Both are from the pop icon’s 2023 Christmas album
Cher closed out the final Saturday Night Live of 2025 with two tracks from her 2023 Christmas album.
The pop icon, who had been an SNL musical guest only once before, opened with the up-tempo “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” one of the original songs on the album.
Her only Christmas album—and 27th overall—also includes a duet with Darlene Love on “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and appearances by Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Tyga and Cyndi Lauper.
“They’re not ‘Christmas-Christmas’ songs, OK?” she told Billboardat the time. “They’re just great songs. And I never say that because I almost never like what I do. But I mean people love it and I’m happy. I’m so particular, but I love the songs and everyone who hears them loves them.”
Cher’s second performance was of “Run Rudolph Run,” written by Chuck Berry in 1958 and credited to Marvin Brodie and Christmas songwriter Johnny Marks for having trademarked the Rudolph character.
Fresh off a legal win regarding royalties to Sonny & Cher songs like 1965’s “I Got You Babe,” Cher, 79, was recently announced as a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was first nominated for a Grammy 60 years ago.