1973
In one of the show's most memorable moments, Stevie Wonder plays a funky, 7-minute live version of "Superstition" on Sesame Street.
After appearing in a few segments where he teaches Grover how to sing, Wonder plays "Superstition," his #1 hit from a few months earlier. He doctors the lyrics a bit with a shout out to Cookie Monster, but doesn't suppress the groove, giving the kids a full blast of funk. Wonder is joined by his full band, which includes Ray Parker, Jr., later of "Ghostbusters" fame. They are dialed in, oblivious to the children and puppets around them. "You couldn't be distracted," bass player Scott Edwards tells Songfacts. "If you look at the clips, we're all keeping an eye on him or listening to what he's doing. I really don't remember those puppets and stuff." The show is in its fourth season, and while music has always been a mainstay on Sesame Street, Wonder is by far the biggest act to appear. "The whole studio rocked out and it was great because, white people, black people, young people, old people - everybody was on the same page," Sonia Manzano, who played Maria, says. "Moments like Stevie being on the show gave us a glimpse of the way things could be."
From Songfacts.