- National radio and TV as a showcase
- Saturday Night Live followed its predecessors as a showcase of new music
- Kraft Music Hall
- Ed Sullivan Show
- American Bandstand
- Soul Train
- Saturday Night Live debuted in 1975
- The Saturday Night Live format
- Irreverent, humorous skits performed by a talented company of comedians
- Guest host who participates in the skits
- Film star
- Occasionally a politician
- Athlete
- Musician
- Two performances by a musical guest
- The show is aired live
- Exposure on Saturday Night Live is critical for success in the music industry
- 1986 Run-DMC became the first hip-hop act to appear
- Indication that hip-hop was now a national force
- 1992 Nirvana appearance introduced grunge as a new style
- A wide spectrum of artists have appeared on the show
- Yale glee club
- Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis
- South African pop choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Minimalist composer Philip Glass
- Depression-era tunesmith Eubie Blake
- Important promotion of punk, new wave, grunge, and hip-hop styles
- Talking Heads
- The Clash
- Nirvana
- Green Day
- Public Enemy
- Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Eminem
- Cast members John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "The Blues Brothers"
- Most famous use of music on Saturday Night Live
- Blues Brothers recorded a number one album in 1979 (Briefcase Full of Blues)
- Toured nationally
- Made a hit film
- Revived interest in John Lee Hooker, Booker T & the MGs, and the blues in general
