40 years ago, a show premiered on PBS that essentially gave birth to the concept of television for children. "Sesame Street" sought to cram a handful of lessons about numbers, words, sharing and tolerance by depicting a slightly fantasized life for a group of kids living in an inner-city setting. Using humor, animation and music, "Sesame Street" proved that television could be used as an educational tool and still hold the attention of hyperactive kids. (It could easily be argued that no show has ever done it better.)

"Sesame Street" also provided the leg up that Jim Henson needed that turned the Muppets into household names. Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and a cast of dozens more not only became well-known to children but also entered into the greater pop culture lexicon. The remarkable thing about the Muppets remains their total integration into the normal human world (like Cookie Monster appearing as a guest on "The Martha Stewart Show" or Lady Gaga bringing Kermit the Frog as her date to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards).

The show has also become a conduit for other branches of pop culture. (They say you haven't really made it as a star until you're a guest voice on "The Simpsons," but the "Sesame Street" cameo is also worth a fortune in cultural caché.) Plenty of musical acts have appeared next to Big Bird, some of whom seemed to come from way outside of the box: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Backstreet Boys, Beyoncé, R.E.M., Gene Simmons, Ice-T and the late Michael Jackson have all appeared on the show in some form or another. The best musical cameo of the past few seasons was when Feist appeared to sing a slightly tweaked version of her hit "1234" (sample lyric: "One, two, three, four/ Penguins who were by the door"). Really, it's remarkable that the original song wasn't written expressly for the show.

We may be in a recession, but even when the economy is in the toilet, you still need to have great music. That's why we invented "Bargain Spins," a new feature that focuses on overlooked albums that also happen to be available in every used or bargain bin in every record store in the country (and if you don't have a record store in your town anymore, you can still find them discounted in most every digital music store or on sites like Half.com). So enjoy some great records you might have missed.

James' Pick: The Amps, Pacer (1995): In hindsight, it's pretty clear that 1995 was the year the alt-rock bubble burst. The tepid response to that summer's Lollapalooza festival (featuring Sonic Youth as the headliners) had plenty to do with that, and so did Pacer. Originally intended to be little more than a Kim Deal solo album, Pacer blossomed — drunkenly, it seems — into a full-band recording after Kim's sister Kelley was arrested for heroin possession and subsequently entered a rehab facility. Realizing that they were suddenly going to be releasing the follow-up to the Breeders' breakthrough Last Splash album, Elektra Records ordered a huge first pressing of Pacer, and when it sold about as well as a delightfully lo-fi one-off could be expected to sell, Pacer was doomed to an eternal existence in bargain bin purgatory. Still, it's a fabulous listen. Songs like "Tipp City" and "I Am Decided" crackle with live-wire, first-take energy, and free of the Breeders' burden, Deal sounds like she's having an absolute blast. Sure, Pacer was a commercial disaster, but rarely — if ever — do disasters shine so brightly.

Kyle's Pick: R.E.M., New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996): It seems strange to think of a band as seminal as R.E.M. having a reject album, but New Adventures in Hi-Fi stands as one of their great unloved collections. Read more...

Early Friday (October 9) morning, NASA fired the latest salvo in its ongoing war with the Mooninites, smashing a rocket into a lunar crater just because they felt like it.

OK, that's not necessarily true. The stated purpose of NASA's mission was to discover water ice buried beneath the surface of the moon, but we here in the MTV Newsroom would like to think that NASA's real intent was twofold. First, to get revenge for the infamous Mooninite invasion of Boston in 2007, and second, to remind those moon jerks that the Earth still is the big dog on the galactic block … and, well, if you can't run with the big dogs, YOU BETTER STAY ON THE PORCH.

So, in celebration of the Earth being #1 — and to rub it in the face of those lunar losers even more — we've made a playlist of our favorite "Moon" songs. Yeah, that's right, we're calling you out, Mooninites, and we await your inevitable rebuttal.

Ozzy Osbourne, "Bark at the Moon"
Prime solo-career cut from the Prince of Darkness. Featuring Jake E. Lee on lead guitar and Ozzy dressed as an awesome wolfman in the music video. Seriously, what else do you need to know?

Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bad Moon Rising"
John Fogerty was right, there really was a bad moon on the rise … or at least there was until the folks at NASA laid down the intergalactic law. Bonus points for this song serving as the inspiration behind Chris Berman's nickname for the immortal Andre "Bad Moon" Rison.

Echo and the Bunnymen, "The Killing Moon"
Swoony, atmospheric post-punk with a message: The moon is a killer and must be stopped at all costs (or something like that). You probably remember this song from the opening sequence of "Donnie Darko," or from the roughly 10,000 cover versions that exist.

