One of the well-known “secrets” of Sesame Street‘s enduring success is that it is not aimed purely at its pre-literate, toddler audience. Many of the skits have a sly sense of humor aimed at any adults in the room.
The Muppet Show took this a step further, with many (fairly) contemporary acts performing. After The Muppet Show‘s successful run, it looks like Sesame Street moved further in that direction.
For instance, even though I can’t say I was a fan of the Goo Goo Dolls in their heyday, I really enjoyed their Sesame Street performance of Pride, a reworking of their hit single Slide:
It’s amazing how earnest the lead singer is — especially in contrast to the other members of the band, who are clearly acting like they’re playing with a toddler (Elmo).
I can’t say I was ever a fan of Hootie and the Blowfish either, but I love the notion of turning Hold My Hand into a traffic-safety song:
Incidentally, these videos remind you why the front man is the front man. Darius seems perfectly comfortable singing to a red puppet. The other guys? Not so much.
Lastly, Norah Jones turns Don’t Know Why into Don’t Know Y — and really performs a part: