The Library of Congress has announced the latest addition to its National Recording Registry, which comprises 25 recordings of various genres. The selected recordings span from the early 1900s with the very first mariachi music to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” from the 2000s. The list also includes popular hits such as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Koji Kondo’s “Super Mario Bros. Theme,” and Queen Latifah’s “All Hail The Queen.” The Library deems these recordings important for preservation for future generations.
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 (album) — 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 (album) — 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
