Live cast members, hosts, musical acts, and backstage antics of America's favorite sketch comedy series, airing from 30 Rockefeller Plaza since 1975.
Updated May 21, 2020 6.7K votes 954 voters 69.8K views
List of the best seasons of Saturday Night Live, listed from best to worst with pictures of DVD covers when available. Hardcore fans of the series often argue over what the greatest season of Saturday Night Live is, which is exactly why this ranked list was created. SNL fans will also enjoy celebrities rejected by Saturday Night Live and best SNL cast members who were fired after one season. This list of the best Saturday Night Live seasons has been voted on by Saturday Night Live fans from around the world, so the order of the seasons isn't just one person's opinion.
Each season of Saturday Night Live has at least one memorable episode - and at least one annual sketch that became an all-timer - so it isn't necessarily easy to figure out what the top season is. Is your favorite season of Saturday Night Livenot as high as it should be? Be sure to vote it up so it rises to the top. If you want to answer the questions, "What is the best season of Saturday Night Live?" and "Which season of Saturday Night Live is the best?" then this list will have you covered.
You may copy this fact-based list to build your own just like it, re-rank it to fit your opinions, then publish it to share it on Facebook, Twitter or any other social sites you frequent. Then check out the best episodes of the current season of SNL so you can be ready to decide its place in this list.
The sixteenth season of Saturday Night Live premiered on Sept. 29, 1990 and contains 20 episodes. Cast members for this season include: Mike Myers, Chris Farley and Chris Rock.
This season welcomed several great hosts including: Patrick Swayze, Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin.
Memorable moments from Season 16 include:
- Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze fight to become Chippendales' dancers. - Paul Simon, Steve Martin, and Elliott Gould welcome Tom Hanks to the five-timers club. - Adam Sandler makes his first appearance.
The fifteenth season of Saturday Night Live premiered on September 30, 1989 and contains 20 episodes. Cast members for this season include Mike Myers, Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey.
This season welcomed several great hosts including: Bruce Willis, Ed O'Neill and Quincy Jones.
Memorable moments from Season 15 include:
- Nora Dunn and Sinéad O'Connor boycott host Andrew Dice Clay. - Aerosmith visits "Wayne's World". - David Spade makes his first appearance.
The seventeenth season of Saturday Night Live premiered on September 28, 1991 and contains 20 episodes. Cast members for this season include: Chris Farley, Adam Sandler and David Spade.
This season welcomed several great hosts including: Michael Jordan, Linda Hamilton and John Goodman.
Memorable moments from Season 17 include:
- Chris Farley debuts "The Chris Farley Show". - Nirvana performs "Smells Like Teen Spirit". - Madonna and Barbra Streisand appear on "Coffee Talk".
The first season of Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975 and contains 24 episodes. Cast members for this season include: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Gilda Radner.
This season welcomed several great hosts including: George Carlin, Candice Bergen and Elliott Gould.
Memorable moments from Season 1 include:
- Andy Kaufman debuts his "Foreign Man" character. - Chevy Chase debuts his Gerald Ford impression. - John Belushi performs as Joe Cocker.
The twenty-fifth season of Saturday Night Live premiered on September 25, 1999 and contains 20 episodes. Cast members for this season include: Jimmy Fallon, Colin Quinn and Chris Kattan.
This season welcomes several great hosts including: Jerry Seinfeld, Garth Brooks and Christopher Walken.
Memorable moments from Sesaon 25 include:
- Christopher Walken requesting "more cowbell". - Jerry Seinfeld gets sent to "Oz". - Trey Anastasio plays with Kid Rock.
The third season of Saturday Night Live premiered on September 24, 1977 and contains 20 episodes. Cast members for this season include: Gilda Radner, John Belushi and Lorraine Newman.
This season welcomed several great hosts including: Ray Charles, Michael Palin and Richard Dreyfuss.
Memorable moments from Season 3 include:
- Steve Martin performs "King Tut". - Nick the Lounge singer sings "Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars...". - Richard Dreyfuss is attacked by the Land Shark.
