Sing

"Sing" is a 1971 song written by Joe Raposo for the children's television show Sesame Street as its signature song. In 1973, it gained popularity when performed by Carpenters, a #3 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Raposo was a staff songwriter for Sesame Street, and the song became one of the most popular on the program, sung in English, Spanish and sign language. In its initial appearance, it was sung by the show's adult human cast members (the most frequent lead singer was Bob McGrath) and Muppets, including Big Bird. Barbra Streisand's 1972 version of the song was released as a single, reaching #28 on the Easy Listening chart and #94 on the Billboard Hot 100. Many other versions have been recorded by a variety of artists, including Trini Lopez, who recorded a Spanish-language version in 1972 that appeared on his album Viva. Background of Carpenters version Although Barbra Streisand had an easy-listening hit in 1972 with "Sing," Karen and Richard Carpenter heard the song for the first time as guests on the ABC television special Robert Young with the Young in 1973. They loved the song and felt that it could be a hit. It appeared as the debut single on the group's 1973 album Now & Then. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and it became the group's seventh gold single.