It wasn't that difficult to come up with my Top 10 Sesame Street songs of all time. In fact, most of them instantly popped into my head...then were stuck there for the next few days!
As you can see in the list below, most of the best Sesame Street songs were written by Joe Raposo and Jeff Moss very early on in the show's existence. Many of these tunes can be found on Sesame Street: Platinum All Time Favorites, originally released on CD by Koch Records in 1995, and currently available on the Amazon.com website. And don't forget to check out the official Sesame Street YouTube Channel.
1. "Rubber Duckie" - sung by Ernie
Arguably the most reminisced-about song from Sesame Street! Written by Jeff Moss for the first season of Sesame Street, "Rubber Duckie" went on to reach #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1970, and is my pick for best Sesame Street song of all time. "Squeaky! Squeaky!"
2. "Bein' Green" - sung by Kermit
This melancholy, but ultimately uplifting, ballad was written by Joe Raposo for the first season of Sesame Street, and was originally titled "Green." "Bein' Green" has been covered by dozens of performers from Diana Ross to Tony Bennett, from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra.
3. "C is for Cookie" - sung by Cookie Monster
A simple mantra from a loveable character! Written by Joe Raposo, "C is for Cookie" first appeared in season three of Sesame Street, although it had been released a year earlier on The Muppet Alphabet Album in 1971.
4. "The People in Your Neighborhood" - sung by Bob
A super catchy tune written by Jeff Moss for the first season of Sesame Street. Usually sung by Bob McGrath and a couple of Muppets, "The People in Your Neighborhood" has been performed many times throughout the series with different Muppets and with various guest stars.
5. "Sing" - sung by the cast
"Sing" was covered by The Carpenters and reached #3 on the Billboard pop charts in 1973. This song was never identified with a specific character, but was usually sung by the cast or by a guest star. Written by Joe Raposo for the first season of Sesame Street.
6. "I Love Trash" - sung by Oscar
What's the one thing that makes a grouch happy? Trash, of course! Oscar the Grouch's signature song was written by Jeff Moss for the first season of Sesame Street.
7. "ABC-DEF-GHI Song" - sung by Big Bird
This little tune is a perfect encapsulation of Big Bird's naiveté, as he tries to pronounce the alphabet as one single word. Written for the first season of Sesame Street by Joe Raposo, "ABC-DEF-GHI Song" was performed several times throughout the series.
8. "Sesame Street Theme" - sung by the cast
Is there anyone who doesn't know this song!?! The music was composed by Joe Raposo, and the lyrics were a collaboration between Jon Stone, Bruce Hart, and Joe Raposo. The Sesame Street theme song, officially known as "Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street," was of course written for the first season, and has been performed in a wide variety of styles by many characters and guest stars.
9. "12 (Pinball Animation)" - sung by The Pointer Sisters
The pinball sequence animated shorts were truly products of the times, as the trippy, far-out travels of a pinball are accompanied by funky, wild instrumentation. Written by Walt Kraemer, with vocals provided by The Pointer Sisters, "Pinball Animation" simply sings the numbers one through twelve, punctuated by the highlighted digit, in this case 12!
10. "Elmo's Song" - sung by Elmo
Sesame Street purists might never accept Elmo as a true part of the classic cast, but there's no denying the popularity of the character. "Elmo's Song" is a very simple sing-along written by Tony Geiss, and first appeared in season 21 of Sesame Street.
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