Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels recalls the battle to bring rock music to TV

In a recent interview on October 11, 2025, with Entertainment Weekly at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music exhibit, creator Lorne Michaels reflected on one of his earliest challenges, making live music sound good on television.

He said, “Rock-and-roll people did not do television because they sounded terrible. So we had to figure that out, and that was a big, big fight over the first season.”

At the time, television’s sound technology was not designed for modern live performances, creating frustration for both musicians and producers.

Michaels explained that the team had to find new ways to capture authentic sound, working closely with engineers to adapt old systems.

The first episode aired on October 11, 1975, featuring Billy Preston and Janis Ian, and set the tone for how SNL would integrate live music into its comedy-driven format.

It marked the beginning of a continuous effort to balance entertainment, technology, and artistic performance on live television.

Over time, these early innovations shaped how the show approached every live act, establishing standards later adopted across the industry.

The struggle for sound in SNL’s first season

During Saturday Night Live’s debut season, Lorne Michaels faced strong technical resistance to improving live music sound.

He recalled how earlier television appearances, such as Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 and the Beatles in 1964, relied on simple boom microphones.

“It’s all on a boom [microphone], you know, and the sound was more than good enough for that period,” he said.

But by 1975, recording methods had evolved while television practices lagged behind.

Michaels encountered opposition from NBC’s sound department, which preferred traditional recording setups. Seeking change, he brought in music producer

Phil Ramone for the second episode, where Paul Simon performed and hosted. Michaels added,

“Just the idea that we were gonna mic it differently” caused tension, but the outcome proved effective, improving both clarity and energy in performances.

This breakthrough helped SNL attract top musicians in later seasons, shaping the show’s identity as a stage for live, high-quality musical acts.

Michaels’ decision to involve experienced music producers set a precedent that influenced how the show continued to record and broadcast live performances over the years.

Preserving music’s role in SNL’s legacy

Michaels’ early push to enhance sound quality ensured that music remained central to Saturday Night Live’s legacy.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibit highlights this ongoing influence, celebrating five decades of music, comedy, and cultural impact.

“As people got more used to the fact that those sound systems could bring the music alive in a completely different way, television had to keep up,” Michaels explained.

The exhibition shows more than 1,900 performances, including old video clips, rehearsal footage, and recreated scenes from famous moments.

Former cast member Fred Armisen said the display was very special to him and praised the effort to keep the show’s musical history alive.

Visitors can see instruments, costumes, and stage sets from different times in the show’s history.

The 50th anniversary episode, airing on October 11, 2025, and hosted by Amy Poehler, celebrates both the show’s long run and how sound improvements shaped SNL’s success.

Lorne Michaels’ memories show how early sound challenges helped create today’s live TV standards and kept SNL a place where music and comedy come together.

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