The Library of Congress announced its annual list of music that will be added to the National Recording Registry to be preserved forever. The group of 25 albums, songs and singles have all made an incredible impact on America’s music legacy.
Classic rock is represented on the list by The Doors’ 1967 self-titled debut, along with Joan Baez’s self-titled debut album from 1960. Sly And The Family Stone’s Stand! from 1969 is also joining the list.
Several recordings from the ‘90s were included, with the Radiohead’s now-legendary 1997 album OK Computer and Lauryn Hill’s 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill added. The 1995 Sesame Street album All-Time Platinum Favorites is joining. The most recent recording is the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s 1999 performance of Joan Tower’s Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman.
The oldest recordings date back to 1890 and come from a collection of wax cylinder recordings from the University of California, Santa Barbara library. Many of these recordings provide insight into the everyday lives of people living between 1890 and 1910. Benjamin Ives Gilman’s recordings at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago will also be preserved.
Comedian Steve Martin’s A Wild And Crazy Guy album from 1978 was also added.
Some of the important individual songs that were added include The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons” and Johnny Mercer’s “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive.”
Here’s the full list:
Vernacular Wax Cylinder Recordings at University of California, Santa Barbara Library (c.1890-1910)
The Benjamin Ives Gilman Collection, recorded at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1893)
"The Boys of the Lough"/"The Humours of Ennistymon" (single)—Michael Coleman (1922)
"Black Snake Moan"/ "Match Box Blues"(single)—Blind Lemon Jefferson (1928)
"Sorry, Wrong Number" (episode of "Suspense" radio series, May 25, 1943)
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (single)—Johnny Mercer (1944)
Radio Coverage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Funeral—Arthur Godfrey, et al. (April 14, 1945)
"Kiss Me, Kate" (original cast album) (1949)
"John Brown’s Body" (album)—Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, and Raymond Massey; directed by Charles Laughton (1953)
"My Funny Valentine" (single)—The Gerry Mulligan Quartet featuring Chet Baker (1953)
"Sixteen Tons" (single)—Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
"Mary Don’t You Weep" (single)—The Swan Silvertones (1959)
"Joan Baez" (album)—Joan Baez (1960)
"Stand by Me" (single)—Ben E. King (1961)
"New Orleans’ Sweet Emma Barrett and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band" (album)—Sweet Emma and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964)
"You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’" (single)—The Righteous Brothers (1964)
"The Doors" (album)—The Doors (1967)
"Stand!" (album)—Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
"Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues" (album)—Lincoln Mayorga (1968)
"A Wild and Crazy Guy" (album)—Steve Martin (1978)
"Sesame Street: All-Time Platinum Favorites" (album)—Various (1995)
"OK Computer" (album)—Radiohead (1997)
"Songs of the Old Regular Baptists"—Various (1997)
"The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (album)—Lauryn Hill (1998)
"Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman" (album)—Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor; Joan Tower, composer (1999)