The National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress has issued its annual list of 25 recordings that will be added to the esteemed list, covering a range that runs a gamut from the very first time mariachi music was captured for posterity in the early 1900s to Daddy Yankee’s “Carolina” about a hundred years later.
In-between are some curiosities and monster hits that the Library deems worthy of preservation for all time — although, in the case of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the prospect of it the recording falling into disrepair due to neglect will probably not be an issue any century soon.
Among the enduring smashes from the second half of the 20th century that made the list: Madonna‘s “Like a Virgin,” Led Zeppelin‘s “Stairway to Heaven,” John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Queen Latifah’s “All Hail the Queen,” Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Déjà Vu,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville,” John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and the Police’s “Synchronicity.”
Perhaps the biggest oddity among the list — and the National Registry does like to go outside the box with at least one or two of its choices every year — is the “Super Mario Bros.” theme first laid down by composer Koji Kondo in 1986. “Having this music preserved alongside so many other classic songs is such a great honor,” Kondo said. “It’s actually a little bit difficult to believe.”
Although there is usually not a topical component in selecting the 25 songs annually, sometimes it’s easy to see, or imagine, some recent pop-culture relevance at work in the selections. That may be the case with the “Super Mario” theme, which is hitting the registry within days of a movie adaptation becoming an instant blockbuster in theaters.
More poignantly, the selection of Jackie DeShannon’s “What the World Needs Now” might reflect renewed interest in composer Burt Bacharach following his February death, just as the choice of CSNY’s “Déjà Vu” might be a tip of the hat to the late David Crosby after his passing in January.
With these 25 additions (listed below), the overall list expands to 625.
1. “The Very First Mariachi Recordings” — Cuarteto Coculense (1908-1909)
2. “St. Louis Blues” — Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)
3. “Sugar Foot Stomp” — Fletcher Henderson (1926)
4. Dorothy Thompson: Commentary and Analysis of the European Situation for NBC Radio
(Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 1939)
5. “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” — The Fairfield Four (1947)
6. “Sherry” — The Four Seasons (1962)
7. “What the World Needs Now is Love” — Jackie DeShannon (1965)
8. “Wang Dang Doodle” — Koko Taylor (1966)
9. “Ode to Billie Joe” — Bobbie Gentry (1967)
10. “Déjà Vu” — Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970)
11. “Imagine” — John Lennon (1971)
12. “Stairway to Heaven” — Led Zeppelin (1971)
13. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” — John Denver (1971)
14. “Margaritaville” — Jimmy Buffett (1977)
15. “Flashdance…What a Feeling” — Irene Cara (1983)
16. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” — Eurythmics (1983)
17. “Synchronicity” — The Police (1983)
18. “Like a Virgin” — Madonna (1984)
19. “Black Codes (From the Underground)” — Wynton Marsalis (1985)
20. Super Mario Bros. theme — Koji Kondo, composer (1986)
21. “All Hail the Queen” — Queen Latifah (1989)
22. “All I Want for Christmas is You” — Mariah Carey (1994)
23. “Pale Blue Dot” — Carl Sagan (1994)
24. “Gasolina” — Daddy Yankee (2004)
25. “Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra” — Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Ellen
Taaffe Zwilich, composer (2012)
Said the woman who holds the title of Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, “The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture. The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on what songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”
For anyone who might want to check out some of the less familiar historical inclusions on the list, as well as the boomer favorites, links to playlists including the songs can be found here.
