Watch Paul McCartney Close Out ‘SNL’ Season

Paul McCartney closed out season 51 of Saturday Night Live last night in New York City, performing three songs from across various eras of his career.

He started with "Days We Left Behind," the lead single from his upcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, and then came the Wings classic "Band on the Run." For both, he was joined on drums by none other than Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

That's because Smith had made a surprise guest appearance a bit earlier in the show, posing as the episode's actual host, Will Ferrell – the two men have famously been compared as lookalikes for years.

And just as everything was wrapping up, McCartney came back to the stage to perform one more song: "Coming Up," the opening track from 1980's McCartney II.

Below, you can watch the first two of these song performances via McCartney's YouTube channel.

How Many Times Has Paul McCartney Been on 'SNL'?

McCartney's 2026 participation in the show marks his ninth time appearing on the show — five as a musical guest over the years, plus four more cameo appearances. His first time on the show happened almost exact 46 years ago on May 17, 1980. On that night, the music video for "Coming Up" was premiered on the show.

The Boys of Dungeon Lane will be released on May 29.

Watch Paul McCartney Perform 'Days We Left Behind' on 'SNL'

Watch Paul McCartney Perform 'Band on the Run' on 'SNL'