The Musical Guest With The Most SNL Appearances
Throughout the 47 seasons (so far) of "Saturday Night Live," the show has featured not only hundreds of hilarious skits and monologues but memorable music performances as well. Musical guests have been part of the long-time NBC late-night variety series since its very first episode. Some musicians consider it a career milestone to perform on the show, so they tend to bring their A-game. However, live TV doesn't always go as planned, so there are performances that are equally as memorable for the good, the bad, and the unusual.
Since "Saturday Night Live" has been around since the mid-1970s, dozens of musicians big and small have graced the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. In fact, more than a few have been able to make appearances on the show more than once, and some musicians have even done double-duty as both "Saturday Night Live" host and talent for the evening. There are a few major musicians, though, who have had the honor of making many appearances on the live comedy series, including one legendary rock star.
Dave Grohl has performed on Saturday Night Live 14 times
When looking back at the history of "Saturday Night Live," one musician has appeared more than anyone else, and that's Dave Grohl. Grohl has been a part of two of the biggest bands in music history — Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. Both of his bands have played the "Saturday Night Live" stage, including Nirvana during Grohl's first-ever performance on the show in 1992 (via Rolling Stone).
Grohl is also a part of the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, which performed on the show back in 2010. In total, Grohl has appeared in the show 14 times (via SNL Archives). Outside of his own projects, he also played drums for Tom Petty during one of his "Saturday Night Live" runs. In a behind-the-scenes YouTube video, Grohl describes learning that Petty wanted him to play the show at the last minute. "Sweetest guy in the world, so much fun," Grohl said of Petty.
While his wheelhouse is music, Grohl has also shown his comedy chops in a few hilarious cameos in "Saturday Night Live" sketches. One 2013 "Saturday Night Live" skit takes place during a wedding when the father of the bride (Fred Armisen) decides to reunite his band. The group of former punkers relives their glory days in a performance that's shocking to their make-believe wedding guests. Grohl, Bill Hader, and Ashton Kutcher make up the rest of the band. "Hey, go easy on us guys, this is our first gig since like 1983," Grohl says while wearing a blonde wig.