Sesame Street Storytime

Since its 1969 debut, Sesame Street has stayed at the forefront of educational children's programming through its signature mix of cherished puppet figures, memorable tunes, and inventive teaching techniques that have shaped how successive waves of young audiences absorb new skills. The Children's Television Workshop developed the series alongside legendary puppeteer and artist Jim Henson, and the show's lasting appeal stems largely from its roster of puppet standouts, including Big Bird, Bert & Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, and Elmo. Equally vital are the original songs that became standards, such as "Rubber Ducky," "I Love Trash," and "C Is for Cookie." Across its long run, the program hosted a wide array of musical visitors, among them Ray Charles, Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Aerosmith, Los Lobos, Melissa Etheridge, and Luciano Pavarotti. Popular music likewise supplied fresh vehicles for the program's lessons, as parodies of tracks by Bruce Springsteen ("Born to Add"), Madonna ("Cereal Girl"), and the Rolling Stones ("I Can't Get No Cooperation") helped convey key ideas. Sesame Street also produced many album and video compilations over the decades, guaranteeing its influence on later generations of entertainers.