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When Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees Brought Disco to Sesame Street
In 1978, the Bee Gees were at the height of their fame. Following the massive success of Saturday Night Fever in 1977, Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb became global icons. Their legendary soundtrack—featuring unforgettable hits like “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” and “More Than a Woman”—defined the disco era and cemented their place in music history.
At the time, disco wasn’t just music—it was a cultural phenomenon, pulsing through nightclubs around the world. Meanwhile, the beloved children’s show Sesame Street was known for incorporating pop culture to teach young viewers about the world. Naturally, even the Muppets couldn’t resist the disco craze.
That year, Sesame Street released a playful parody album titled Sesame Street Fever, riffing on the Gibb brothers’ disco dominance. In a surprising (and delightful) twist, Robin Gibb himself took part in the project. But what convinced a global superstar to team up with puppets?
The answer was simple: his children. Robin’s kids, Melissa and Spencer, were huge Sesame Street fans and were desperate to meet the characters. Wanting to make that dream come true, Robin agreed to contribute to the album—on one condition: that Melissa and Spencer could meet the Cookie Monster in person. So the family traveled from England to New York to make it happen.
Robin didn’t just make an appearance—he brought the full force of his falsetto to the record. He performed lead vocals on tracks like “Trash,” “Sesame Street Fever,” and even a disco version of “C is for Cookie,” where he shares playful banter with Cookie Monster himself.
The album became a surprise hit, going gold in 1978. It even earned a Grammy nomination for Best Recording for Children the following year (though it ultimately lost to The Muppet Show). Music historian Bob Stanley summed it up perfectly, saying the album was a hit “like everything else the Bee Gees touched.”
With Grover dressed as John Travolta’s Tony Manero and Bert, Ernie, and Cookie Monster decked out like the Bee Gees on the album cover, Sesame Street Fever was a whimsical and memorable collision of disco and children’s television.
But beyond the success, what mattered most was the joy it brought Robin’s kids. Robin Gibb may have helped take disco to the masses, but for Melissa and Spencer, he was simply the dad who made magic happen with a little help from the Cookie Monster.