15 Best SNL Skits Of All Time, Ranked

"Saturday Night Live" is celebrating a huge anniversary this year. As the 50th season of the iconic NBC sketch series airs, both fans and former cast members alike are preparing for an anniversary special set for February 16, 2025. It will be an exciting event, gathering the best cast members in the history of "SNL" to celebrate the show and its best sketches, of which there are simply far too many to name. 

Since its origin in October 1975, as recently documented by the film "Saturday Night," "SNL" has been a staple of American culture for nearly the entirety of its historic run. While there are too many classic sketches and characters to mention on this list, from the Coneheads playing "Family Feud," to Debbie Downer in Disneyland, or any installment of "What's Up With That?," there's just no denying that these 15 sketches from "SNL" history are the funniest, smartest, and most iconic for the incredible performers involved. 

Beck Bennett is the closest "SNL" has had to a Phil Hartman-type in recent years. It was a shame, then, when he didn't return for season 47, making the Season 46 finale with host Anya Taylor-Joy his final episode. Thankfully, Bennett ended his "SNL" run on a high note with one of his strongest sketches, playing Vin Diesel in an ad for AMC Theatres, but there's much more importance to the sketch given its context. 

Notably, Anya Taylor-Joy's episode was the first "SNL" episode with a full live audience after COVID, which likely contributed to the show being killer all around. The "AMC Theatres Commercial" sketch feels appropriate as it celebrates the return of going to movies, with Bennett recounting all the "amazing" things to enjoy there, from the popcorn and seats to "the $8 bottle of water" to "the little boy at the urinal with his pants all the way down." It's a challenge to even visit an AMC theater and not think of Bennett's delivery of "da mooovies."

It's hard to remember a time when Bill Murray was the underdog, but given that he joined "SNL" after the departure of Chevy Chase, the future Ghostbuster had big shoes to fill. Murray quickly proved all naysayers wrong early in his tenure with the original character Nick the Lounge Singer, a chipper performer at run-down venues that Murray developed at The Second City in Chicago as a way to flex his singing chops, or lack thereof.

In its most famous iteration, "Nick The Lounge Singer Sings Star Wars Theme," Nick entertains disgruntled patrons (Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Dan Aykroyd, and Robert Klein) at a ski lodge. When all else fails, he caps off his show with a rendition of the iconic "Star Wars" theme with delightfully dumb lyrics added: "Star Wars / Nothing but Star Wars / Give me those Star Wars / Don't let them end." It's a testament to Murray's unique talent that he can maintain a seven-minute sketch that only peaks in its sixth.

In terms of unique voices on "SNL," there has never been a cast member like Will Forte. Sketches like "MacGruber" and "Spelling Bee" are great examples of his absurd, often alienating humor, but nothing showcases it more than "Potato Chip." Originally written for Taylor Swift's hosting debut but saved for Blake Lively's in Season 35, Forte and Jason Sudeikis don heavy Southern drawls as a NASA recruiter and a prospective astronaut. However, things take a turn for the worse when Forte's character, Mr. Greenblatt, suspects Sudeikis of stealing a potato chip from a bowl on his desk, resulting in a screaming match only Forte could write. 

In case you hadn't been convinced of the sketch's greatness, you certainly will when you see a blubbering Sudeikis spit up a chewed potato chip into Forte's hand as the audience vocally recoils. Most impressive is Lively's committed performance as Janelleda, with her scathing and dramatic delivery of "You don't take people's potato chips" as a moment that makes us love her even more. 

Perhaps the best proof of how iconic "The Californians" was as a sketch is the fact that after debuting in April 2012, the sketch recurred a total of five additional times in the following calendar year. A parody of soap operas, the very first iteration, "The Californians: Stuart Has Cancer," has maybe one of the funniest first minutes of any "SNL" sketch. It doesn't take long for the audience to lose it over the accents, cheesy acting, and detailed anecdotes about directions, but it helps that it's the best time Fred Armisen made Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader break character. 

Even its dress rehearsal version showed that "SNL" struck gold with this insane but endlessly funny premise of melodrama mixed with California stereotypes. The sentiment of "The Californians" being one of the great sketches in "SNL" history was echoed by Seth Meyers recently on his late-night show during an interview with Josh Brolin, with Meyers saying (via NBC), "If we're talking about the last 15 years of 'SNL,' this is as good as it gets." 

Vanessa Bayer might be the most underrated performer in "SNL" history, though aside from playing one of the best characters from "Weekend Update," she also starred in a series of commercial parodies for Totino's. The first iteration featured Bayer entertaining herself with the Totino's Activity Pack for women cooking at Super Bowl parties, but its best was with Kristen Stewart in 2017, when the nameless wife is enchanted by the arrival of another woman, Sabine. Cue the orchestral music, dramatic lighting, and French dialogue. 

