Paul McCartney, at 'SNL 50,' rouses celebrity-studded crowd with 'Carry that Weight'

"Saturday Night Live" celebrated 50 years on the air over the weekend. Once a scrappy up-start comedy hour, the show is now considered must-see late-night TV. What's more, it has proven itself a reliable launching pad for the funny men and women of tomorrow.

Responsible for introducing audiences to stars like Tina Fey, Adam Sandler and Steve Martin, the 50th anniversary special, which aired Sunday, brought many of those big names back together.

Some returned to the stage to revive fan-favorite sketches while others merely watched on in the stands. One particularly notable moment came when ex-Beatle Paul McCartney performed a mashup of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End."

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Introduced by Martin Short, McCartney roused audience members like Miles Teller, Tom Hanks and Kevin Costner, who rose from their seats to clap along.

The 82-year-old singer delivered both an energetic vocal performance and an impressive solo on electric guitar. As he alternated singing from behind a colorful piano and rising to belt into the standing mic, the camera panned to a star-studded audience.

Meryl Streep and Quinta Brunson could be seen rocking along as could "SNL" alums Molly Shannon, Fey and Amy Poehler.

Throughout the night, audience members were treated to several other performances including a duet from Brittany Howard and Miley Cyrus and another from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter.

The special followed a separate concert to honor the anniversary Friday which featured performances from Cher, Lady Gaga and Ms. Lauryn Hill (to name a few).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul McCartney, on 'SNL 50,' rouses celebrity-studded crowd