10 Incredible Sesame Street Songs for its 40th Anniversary

6. "Letter B"

Beatles covers are a source of contempt among much of the Fab Four-gobbling populace, but the Cat Stevens-style vocals here are so cute that I imagine the fanatics even tolerate this. Plus, that intro by the Count is more than worthy of a Dick Clark production.

7. "Cereal Girl"

Sesame Street has long parodied veritable pop hits, but Madonna is a surprise inspiration. Should Lourdes's maker be offended that the chanteuse here looks more like Cyndi Lauper?

8. "It's a Rainy Day"

Of all the songs to slip into American subconscious, "It's a Rainy Day" ranks highly. Perhaps it's just because the song gels so well with a languid, rainy-day mood, but it also has a genuine hook. Switch up a few words, and Nellie Forbush could sing this during a romantic lull in South Pacific.

9. "Healthy Food"

Cookie Monster's rap about healthy foods could seem like a betrayal of his stalwart, chocolate chip zealotry, but he compensates by donning gangster threads and employing the kind of rhymes and background vocals that might make Afrika Bambaataa (and exasperated health teachers across the nation) envious.

10. "It's Alright to Cry"

Sesame Street's hypersensitive fan base wept with empathy upon the premiere of this ballad in 1994. It is still OK to cry even today -- particularly when you realize that Big Bird has had a lot of work done.

Pages: 1 2