As co-writer Chris Kelly told Vulture about the "Totino's" trilogy, "I think it's indicative of our tone. It starts a little mean with this straight male football vibe, and then it's not even about that. It's just a woman finding happiness." For a silly recurring sketch to climax with a final installment that's as funny as it is romantic, with incredible performances from both Bayer, Stewart, and Beck Bennett as the oblivious husband, it deserves a spot on this list. Plus, Bayer's dramatic delivery of "But what about my hungry guys?" is an all-time great line reading. 

By the time "D*** in a Box" premiered on "SNL" in 2005, The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone) already had a viral hit with "Lazy Sunday." Encouraged by Lorne Michaels to pen another song for host Justin Timberlake in only a few days, the trio delivered with a Christmastime ode to '90s R&B, as two singers (Samberg and Timberlake) serenade their lovers (Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig) with their private parts stuck inside a hole in a gift box.

Not only was "D*** in a Box" instantly classic, its success even doomed The Lonely Island's "SNL" future, as Schaffer said on "The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast," "The fact that we didn't come up with 'D*** in a Box' until Thursday cursed the rest of our time at 'SNL' ... There was no amount of time [to create a Digital Short] that was too small." Despite its graphic content, the sketch is a mainstay for "SNL" Christmas compilations, since there's nothing funnier and more in-the-holiday-spirit than the image of Samberg and Timberlake with gift boxes dangling from their crotches.

Speaking of Christmas sketches, it's hard to believe that Alec Baldwin's appearance on "NPR's Delicious Dish" with Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer wasn't until its ninth installment in 1998, only two years after it debuted. Hosted by Margaret Jo McCollen (Gasteyer) and Teri Rialto (Shannon), the soft-spoken radio hosts introduce guests whose highlighted foods give way to innuendos and double entendres, with Baldwin's character Pete Schweddy presenting his famous "Schweddy Balls." 

This sketch is a masterclass in comedic performance, as Gasteyer, Shannon, and Baldwin deliver incredibly suggestive comments without breaking even once. It also speaks to the sketch's brilliance that Lorne Michaels fought for it to air earlier in the episode, with Gasteyer telling Entertainment Weekly, "[Lorne] always goes to the mat for work that deserves it. So that's a huge honor." Gasteyer and Shannon even reprised their roles in a series of holiday commercials for Capital One. Like Pete Schweddy's balls, this sketch is always here for your pleasure around the holidays. 

It shouldn't be a surprise to see "Wayne's World" here, given it's the most successful example of a sketch that became a classic comedy film. However, this iteration from a 1991 episode hosted by Delta Burke feels more like a precursor to the film than any other. The sketch begins typically with Wayne and Garth doing a list of their Top Ten Babes, including Farrah Fawcett and Garth's mom. After revealing their No. 1, Madonna, the live sketch transitions to a pre-tape where Wayne recalls the time where he "had her." 

Parodying Madonna's black-and-white documentary film "Truth or Dare," it's surprising enough to see the real-life Madonna cameoing next to Wayne and Garth, but more so when she fully commits to delivering iconic catchphrases like, "Monkeys might fly out of my butt." Madonna cajoles Wayne into playing truth or dare with her, culminating in a steamy kiss between the two, before Garth breaks it off and Madonna signs off with: "Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!"

Eddie Murphy has made some of the biggest comedy movies of all time, but as proven by his hosting appearance on "SNL" in 2019, there's no place like home. During his four-year run as a cast member from 1980 to 1984, Murphy practically saved the show from cancellation. Among his best work was "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood," in which Murphy parodies Mr. Rogers as a black man living in low-income housing. 

The skit titled "Puppet Show" from October 1981 is the best of the best, with Mr. Robinson facing eviction by his landlord and subsequently teaching kids the word "s***bucket." To help children understand why Mr. Robinson is so poor, he takes kids to the magical world of make-believe, where a black family asks Ronald Reagan why he won't help them. Combining scathing social commentary with a children's show parody that even Fred Rogers himself approved of shows why Murphy is considered by many to be one of the best comedians not just in "SNL" history, but in the comedy world as a whole. 

What do you get when you combine an absolutely manic performance from Will Ferrell, an all-time great host in Christopher Walken, and a sketch based on the most obscure observation one could have regarding a song about death? You get "More Cowbell." Ferrell is a comedy genius as Gene Frenkle, the cowbell player on Blue Oyster Cult's recording of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," whose incessant playing creates friction in the band (Chris Parnell, Chris Kattan, Jimmy Fallon, and Horatio Sanz) as they try to impress legendary record producer Bruce Dickinson (Walken). When Walken says, "I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!," even the audience knows how iconic it's going to be. 

It's a rare sketch where every single line deserves its own standing ovation. It's also surprising to know that the sketch bombed at dress rehearsal, with the only change made before air that turned it into a classic was Ferrell switching to a tighter shirt. As Blue Oyster Cult frontman Buck Dharma told Vulture about its legacy, "I feel bonded to Will and Christopher in a way, because we're all at the mercy of the cowbell sketch in different ways." 

