Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
| Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music | |
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| Directed by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | NBC |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music is a 2025 American documentary film, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Oz Rodriguez. The film focuses on the late-night sketch show Saturday Night Live and its half-century of musical performances. The film premiered on NBC on January 27, 2025, and began streaming on Peacock the next day, as part of the lead up to the show's 50th anniversary special.[1][2]
Premise
[edit]The documentary examines the late-night sketch program Saturday Night Live and its musical guests across its 50-year run. Dozens of cast and crew members are interviewed as well as musical guests and the show's house band. The film examines the show's relationship to the New York music scene, as well as changing and evolving popular styles. It dives deep into its musical history in its sketches, with segments on impressions, Adam Sandler, the origin of the Blues Brothers[3] and The Lonely Island's rise to prominence.[4]
The film also explores key musical performances and moments throughout the show's half-century run, including:
- An in-depth analysis into the show's relationship with new wave bands (the B-52's)[4] as well as eclectic and experimental acts (Captain Beefheart)[5]
- Elvis Costello switching songs live on air in 1977, and his supposed "ban" from the show[6]
- The show's hip-hop history, including the 1981 debut of Funky 4 + 1, the first rap act on national television[7]
- Fear's chaotic 1981 performance with a mosh pit[8][9]
- Debuts of acts like Nirvana[10] and Dua Lipa[11]
- Sinéad O'Connor's 1991 appearance during which she controversially ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II[12]
- Rage Against the Machine's explosive 1996 spot, during which they attempted to hang upside-down American flags on their amps in protest of billionaire host Steve Forbes[13]
- The show's first post-9/11 broadcast with Paul Simon and Rudy Giuliani[4]
- Ashlee Simpson's infamous 2004 appearance in which she lip synced[3]
- Kanye West's history on the show, both his impact on guests' visual capabilities[14] and many controversies, including a 2018 MAGA rant[15]
Production
[edit]Thompson was first approached about making the documentary in 2021, following the release of his first film, Summer of Soul.[16] An SNL obsessive, Thompson had long been a fan of the show since his childhood, viewing it as a paradigm-shifting program like Soul Train.[17] When he became a member of the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009, he began working just two floors down from the show's studio. "When I first got to 30 Rock in 2009, I purposely waited six months to figure out how I was going to infiltrate the SNL ecosystem," he joked. "Who am I going to be friends with so I can see how it works?" Directing the feature required that Thompson view every episode of SNL—900 by the time of its creation—which was a daunting task.[18] To prepare, he watched between three and seven episodes daily.[14]
Reception
[edit]Jem Aswad of Variety extolled the film as "definitive," writing that "Even though the doc is three hours long and loaded with interviews [...] it never falls into hubristic self-congratulation."[19] Late-night commentator Bill Carter, author of The Late Shift, called it "fascinating and engrossing."[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Kaufman, Gil (January 24, 2025). "'Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music' Trailer Features Mick Jagger, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and More: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (January 26, 2025). "Questlove says upcoming 'SNL' special is 'love letter' to show's 50 years of musical performances". CNN. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Deggans, Eric (January 27, 2025). "8 revelations from Questlove's new doc about SNL's music". NPR. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Carter, Bill (January 27, 2025). "Questlove's Love Letter to SNL's Musical Legacy Is a Must-See". LateNighter. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (January 27, 2025). "The 12 Biggest Revelations from Questlove's SNL Music Documentary". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Kaufman, Spencer; Miller, Liz Shannon (January 28, 2025). "Lorne Michaels: SNL has "never banned" any music acts". Consequence. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Riccardo, Nick (January 27, 2025). "Watch Funky 4 Plus One More's History-Making 'SNL' Appearance". LateNighter. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Ryan, Mike (January 22, 2025). "Questlove Breaks Down His 'SNL' Music Doc: Eddie Murphy, Fear, Ashlee Simpson, and More Infamous Moments". IndieWire. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ White, Peter (January 24, 2025). "The Real Story Behind Punk Rock Band Fear's Anarchic Turn On 'SNL'". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Sederholm, Jillian (January 28, 2025). "Dave Grohl says mishap in Nirvana's first 'SNL' performance was nearly 'Titanic-level disaster'". EW.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (January 23, 2025). "Dua Lipa, Mick Jagger, Miley Cyrus Relive Late-Night Pressure in '50 Years of SNL Music' Trailer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Ruggieri, Melissa (January 27, 2025). "'SNL' music documentary guided expertly by Questlove". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Kaufman, Spencer; Miller, Liz Shannon (January 27, 2025). "Tom Morello: RATM were locked down by Secret Service after SNL performance". Consequence. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Newman, Jason (January 25, 2025). "How Did Questlove Make His New 'SNL' Doc? Step One: Watch 900 Episodes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Boykin-Patterson, Eboni (January 27, 2025). "New Details About Kanye's Unhinged MAGA 'SNL' Rant Revealed". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (January 23, 2025). "Questlove on Flourishing In His Directing Era and Tackling Controversial Music Moments in 'SNL' Doc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ White, Peter (January 27, 2025). "Questlove Goes Deep Into '50 Years Of SNL Music' – Q&A". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Light, Alan (January 22, 2025). "Questlove on Parsing 50 Years of Music for His 'S.N.L.' Documentary". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (January 27, 2025). "'Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music' Is a Spectacular, Definitive History of the Most Influential Music Stage in America: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2025.