Top 10 SNL Performers

The remainder of March will be known as the "Top 10" month here at ETC ETC ETC. And I decided to kick of the list of 10s with a subject that I hold very dear to my heart...Saturday Night Live. Ever since I was first exposed to SNL in the early 90s I was immediately hooked. I can't remember my very first episode although I really wish I could. In retrospect having known the importance that this show has had on my life, it would be really cool if I could pinpoint the exact moment for credibility's sake. It's almost like a badge of honor, much like your first baseball game. "When did you start watching?" "I've been hooked every since the Tom Hanks/Aerosmith episode of 1990". (I was only 5 so that can't possibly be my first. But you could imagine what that would be like)

Despite having a few bad episodes or even a few bad seasons, there has never been a more influential comedic institution than Saturday Night Live. Since it's inception in 1975 SNL is responsible for some of the most well known, critically acclaimed and flat out funny sketches, short films and movies of all time. People like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell to name a few have defined generations and impacted what people think is funny. So I began to think, who is the best SNL cast member of all time.

I posted this question on Facebook with a few options and the response was a little surprising. Of course it favored cast members that were most recently on the show, and that only makes sense. Most people are not historians of the show, therefore the people they grew up watching are the ones they consider to be the best. But I wanted to take a deeper look. SNL is one of the few things I consider myself an authority on and so I made a list of people who I thought deserved consideration, which ended up coming to 20 performers, and then I widdled it down to the Top 10.

My criteria consisted of the following:

Cast Members Only: Certainly there have been great hosts and fantastic guest appearances. People like Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken and Tom Hanks have had a huge impact on the show. But this list consists of Cast Members Only.
Strictly SNL: I wanted to take into account each performers's post-SNL career, but that's just not fair. This list is just the Top 10 SNL performers, meaning what they accomplished during their time on the show. Post-SNL, Rob Schneider's movies have out-grossed Dana Carvey's movies, but does that mean Rob is a better cast member than Dana. Certainly not.  Having said that, a career Top 10 list of SNL performers, both on the show and after, would be interesting.
Cultural Impact: Did you talk about a sketch this performer did? Were you imitating an impression at school or work on Monday? Are you still making references to this pefrormer/sketch years after it first aired?
Signature Sketch: Would you recognize their most famous sketch? Have you heard of Matt Foley or "living in a van down by the river". What about Wayne Campbell or the Church Lady? This category may carry the most weight in my opinion.

So here is my list of the Top 10 SNL performers of all time...but first the honorable mentions

Honorable Mentions: Chevy Chase (just 1 season on the show), Billy Crystal, Martin Short (better after SNL then during), Chris Rock (see Crystal, Billy or Short, Martin) Molly Shannon (terribly polarizing, either hated or loved her), David Spade (too much of a role player), Tina Fey (better writer/Weekend Update performer), Jimmy Fallon (# 11 on my list), Kristen Wiig (could force her way into the Top 10, but not yet), Andy Samberg (still too early, can he do more than digital shorts).

10). Dan Aykroyd- Akroyd was the very first "glue guy" and a member of the original "Not Ready For Primetime Players". His impact cannot be overlooked as he possessed incredible range. He could play the fast talking info-mercial pitchman or the talented, dancing Blues Brothers sketch. He also provided the blueprint for political impressions with his Richard Nixon character. My personal favorite sketch of his might the Coneheads or "Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute" but how can you forget "Two wild and crazy guys!"
Signature Sketch: Bass-O-Matic '76, The fast talking pitch man is now a staple on SNL however most of these sketches are pre-recorded. Akroyd pulled this one off live and it's still funny and outrageous more than 30 years later.

9) Bill Murray- Bill may have had the most successfull post-SNL career of all but his time on the show was almost as invaluable as any. Murray was tabbed with the nearly impossible task of replacing Chevy Chase who famously left after the first season. It was so difficult that through most of Season 2 (Bill's first on the show) he was not well received by the audience. But soon we all came to love Murray who completely pushed the limits of sketch comedy. He played the lovable nerd Todd DiLamuca with Gilda Radnor and who can forget the Cheeseburger sketch with Aykroyd and Belushi.
Signature Sketch: Nick Winters Lounge Singer . It was a perfect stage for Bill's talents as he could sing and interact with the crowd.

8) Mike Myers- I think Myers may be one of the most overlooked SNL performer's of all times. Sure every single person has seen Shrek, Austin Powers or Wayne' World, but Myers was a very versatile performer. I actually think Myers could be ranked higher on this list because of all the characters he developed. Wayne Campbell is arguably his most famous, but there's also Linda Richman on Coffee Talk, Sprockets, and Phillip the special youngster. A truly gifted performer, Myers may be the best at creating characters and growing a funny idea into a truly legendary character.
Signature Sketch: Wayne's World . It was so famous it was made into not 1 but 2 movies.

7) Adam Sandler- Sandler is one of Hollywood's most bankable stars now but before he hit the big screen Sandler was a unique and innovative cast member. Sandler was a duel threat who could not only act, but he was also very musically talented. This led to one of his most famous sketches Opera Man and several classic guitar pieces like "Lunch Lady Land". That sketch was one of his many collaborations with Chris Farley and it's tough to say which of the two can take ownership of them. Classics like "the Gap Girls" and the "Herlihy Boy". And you can't talk about Sandler without mentioning Canteen Boy.
Signature Sketch: Despite all that was just said, his best moment was the "Chanukah Song".

