Sesame St. is forty. Not a grey hair to be found.

This week saw the fortieth birthday of that little eternal gem known as Sesame St. There's been many deserving tributes throughout the media spectrum in the past week: Google released a week of homepage doodles dedicated to the show; those commies over at the Guardian, as always, put things into context as only they can; and even the impossibly perfect Michelle Obama turned up to teach kids how to grow cucumbers on the birthday show.

One thing we've always loved about Sesame Street are the plethora of musical guest who've turned up over the years to serenade Big Bird and his mates. Some of these people have even adapted their lyrics in an effort to appeal to the decidedly younger demographic (or, in James Blunt's case, to prove that Top Gear wasn't just a fluke and that he actually really isn't that thing that rhymes with his name). Below are a few examples of our fave musical appearances for your eternal enjoyment. The Stevie Wonder magic is dedicated to TomTom's design wiz El Yob and Mrs El Yob all the way on the other side of the planet.

But first, take us to school Ms. Patti Labelle: