Mike Sauter

One Xmas cover, one Xmas original.

Also, Foo Fighters did Everlong as part of a medley with a pair of Xmas cover songs, but it obviously is not an Xmas song nor a cover.

That's fair. I wasn't sure whether to include the anniversary shows. I didn't include the SNL Prince tribute special in which he performed Let's Go Crazy, as that performance was taken from an after show event and not from the show itself. At least a special episode is an episode, if irregular

I was including songs performed on SNL that the performing artist had previously recorded under the same artist name, irrespective of who wrote it. E.g., Aretha Franklin didn't write Chain of Fools but she recorded it and later performed it on SNL

I think that would've been 17 years, but I wouldn't include either way since it was his former band and not technically the same artist....

Or just bring on Dolly regardless!!

I wasn't including artists' previous bands, or that's a whole new category with McCartney/Beatles, McCartney/Wings, Simon/Simon & Garfunkel, Jagger/Stones, Byrne/Talking Heads, etc

Good call!

Also, to be clear, I urge everyone to seek out that Eubie/Gregory Hines SNL performance from 1979. Utterly charming and both are incredible.

I can't include that recording if Eubie isn't the nominal recording artist, just as I excluded Paul McCartney playing Beatles songs or Paul Simon doing Simon & Garfunkel.

Yeah, then he should be on the list with a 29-year interval between recording and SNL performance!

That's the longest, AFAIK. Eubie Blake performed a medley in 1979, but I could find info if/when he recorded those songs.

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Paul McCartney performed "Maybe I'm Amazed" on SNL in 2015 (for the 40th anniversary special), 45 years after recording it in 1970.

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Stevie Nicks performed "Edge of Seventeen" on SNL in 2024, 43 years after recording it in 1981.

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S&G did The Boxer and Scarborough Fair in '75, but they weren't that old yet. George Harrison & Paul Simon did Homeward Bound in '76 but they weren't the original artists. Paul Simon & Sabrina Carpenter did Homeward in 2025, but, again, not the original artists.

That's the longest, AFAIK. Eubie Blake performed a medley in 1979, but I could find info if/when he recorded those songs.

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Paul Simon performed "Still Crazy After All These Years" on SNL in 2015 (for the 40th anniversary special), 40 years after recording it in 1975.

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Bruce Springsteen performed "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" on SNL in 2015, 34 years after recording it in 1981 (it was recorded live in 1975 but not released until '81).

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Paul McCartney performed "Wonderful Christmastime" on SNL in 2012, 33 years after recording it in 1979.

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Toots & the Maytals performed "Funky Kingston" on SNL in 2004, 31 years after recording it in 1973.

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Toots & the Maytals performed "Love Gonna Walk Out on Me" on SNL in 2004, 30 years after recording it in 1974.

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Desi Arnaz performed "Babalu" on SNL in 1976, 29 years after recording it in 1947.

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Aretha Franklin performed "Chain of Fools" on SNL in 1994, 27 years after recording it in 1967.

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Johnny Cash performed "I Walk the Line" on SNL as part of a 3-song medley in 1982, 26 years after recording it in 1956.

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Gorillaz performed "Clint Eastwood" on SNL in 2026 (last night, and the inspiration for the thread), 25 years after recording it in 2001.

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David Bowie performed "Rebel Rebel" on SNL in 1999, 25 years after recording it in 1974.

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U2 performed "I Will Follow" on SNL in 2004, 24 years after recording it in 1980.

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Rod Stewart performed "Maggie May" on SNL in 1995, 24 years after recording it in 1971.

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James Brown performed "Please Please Please" on SNL as part of a 3-song medley in 1980, 24 years after recording it in 1956.

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Foo Fighters performed "Everlong" on SNL as part of a 3-song medley in 2017, 20 years after recording it in 1997.

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AC/DC performed "You Shook Me All Night Long" on SNL in 2000, 20 years after recording it in 1980.

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