"Hello, Dolly!" is the title song from a 1964 Broadway musical, originally starring Carol Channing as the titular Dolly. Channing appeared on Sesame Street in 1984 to sing a modified version, "Hello, Sammy!" to Sammy the Snake.

In 1967, an African-American version of the musical opened, starring Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. Bailey sings the song with the Muppets as part of the closing number in The Muppet Show episode 305.