Feist, "My Moon, My Man"
Believe it or not, Canada has a space program, too (it's so adorable!), and this sexy, sumptuous tune is its official theme song. Okay, you got us: We made up the part about Canada having a space program.
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There aren't a whole lot of bands who came up in the 1980s and are still kicking around. Actually, strike that. There are plenty of bands who are still milking it (including Kajagoogoo!), but most of them are shells of their former selves or simply irrelevant in the 21st century. Even the bands who have retained their size (U2, Bruce Springsteen) have a hard time keeping their new material interesting. But even though they have 25 percent fewer members than they did at their peak, R.E.M. have still managed to keep things lively, thought-provoking and hugely anthemic. Since drummer Bill Berry left the band for health reasons in 1997, the group continued as a trio and constructed a series of quiet, underrated albums in Up, Reveal and Around the Sun. In 2008, they got back to their louder roots with the stunning Accelerate. They remain one of the most relevant and definitive socially-conscious rock bands, having stumped for Barack Obama during last year's election and standing up for gay rights.

Though they retain their relevance in the 21st century, R.E.M. will probably never be as big as they were in 1992, when on this day they released Automatic for the People. Though they had scored a big commercial crossover the previous year with Out of Time (and its accidentally massive single "Losing My Religion"), Automatic for the People represented the band at its commercial peak. The sad-eyed single "Everybody Hurts" was inescapable, but the rest of the album was really stunning: The pulsating "Drive," the head-nodding "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight," the haunting "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" and the positive jam "Man on the Moon." But the most magical track on the record also had a delightfully lo-fi, moving video, so enjoy "Nightswimming" and remember that three decades of relevance is harder than it looks.

Last night, I did something I never thought I would do: I left the office, took the subway to Madison Square Garden and showed my ticket to an usher so that I could be let into the Britney Spears concert, the second of her three Circus stops in New York this week. The idea was to get the perspective of somebody not used to big spectacles, and I walked away educated and confused but — ultimately — pleasantly surprised.

Not only had I never seen Britney Spears live, but I also have very little experience with giant pop shows or even arena acts. I've lived in New York for 10 years and have been to Madison Square Garden countless times for basketball games, but prior to last night the only concerts I had ever seen there were R.E.M., AC/DC and an ill-advised Barenaked Ladies show (that one was for a girl). Britney certainly blew away each of those groups (even the heavy-on-pyro AC/DC) with the spectacle that is the Circus tour.

(Click here for more photos from Britney Spears' wild summer!)

For the complete blow-by-blow, you should really check out Jocelyn Vena's full show report from Monday night as well as Jim Cantiello's reactions and highlights, but here are a few things that stood out to me.

» Britney Spears Knows Showmanship
Even during the best rock shows, there will always be a song or two that don't mean as much to you as the rest of them (there are always exceptions). Usually, that's the time to go back to the bar, hit the bathroom or text your friends about what a great show it is, but Britney gives you options. Not a big fan of "Piece of Me"? There are plenty of dancers to distract you. Can't stand "Ooh Ooh Baby"? No worries — magician and former "Saved by the Bell" cast member Ed Alonzo is here to perform some magic. Also, I was seriously impressed with how she covered all areas of the stage so that no corner of the arena could say they got any more or less Britney than anybody else.

» Britney Spears Is Adored
I've spent my entire life going to concerts and sporting events, but rarely have I heard the sort of sustained frenzy that I heard last night. Read more...

Weezer just announced that they will be releasing their new album on October 27. The still-untitled record will be preceded by the release of a single called "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," which is supposed to hit radio on August 25. I haven't heard the song yet, but I can already tell it's going to be great. Why? Because it has parentheses. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the easiest way to elevate your songs from good to great is to toss a parenthetical phrase into the title. In the world of music, parentheses will always equal immortality.

Take Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." What you have there is an epic seven-minute song with a lyric sheet that makes no sense at all. But it ended up being a massive single for Mr. Loaf, and do you know why? Parentheses!

It doesn't end there. R.E.M.'s single about Armageddon would be something of a downer if it was simply called "It's the End of the World as We Know It," but luckily it's called "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." The simple addition of the parenthetical phrase flips it from a downer to a slightly more optimistic tune.

The parenthetical statements don't always complete the thought. Take the Backstreet Boys' "Everybody." It's not terribly descriptive, is it? Are they pro or con everybody? Why isn't there a verb in there? But upon closer inspection, it turns out the real title is "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." Now it's clear — BSB want everybody to know they have returned! A similar "A-ha!" moment occurs with "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," because without the add-on, how would we know what games to quit playing?

Want more parenthetical videos? Check out the playlist below, which features clips from BSB, Jay-Z, New Kids on the Block, Green Day and a particularly phenomenal parentheses-assisted clip from 30 Seconds to Mars.

