These days, Adele is one of the most popular singers on the planet. But back in 2008, she was relatively unknown outside of the U.K. — and that all changed in October 2008, thanks to Saturday Night Live. And in part, Sarah Palin.
On October 18, 2008, Adele made her SNL debut as that episode’s Musical Guest, performing “Chasing Pavements” and “Cold Shoulder” from her first album 19.
In Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, the fascinating new documentary co-directed by Oz Rodriguez and Questlove, SNL cast and crew members recalled what it was like to witness Adele’s “overnight success” on the show.
“I remember us sitting at the rewrite table on [floor] 9, and Adele — not a lot of us had heard of her — she started singing. And it was like we all stopped,” former SNL cast member Bill Hader said in the documentary. “We opened the curtain and everybody looked down and went, ‘Who is that?’”
In archival footage featured in Ladies & Gentlemen…, Adele said how, “It was just meant to be a normal show. Just me and Josh Brolin, I was Musical Guest and he was hosting.”
But as SNL creator Lorne Michaels revealed, “the whole country was watching for other reasons.”
Adele’s debut happened in October 2008, during the height of the presidential campaign between candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. SNL had been on a ratings hot streak, with America tuning in week after week to see Tina Fey play McCain’s running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
“It just happened to be that show that [the real] Sarah Palin was on,” Michaels recalled in Ladies & Gentlemen…The buzzed-about episode ended up pulling in 15 million viewers, earning SNL its highest ratings in 14 years.
“Adele went to the afterparty, and then went back to the hotel, and then went to British Airways for an 8 a.m. flight,” Michaels continued. “She said when they were on the runway, she checked her computer and she was at no. 45 [on the charts]. And when they landed, she was almost to number one.”
Adele’s 2008 SNL debut made her an “overnight success”
“It ended up being a huge show and literally overnight,” said Adele in archival footage shared in Ladies & Gentlemen. Before her SNL debut, the British singer-songwriter said she didn’t really believe in an “overnight success,” but for her, “it was literally overnight.”
Adele performs on Saturday Night Live Season 34 Episode 5 “Josh Brolin”. Photo: Dana Edelson
“After she performed it her whole career took off in America,” Dua Lipa agreed in the documentary. “Now it sounds ridiculous — because you’re like, ‘Hey, it’s Adele, you know?’ But everybody has to start somewhere. SNL‘s music legacy is the incredible opportunity it gives artists and the early belief in them.”
Questlove spoke about Adele’s story during a January 22 appearance on CBS Mornings, saying that the Skyfall singer “just happened to be at the right place at the right time.” And the rest is music history.
Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music is streaming on Peacock.
Adele performs on Saturday Night Live Season 34 Episode 5 “Josh Brolin”. Photo: Dana Edelson
How many times has Adele been on SNL?
Adele has been the Musical Guest on SNL twice, on October 18, 2008 and November 21, 2015. She hosted the October 24, 2020 episode, which featured Musical Guest H.E.R.
