How Hip Was Sesame Street?

The words "Sesame Street" have a special place in the collective heart of my generation. For many of us who grew up on daily doses of the show, the mere allusion to it brings us back to a more innocent place and time. We scoff at Barney the Purple Dinosaur, but are still secretly entertained by Snuffleupagus, the wooly mammoth with a Greek surname.

But perhaps there's more to this than simple nostalgia. I contend that despite its aims as a children's television show, Sesame Street was pretty damned cool for its audience. Look at the roster of musicians who've appeared on the program, for example, and you'll find some pretty reputable names: Cab Calloway, Jose Carreras, Johnny Cash, Bo Diddley, Yo Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, REM, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Furthermore, the creators of the show have always been good about allowing the personalities of their guests to shine brightly:



You don't see Andre3000 doing guest spots on Teletubbies, do you? Enough said.

Further perusal of old Sesame Street footage reveals another point: even the music for the animated vignettes is damned good. Exhibit B:



The Pointer Sisters are singing on this track - that much is known. I've also heard rumors that the Rhodes piano player is Herbie Hancock. Either way, the track fantastic. And that's aside from the psychedelic animation, which also pleases me quite a bit.

Bottom line: I'm glad that my formative years were spent under the influence of a show whose creators had such good taste. And to think - ten years older, and I'd have grown up on Barney...