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1. Sesame Street: The Surprising Rocker Behind the Numbers

Sesame Street was sort of the MTV of children’s programming when it premiered in 1969. There were a few adult “regulars” in the neighborhood, but the true stars were the Muppets – Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, Oscar, et al – and the various animated shorts and comedy skits. I already knew my alphabet and numbers, so I was a bit older than the target demographic of Sesame Street, but I still watched it regularly because the A.D.D.-soothing, rapid-fire graphics were mesmerizing. Plus, the songs were catchy. One of my favorite recurring bits was the “Jazzy Spies,” which featured a frenetic musical background while a singer repeatedly intoned the particular numeral being highlighted. The vocalist was none other than Grace Slick (of Jefferson Airplane/Starship), whose then-husband, Jerry Slick, actually produced those segments.

(borrowed from Mental Floss)