Break out the cupcakes and grab some novelty candles, because Wake-Up Video is celebrating another birthday. Today's honoree is Ben Gibbard, who was born August 11, 1976. Gibbard is best known as the frontman for Death Cab for Cutie, the strangely-named indie rock band he helped found outside of Seattle in 1997. In the post-grunge era, Gibbard and his fellow Death Cab cohorts tapped into a softer, more clear-eyed vein that borrowed a bit from first-generation emo and a bit from R.E.M.'s version of jangly arena rock. Since then, they've gone from tiny little pop band to indie royalty, selling out arena tours, becoming a cornerstone reference on the television drama "The O.C." and playing a big role in last year's presidential election (as well as standing up for animal rights). And now they've even got a nomination for a Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video for their clip for "Grapevine Fires."

But Gibbard isn't just the frontman for Death Cab for Cutie. He's also the voice behind synth-pop project the Postal Service, whose "Such Great Heights" has been given a number of notable covers (including one by Iron & Wine that scored an M&M's commercial and a recent hardcore version from a band called Confide that became a viral hit). Gibbard has also recorded solo work and has collaborated with the likes of Jenny Lewis, Pedro the Lion, the Long Winters and Feist.

His biggest moment may be yet to come, as he is engaged to pixie sweetheart (and fellow musician) Zooey Deschanel. They haven't set a date for their wedding yet, but here's hoping it goes better than the ceremony featured in the video for Death Cab for Cutie's "Cath."

Over the weekend, everyone's favorite Twitter aficionado John Mayer made an observation that lead to an interesting exchange via the social networking site. Yesterday, the guitar giant tweeted, "Listening to the hits channel on Sirius. I will reserve criticism but say that every ninth year of a decade really brings the junk." He went on to point out that the charts in 1979, '89 and '99 are all relatively low-quality, and in the meantime, the "2" years ('82, '92 and 2002) all seem to produce greatness. Mayer uses the example of Warrant to throw 1989 under the bus, which is a brilliant strategy considering that their album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich was not only gigantic but also represented the predominant trend of the era (that being hair metal). But is it a fair assessment of the decade? And how do those other years measure up?

Mayer is a little unfair to 1979, as the top singles from that year were a mix of disco tracks, one-hit wonders and the first big influences of punk and New Wave. Blondie's "Heart of Glass" bridged the gap between dance music and their brand of icy rock, while the Knack's "My Sharona" was a brief hit that ended up being far more influential than anybody could have imagined. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, so it's possible that in the present tense those songs were utterly unacceptable. But it ended up being okay. There were plenty of duds (Chic's "Good Times," Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out"), but it was also the year that saw Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" can't be all bad.

1989 was more questionable. Read more...

The new video for the Killers' "Goodnight, Travel Well" (from last year's Day and Age) shares a lot of similarities with past Killers videos: It's a lush, cinematic affair that compliments their epic songwriting nicely. But the thing that sets "Goodnight, Travel Well" apart from their past work is that it represents the second in a series of clips produced by UNICEF and MTV EXIT, both of whom are working towards fighting human trafficking around the world. It follows last year's video for Radiohead's "All I Need."

"Goodnight, Travel Well" focuses on international sex trafficking, an abhorrent practice that deeply troubles the band. "We are deeply shocked and appalled that women and children are forced into such exploitative situations," they said in a statement. "We hope that through MTV's efforts and this powerful video that millions of people across the world learn about this tragic form of modern-day slavery."

Launched in 2004, MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) is a worldwide campaign that brings together musicians and human right workers to fight human trafficking around the world. In addition to the Killers and Radiohead, participating bands include R.E.M., the White Stripes and Placebo.

Over the weekend at UFC 100, former professional wrestler Brock Lesnar established himself as the most dominant heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, delivering a pounding to top contender Frank Mir. Lesnar has only had five fights in his career, but he's a freak who seemingly can't be beaten.

Enter Shane Carwin, a man nicknamed "The Colossus From Colorado" who will become the next in line to fight Lesnar should he beat Cain Velasquez in October. Carwin is also a beast who may have faster hands and a better reach than Lesnar. But he has one thing working against him: His music.

Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut using Mötley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil" but has since adopted Metallica's "Enter Sandman." It's a little cliché, sure, but it's also exceptionally badass (especially in a sport where "putting people to sleep" is the main goal). On the other hand, Carwin used Drowning Pool's "Bodies" walking into his last fight. A heavy song for sure, but it's hard to compete with Metallica.

So what is Carwin to do? Here are a few suggestions.

Judas Priest, "Revolution"

It's got an ominous intro, a heavier-than-thou riff and lyrics that suggest that a change is coming whether you like it or not — perfect for a guy looking to unseat a champion.
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