Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello defied his record company (who wanted him to play the single “Less Than Zero”) and instead broke into the song “Radio Radio” on Saturday Night Live in 1977, providing one of the most famous musical moments in the show’s history. Costello’s stunt, while entertaining, did not go over well with producers who were caught off guard. Costello was banned from SNL for more than a decade, but he has since returned and even mocked the incident on the 25th Anniversary Special.
Elvis Costello
Ashlee Simpson
In 2004, Ashlee Simpson performed the most famous Irish Jig in television history on Saturday Night Live. After a tape of her song “Pieces of Me” – complete with vocals – began playing over the intro to her second song, the pop starlet broke into the awkward dance, revealing that her earlier performance had been lip-synced. Simpson initially blamed the error on her band, then on acid reflux, but the damage had already been done to her reputation. She came back to SNL in 2005 but hasn’t appeared since.
Ashlee Simpson
