For 52 years, Sesame Street has been educating and entertaining our kids, and — let's be real — entertaining us too. The show has always walked the tricky balance between being a children's program but also being interesting enough for adults to watch along with their little ones. One way the show has kept adults tuning in has been by using celebrity guest stars. Sure, it's unlikely that our kids know who people like Sandra Oh or Johnny Cash are, but we know — and that makes seeing their surprise appearances that much more fun to watch.
In the show's decades-long run, dozens of celebrities have made cameos to teach us new words, talk about important life lessons, and sing fun songs. Some cameos stick out more than others, though, and we're still thinking about these 20 guest appearances years later.
Johnny Cash
Jim Carrey
The always exuberant Jim Carrey paid a visit to Sesame Street in 1992 to demonstrate how to show emotions with just your feet. The acting in the sketch is so good, it'll beg the question of how Jim doesn't have a single Oscar for any of his iconic comedic films. The man simply is acting.
Little Richard
Chances are the only version of "Rubber Duckie" you know is the Little Richard version, because it's so iconic. The legendary singer performed his cover in 1994, and it became an instant classic. Little Richard may have sang, "Rubber duckie you're the one," but really he was the one for bringing this rendition into our lives.
R.E.M
During the 1998 season, the popular rock band R.E.M joined Sesame Street for a rendition of their hit song "Shiny Happy People" — only this time it was called "Happy Furry Monsters." It's honestly just as good as the original, and maybe better. That's the power of a Sesame Street parody song.
Patti LaBelle
Only legendary singer Patti LaBelle could make the plain old alphabet sound this good. She was just singing a string of letters, and yet it was beautiful. Patti performed this gospel masterpiece in 1999, and it remains one of the few alphabet song renditions we can still listen to on repeat.
NSYNC
In 2000, NSYNC appeared on Sesame Street to sing a cover of the series hit "Believe in Yourself." The song was written for the show in 1972 and has been sung by many over the years, but this is the most memorable rendition. Who doesn't love seeing Justin Timberlake in a bucket hat singing to a bunch of muppets?
The Backstreet Boys
Not to be outdone by their boy band competition, the Backstreet Boys performed on Sesame Street two years later in 2002. For their guest spot, they sang "One Small Voice," a tune about how anyone can teach the world a song if they just try to use their voice. The song has also been covered by Kenny Loggins.