One of the best recurring sketches in recent "SNL" history was "Close Encounter," featuring one of Kate McKinnon's most memorable characters. Ms. Rafferty is typically one of three survivors of a supernatural occurrence, only for her experience to be much more dehumanizing than the others' experiences. Its first iteration premiered in 2015, featuring Cecily Strong and Ryan Gosling describing a beautiful and transcendental alien abduction that drastically differs from Ms. Rafferty's story. 

McKinnon is the pièce de résistance in this sketch, smoking as she describes the "little gray aliens" and their interest in her genitalia, as she states, "I don't think I was dealing with the top brass." McKinnon even makes all of her castmates break into teary-eyed laughter the more she gets upset about her poor luck. The sketch was reprised a total of seven more times, and was never not entertaining, all thanks to McKinnon and her endless charm. 

"Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" is often cited as a favorite sketch among "SNL" cast and crew, and it happens to be a shining example of two great talents to grace the halls of 30 Rock: Phil Hartman and Jack Handey. Handey's comedy is most recognized from his "Deep Thoughts" segment, but his writing translated well into sketch comedy with this premise of a caveman who is thawed out from ice by scientists, goes to law school, and becomes a sleazy lawyer using folk logic ("Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm just a caveman") to pull absurd victories for his clients. Its best iteration was the very first from 1991, in an episode hosted by Macaulay Culkin (who does not appear in the sketch). 

Handey told The New York Times that "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" was "one that Lorne [Michaels] never really got," but for most fans, it all comes down to Hartman's performance, from the smarmy monologues to even the tiniest moves like glancing at his watch before his closing argument. Even one of Phil Hartman's final appearances on "SNL" featured the return of Keyrock, as it was considered one of the actor's greatest roles on the series. 

The very first episode of "Saturday Night Live" may have featured more memorable moments, like "Wolverines" or "Bee Hospital," but there's one sketch that set the tone for the 50 years of comedy to come. "The Courtroom" aired in-between a musical performance by Billy Preston and Andy Kaufman's iconic "Mighty Mouse" bit, and was the very first appearance of the marvelous Gilda Radner, one of the most beloved sketch performers in "SNL" history and a great comedian who died too young. 

All things considered, "The Courtroom" is as simplistic a sketch as there can be, but what made it so prophetic is how edgy it was not only for 1975, but even by today's standards. Jane Curtin plays a sexual assault survivor who can't bear to testify about what the perpetrator said to her, so she writes it down on a note that's passed among the jury. By the time John Belushi hands it to Radner, she's fallen asleep, and when she wakes up, she reads the note and gives Belushi a flirtatious wink and "OK" sign. Even without dialogue, Radner prepped the audience for her future stardom.  

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Beyond creating the first viral hits of "SNL" with "Lazy Sunday" and "Natalie's Rap," The Lonely Island practically shaped modern Internet humor with one Digital Short: "Dear Sister," which aired in the troupe's second season on the show. Inspired by an episode of "The O.C.," it opens on Bill Hader writing a letter to his sister (Kristen Wiig), only for Andy Samberg to walk in and shoot him as Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" plays. Just as Samberg calms down, Hader shoots back, again cueing "Hide and Seek." As more characters enter, they all get shot as "Hide and Seek" overlaps on top of itself. 

This simple yet effective sketch didn't just continue The Lonely Island's journey to Internet stardom, but was a turning point in the evolution of "SNL" as an appealing show for younger audiences by utilizing a popular song, referencing a popular show, and being low-budget enough to be recreated by fans at home. As Akiva Schaffer said of it in "The Lonely Island & Seth Meyers Podcast," "The same exact culture of TikTok is what propelled it into success." If nothing else, "Dear Sister" certainly forever changed the way people heard that Imogen Heap song. 

In some regards, it might seem like cheating to nominate "Van Down By The River" as the greatest "SNL" sketch of all time. The original sketch was written by Bob Odenkirk for Chris Farley at The Second City in Chicago, and was performed hundreds of times prior to its television debut. Even though it was a tried and true sketch, by the time it premiered on "SNL" in 1993, it played like it was the very first time. In the sketch, two parents (Phil Hartman and Julia Sweeney) hire a down-on-his-luck motivational speaker named Matt Foley (Farley) to hassle their teen kids (David Spade and Christina Applegate) about doing drugs. 

Simply put, "Van Down By The River" has everything you could ever want in an "SNL" sketch. Farley surprises the cast by breaking a table (a final touch by writer Robert Smigel), plus it has loads of catchphrases, from "La-dee-frickin'-da!" to "I'm 35 years old, I am divorced, and I live in a van down by the river." Not even future appearances of the Matt Foley character, as in Chris Farley's final appearance on "SNL," could live up to the lightning-in-a-bottle that is this top-to-bottom perfect sketch.