8 of the wildest, most controversial 'Saturday Night Live' performances of all time

Kanye West and Lil Pump as water bottles on "Saturday Night Live."Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

• NBC's hit sketch-comedy show, "Saturday Night Live," welcomes musical guests on each episode to perform in front of a wide audience of viewers.
• Artists sometimes use the platform to stage political protests, like Sinéad O'Connor calling out the Catholic Church and Rage Against the Machine protesting a politician.
• Backstage arguments also lead to messy performances, like with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1992.
• Equipment malfunctions also sometimes happen, like the one that nearly derailed Ashlee Simpson's career.

Performing on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" is a big deal, especially for up-and-coming musicians, for whom the opportunity can make or break their career.

In the past, artists have even used their time in the spotlight in an unconventional way, or encountered equipment malfunctions that ruined their performance.

Read on for some of the wildest and most controversial musical-guest performances on the "Saturday Night Live" stage.