Who composed the theme music for Saturday Night Live?

Howard Shore composed the theme music for Saturday Night Live. He was also the program's original bandleader and musical director when the series premiered in 1975.

Shore's role extended beyond writing the opening theme. He led the Saturday Night Live Band from 1975 to 1980 and wrote the closing theme, “Closing Theme (Waltz in A),” which became part of the show's musical identity.

A common mix-up is confusing the composer with later bandleaders. Paul Shaffer, Tom Malone, G. E. Smith, and Lenny Pickett all held important musical roles at different points, but they are not the canonical answer to who composed the original SNL theme.

Shore later became internationally known as a film composer, winning Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. SNL's sixth season is a historical exception in the show's theme-music credits, but that does not change the standard answer for the original theme.