Paul McCartney Closes Out ‘SNL50’ With ‘Abbey Road’ Medley

Paul McCartney made a grand return to Saturday Evening Reside for its SNL50: The Anniversary Particular, delivering a stirring efficiency of the Abbey Highway medley, “Golden Slumbers” / “Carry That Weight” / “The Finish.”

The previous Beatle, who was a musical visitor on the present in 1980, 1993, 2010 and 2012 and made cameos in 2006, 2013 and 2015, additionally beforehand appeared on SNL’s fortieth anniversary particular. The legendary rocker once more took the stage at Studio 8H on Sunday night time (Feb. 16), closing out the three-hour occasion with a historic nod to one of the crucial celebrated albums in rock historical past.

McCartney’s look adopted a star-studded night time of musical performances, together with Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard’s cowl of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and a shock duet from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter.

Lil Wayne carried out with The Roots and DJ T. Lewis for his efficiency, which opened with the 2018 single “Uproar,” and noticed Weezy run by way of different tunes from his Tha Carter collection of albums, together with his lone Billboard Sizzling 100 chart-topper as a solo artist “Lollipop”, adopted by “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “Mrs. Officer”. The night time additionally featured an surprising SNL second when Nirvana joined Publish Malone for a efficiency of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

The fiftieth anniversary of SNL additionally brings about one in all rock’s most legendary what-ifs: the time McCartney and John Lennon almost reunited on the present.

In 1976, SNL creator Lorne Michaels famously supplied The Beatles $3,000 to reunite through the present’s first season. Lennon later recalled in a Playboy interview that he and McCartney have been watching the present collectively that night time at Lennon’s condominium in The Dakota and briefly thought of making a shock look. “We almost bought right into a cab, however we have been truly too drained,” Lennon admitted. “We went, ‘Ha-ha, wouldn’t or not it’s humorous if we went down?’ However we didn’t.”

Although that reunion by no means occurred, McCartney’s SNL historical past stays wealthy. Past his musical performances, he’s been a frequent comedic visitor, showing in sketches through the years—together with a memorable bit with Chris Farley wherein the late comic nervously interviewed him on The Chris Farley Present.

McCartney’s newest look at SNL 50 comes as he continues to have fun The Beatles’ lasting legacy. In 2023, The Beatles scored their first No. 1 debut on the Billboard Sizzling 100 with “Now and Then,” a long-lost observe that includes Lennon’s vocals. The tune additionally topped Billboard’s Rock & Different Airplay chart and have become the band’s thirty fifth Sizzling 100 prime 10 hit.

SNL50: The Anniversary Particular aired on Sunday, Feb. 16 on NBC and might be obtainable to stream on Peacock.