It was recently announced that Brandi Carlile would be making an appearance on Sesame Street to perform a song called “That’s Why We Love Nature” with a little help from Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus, and when the news broke, it immediately served as a reminder of just how many other musicians of note have made appearances on the long-running educational series. As such, Q decided to take a look back through the show’s archives and shine a spotlight on some of the most memorable musical guest stars to stroll onto Sesame Street over the course of the show’s history.
Elvis Costello and Elmo, “A Monster Went and Ate My Red 2”
It’s a parody aimed squarely at old-school Elvis fans, to be sure, since the song was almost 35 years old by the time Costello made his appearance on the show, but it’s no less amazing for that. Mind you, putting Elmo in virtually the same outfit as Elvis didn’t hurt.
R.E.M., “Happy Furry Monsters”
“We might not have done other songs with the Muppets, but that one fitted,” R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills told The Sun in 2016. “They had already rewritten it as ‘Furry Happy Monsters.’ and we said, ‘All right, why not?’ It’s not as if we were tarnishing its legacy.”
Goo Goo Dolls and Elmo, “Pride”
In this parody of their hit single “Slide,” the band takes everyone’s favorite red monster through a list of things that he’s proud of having accomplished.
Johnny Cash and Oscar, “Nasty Dan”
Penned by Jeff Moss, the man who also composed the legendary “Rubber Duckie,” Cash actually included this song in his 1975 LP, The Johnny Cash Children’s Album.
Billy Joel, Marlee Matlin, and Oscar, “Just the Way You Are”
Ironically, Joel once told Rolling Stone that teachers called his song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” “the greatest teaching tool to come down the pike since Sesame Street.” With this appearance, it’s all come full circle.
James Taylor and Oscar, “Your Grouchy Face”
This tweaking of Taylor’s hit “Your Smiling Face” wasn’t his only performance on the show: while he was visiting Sesame Street, he also did a straightforward version of “Up on the Roof” as well as “Jellyman Kelly.” (He also contributed the latter song to Harmony: A Sesame Street Record, released in 1980.)
Dave Matthews and Grover, “I Need a Word”
Matthews is chilling on the stoop when Grover strolls up, and when neither of them can come up with a word to describe how they’re feeling, they decide to sing a song about it.
Dave Grohl, Big Bird and Elmo, “Here We Go Song”
One of the more rockin’ entries on this list, but it’s not Dave’s only appearance on the Sesame Street YouTube channel; he also pops up to reveal how formative the show’s songs were on him as a musician.
Destiny’s Child, Elmo, Grover, and Zoe, “A New Way to Walk”
An all-star affair, with two classic Muppets, along with relative newcomer Zoe, showing off some serious moves, but maybe the biggest laugh comes from Zoe’s reaction to the arrival of Destiny’s Child, which sounds like Scooby-Doo and the gang meeting a guest-star. “It’s Destiny’s Child!"
Smokey Robinson, “U Really Got a Hold on Me”
Definitely one of the older and sillier songs in the mix, but it’s also one of the funnier ones, thanks to an unexpectedly hilarious turn by Smokey, who’s apparently spent all these years as a closet physical comedian.
Norah Jones and Elmo, “Don’t Know Y”
Maybe one of the most ridiculous songs adaptations of a song, with Jones playing the piano with a framed picture of the letter “Y” in front of her, recalling her favorite times with the letter and pining over why it hasn’t showed up. (Spoiler alert: Y eventually shows up and Jones forgives the apologetic letter, which shouts, “Yippee!”)
Billie Eilish with the Count, “Happier Than Ever”
It’s a rarity for The Count to get the opportunity to croon a tune, possibly because his Lugosi-esque tones don’t necessarily lend themselves to a lot of range, but who knew that Eilish was as much of a fan of counting as that guy?
Ray Charles and Bert and Ernie, “I Got a Song”
Charles made several appearances on the show over the years, including a version of “The A-B-C Song” featuring an all-star cast, but to our way of thinking, you can’t go wrong with a Bert and Ernie song.
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Janelle Monae, “Power of Yet”
This track holds a particular honor amongst the songs on the list, in that it’s the only one to have won a Daytime Emmy for Best Original Song. (Other notable celebrity Sesame Street collaborations to have won the award include tunes by Will.i.am (“What I Am”) and Sia (“Song About Songs”).
James Blunt and Telly, “My Triangle”
Poor James Blunt. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d lost the love of his life, now he’s gone and lost the three-sided shape that made him happy. “Oh, triangle, it’s true: I saw your shape in a crowded place, now I don’t know what to do, ‘cause you’re gone and I’m so blue...” Bonus points to Telly, however, for successfully working the word “hypotenuse” into the lyrics.