6) John Belushi- We all know the tragic end to Belushi's story but while on SNL he brought a style that had never been seen before. He was loud, physical and had impeccable timing. At one point Belushi was on the #1 TV show, had the #1 movie at the box office (Animal House) and had the #1 record with the afore mentioned "Blues Brothers" fame. But that doesn't factor into his placement according to my criteria. His impression of Joe Cocker set the standard for SNL impressions, a hallmark of the show thanks to Belushi. And without speaking english, he made the "Samuri Deli" a hit. The most ironic/tantalizing look at what could have been is "The Old Man" video in which Belushi outlived all the original cast members (worth a view for all who thought Belushi was just a physical comedian).
Signature Sketch: The Blues Brothers. Without a doubt.

5) Eddie Murphy- Murphy has probably earned the most money at the box office but he was asked to carry the show after the original "Not Ready For Primetime Players" left the show. Not only did he carry the show, he exploded on the scene with characters like Buckwheat, Gumby and the Mr. Rogers spoof "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood". Some of his most famous work on the show was doing impressions, most notably Bill Cosby, Stevie Wonder and of course James Brown. Eddie also gave us a hilarious look at race relations when he pretended to be a white person for a digital short. It could be argued that without Murphy SNL may not have survived as he made the seemingly impossible transition from the original cast.
Signature Sketch : James Brown Hot Tub.

4) Dana Carvey- A personal favorite of mine (his standup from 95 in San Francisco was a life changing moment for me) Carvey led the revival of the show after the "dark years" when Murphy left. Carvey is best known for characters like Hans (from Hans and Franz) Garth from Wayne's World and of course "the Church Lady". Despite these great original characters, Carvey was best known for his impressions. Arguably the best impersonator in the show's history (the other would be Daryl Hammond), Carvey found a particular angle on his target and exaggerated it to the exteme. He could make the most dry, boring person funny (Tom Brokaw). His impressions include Ross Perot, Regis Philbin, Johnny Carson, Charles Grodin and cast member Dennis Miller. Here's an amazing stat..during the 7 seasons he was on the show Carvey was featured in 92.5% of all the sketches.
Signature Sketch: President George H. W. Bush . Not Gunna Do It, Wouldn't be Prudent.

3) Chris Farley- Much like his idol John Belushi, Farley's tale is as much a tragedy as it is a comedy. However his impact on SNL was unforgettable. A truly gifted entertainer, Farley was never afraid to go to extremes for a laugh. Some of his most memorable characters include Todd O'Connor from the Chicago Superfans, Beverly the Zagats reviewer, Bennet Brower the "air quotes guy" . Chris is responsible for two of the most famous sketches in the show's history. One being Matt Foley, and the other is Barney the Chippendale's dancer. I've seen those hundreds of times and both are still as funny now as they were then. Chris could be considered the top ever, but I rank him at three for this reason. He was not versatile. Most of his characters were very similar with the one exception when he played "himself". The Chris Farley Show was as unique of a sketch that every has been on the show. It was born from Farley actually asking guest hosts sheepish questions but it gave us all a look at the depth and range of Farley, something we rarely saw. I still get sad when I watch that sketch, as well as his legacy movie Tommy Boy. "The saddest thing in life in wasted talent" and despite the incredible comedy that Chris has left us, I feel cheated for all the great work that he would have done all these years later.
Signature Sketch: Matt Foley. Without question this is one of the most famous moments in the show's history. You can see David Spade and Christina Applegate laughing just like all of us. Listen up otherwise you're gonna be living in a van down by the river.

2) Phil Hartman- To the average SNL viewer Hartman may be litte more than an afterthought. But when you take a look at his body of work he is more than deserving of this spot and could make a case for the greatest of all time. Hartman was an incredible impressionist and his most notables include Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Phil Donahue, and Ed McMahon to name a few. Some of my favorite sketches of his are "the Anal Retentive Chef" and of course, "the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer"(Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I'm just a caveman"). Hartman was the first "everyman", the guy you could put in any role in any sketch and he would be funny. While on the show, his castmates referred to him as "glue", which should indicate how important he was. Hartman's tale ended in tragedy as well, however unlike Farley or Belushi, his downfall was not his fault. He was shot and killed while sleeping by his wife and once again a comedy great was taken too early.
Signature Sketch: Bill Clinton at McDonald's . Intercepted by warlords.

1) Will Ferrell- I think when you look back at the 36 years of the show Ferrell stands as the greatest. He brought a comedic style that had never been seen before. A man child with a boiling rage that existed beneath the surface of a seemingly normal person. This family dinner perfectly sums up Ferrell, it's awkward, hysterical and you can't stop laughing. Of his many famous routines, some of the best are the Spartan Cheerleaders, Jacob Silj, Marty Culp, the devil, and of course the hot tub lovaaas. And we haven't even scratched the surface with his impressions. His George W. Bush took the show to new heights during the 2000 election and produced some of the show's greatest political humor (strategery). He turned Neil Diamond into a sex addicted lounge singer, Robert Goulet into...well a funny skit, Harry Carey became an astronomer, James Lipton became relevant because of Ferrell's sketch and you can't talk about Ferrell without mentioning Alex Trebek.  Celebrity Jeopardy became a staple of the show thanks in large part to Ferrell's angry intrepretation of the host. One paragraph on the 7 year span of Ferrell does not do him justice and if you want to see more you can watch one of his 3 Best of volumes from the show.
Signature Sketch: More Cowbell. It's become a catch phrase that's how funny it was. An interesting story about this sketch was that during dress rehearsal it didn't get a lot of laughs and before the live show, Will swapped shirts and put on the one you see in the sketch. Something about the tight shirt and his stomach make the sketch that much funnier.


I welcome all feedback about the list and have provided plenty of video links for your entertainment as we take you into the extended weekend. One of our loyal readers Chris has submitted several top 10 list ideas and if any readers want to submit a topic I will gladly consider it. So until next time, as always....STAY CLASSY!