Barbra Streisand, Peter Gabriel and Mikko Hypponen pick their must-see TED Talks

We in the TED office still cannot quite believe that our website has seen a billion video views. To celebrate this milestone, we reached out to 24 top personalities in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, asking them to curate a playlist of the TED Talks they want the world to watch, stat. So far we’ve shared lists from Bill Gates, Glenn Close, Reggie Watts, Ben Affleck, Jill Bolte Taylor, Bono, Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA, Isaac Mizrahi, and Chinese newscaster Wang Lifen. Today, we have playlists from Peter Gabriel, Mikko Hypponen, and Barbra Streisand, who made her picks along with Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.

In 2006, Peter Gabriel stepped on the TED stage to share why he co-founded the human rights watchdog group WITNESS, which empowers everyday people to film and document rights abuses and which highlights the work of citizen journalists around the globe. It’s a very powerful talk.

Considering how thrilling the video for “Sledgehammer” still feels, it’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 25 years since Gabriel’s classic album, So, was released. So we were curious: what TED Talks does Gabriel think will still be making waves in 25 years? Head to the playlist section to see his choices, from printing a human kidney to reinventing education >>

And two more talks Gabriel wants to make sure you watch: Steve Jobs’ “How to live before you die” and “John Lloyd inventories the invisible.”

Cybersecurity expert and two-time TED speaker Mikko Hypponen has spent his career fighting computer viruses. While most of his favorite talks seem very in line with his work, one stands out. Hypponen explains, “The talks I chose for my playlist are about technology, security or privacy. Because geeks. Then I added the talk from Dan Barber. Because fish.” Head to the playlist section to see his picks >>

Barbra Streisand may be an 8-time Grammy winner and notable actress, but she is also an advocate for women’s health who helped establish the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center. At TEDxWomen 2011, Streisand introduced the center’s director, Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz.

Dr. Merz writes, “Over the years, Barbra Streisand and I have partnered to help raise awareness about the need for gender-specific heart research and care. We were honored to participate at TEDxWomen to convey what we believe is the biggest health threat women face. Now, Barbra and I have partnered to share a selection of our favorite TED Talks, which shed light on cutting-edge advances in science and medicine and celebrate strong women who are making a positive impact in their communities and beyond. Additionally, Barbra has chosen some of her favorite talks, which highlight some of the issues she cares deeply about. We hope that you enjoy these talks by talented and inspiring individuals who encourage all of us to answer their call to action.” Head to the playlist section to watch their selections >>

And one other bonus talk that got Streisand and Merz very excited: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s surprise appearance at TEDWomen.

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Stay tuned to the TED Blog tomorrow for playlists from Dave Eggers, Stefan Sagmeister and Japanese musician Ryuchi Sakamoto. Special thanks to Mashable and iTunes for helping us share these playlists. Head to iTunes to download these lists as limited-edition podcasts and to Mashable see their exclusive additional lists from tech superstars.

And as always, we want to hear about the talks you love. This week, tweet a favorite playlist — or the name of talk that deeply resonated with you — using the hashtag #topTED.

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