Top 10 SNL Cast Members Who Are Surprisingly Great Singers

Sure, you know “Billy Madison,” “Happy Gilmore,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” among Sandler’s many silver screen classics. But did you know that music was originally how the Sandman made a name for himself at “SNL”? Hits like “The Thanksgiving Song” and the now-legendary “Chanukkah Song” were among the first indications of Sandler’s immense potential for star power. While Sandler, like other musically-inclined “SNL” performers, has mostly reserved his talents for comedy pursuits, it should be noted that his singing voice is genuinely good! For proof, look no further than his 1997 studio album “What’s Your Name?”, in particular the song “Pickin’ Daisies,” a mellow, melancholy tune with ‘90s alt-rock influences.

Lauded for her shockingly good musical impressions, like Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera, Villaseñor is one of a very small handful of “SNL” cast members who have made serious moves as to a recording career. Criminally underused on “SNL,” her shining moments tended to make use of her musical skills, and with good reason! Villaseñor has taken her impressions on the road, too, appearing on “America’s Got Talent,” on which she made it to the semifinals in 2011. Having released “Dreamer,” her first full-length album, in 2019, we can only hope that more is on the horizon for Villaseñor.

Wait, you’re telling us you don’t remember Murphy’s 1985 smash hit single, “Party All the Time?” Although the “SNL” superstar had done musical impressions on the show, “Party All the Time” and its accompanying album “How Could It Be” were the comedian’s first attempts at seriously giving songcraft a go. While the song and album themselves received relatively mixed reviews from critics, “Party All the Time” was a sizeable hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching a height of

Admittedly, Ferrell hasn’t pursued music and singing as part of his career — rather, he’s often made it part of his comedy — but that doesn’t mean he isn’t pleasant to listen to! One of Ferrell’s most iconic “SNL” roles was that of real-life Canadian-American crooner Robert Goulet, albeit a heightened, parodized version who covered then-popular rap and pop songs. Oh, and also cast his entire (fictional) family in awkward Broadway productions. Outside of “SNL,” Ferrell portrayed fictitious one-hit wonder Jackie Moon in the 2008 box office bomb “Semi-Pro,” providing his own vocals for Moon’s “Love Me Sexy.” You may also remember his cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About” from “Step Brothers,” released the same year.

Fallon ascended to global recognition as the host of NBC’s “Late Night” and then “The Tonight Show.” Before that, he was best-known for his tenure as resident impressionist on “Saturday Night Live.” Although audiences and “SNL” fans are familiar with his spot-on impressions, they may be less so when it comes to his more-than-capable singing voice. In fact, one of Fallon’s first on-screen “SNL” appearances was performing Halloween-themed song parodies on Weekend Update. While a cast member, Fallon released “The Bathroom Wall,” a collection of comedic songs and stand-up bits. While hosting “Late Night,” Fallon released its successor, “Blow Your Pants Off,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.

By now, McKinnon is almost better-known for her movie roles and public persona, having joined the ranks of Sandler, Ferrell, Murphy, and more as a bona fide breakout star. That said, “SNL” is how McKinnon got to that place, and with ample reason. We already knew she was a gifted impressionist, in addition to helping create some of “SNL’s” most iconic 2010s characters. But on November 12, 2016, McKinnon revealed an entirely new skill that took “SNL” audiences off-guard: a legitimately competent singing voice. Portraying Hilary Clinton after her shocking electoral defeat at the hands of Donald Trump, McKinnon opened the show with an affecting cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (the beloved Canadian singer-songwriter had died earlier in the week).

You might wish you hadn’t started a conversation with her at a party, but it’s all eyes on her when this lifelong Broadway stan takes the mic to sing. Speaking to NPR’s Terry Gross in 2021, Illinois native Strong’s family connections got her backstage at some Broadway shows, and she had the chance to experience countless more. Beginning in the 2020s, Strong played a succession of off-Broadway roles in Jane Wagner’s “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” and then “Brooklyn Laundry,” in 2022 and ‘24, respectively. So maybe we shouldn’t be all that shocked that she’s a great singer, because she’s been prepping for it her whole life!

While we still have yet to see Cecily Strong headlining a Broadway play, her castmate Taran Killam has played major roles in not one, but two fairly significant productions. For three months in 2017, Killam played the role of King George III in Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater, replacing Rory O’Malley in the role most memorably played by Jonathan Groff. From 2023 into ‘24, Killam portrayed Sir Lancelot in a Broadway revival production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” originally played by Hank Azaria, and alongside Ethan Slater. It’s curious, then, that Killam’s clearly obvious musical talents weren’t more often employed at “SNL.”

Yes, Maya Rudolph is, and forever will be, the people’s Kamala Harris… er, Mamala. While it can certainly be argued that Harris is the multiple Emmy winner’s signature “SNL” character/impression, one thing that’s definitely inarguable is Rudolph’s inherent musical talent. It’s literally in her blood: her mother was the soul icon Minnie Riperton, perhaps best-known for her 1975 smash “Lovin’ You.” It’s probably also worth pointing out that Rudolph’s other signature character is Beyoncé. Maybe you’ve heard of her? In any case, Rudolph’s singing shenanigans aren’t limited to the “SNL” stage and silver screen. Along with musician Gretchen Lieberum, Rudolph is one part of a Prince tribute band called — what else? — “Princess.”

We knew this criminally underrated “SNL” star was funny, even utilizing her impressive singing talents on the show from time to time. However, her musical career really began to take flight after she left “SNL” in 2002, putting her skills from her music major at Northwestern University to use. After having appeared in a handful of Broadway shows, Gasteyer hit the big time in 2005, landing the lead role of Elphaba in “Wicked” in Chicago. Since then, she’s not only starred in a number of musicals, but even released two albums, 2014’s “I’m Hip” and 2019’s “Sugar & Booze.”

What’s your favorite “SNL” musical moment? Let us know in the comments!