National Recording Registry’s 2025 selections offer something for everyone

by

Every year, since 2002, the Library of Congress unveils new additions to its National Recording Registry. This registry honors recordings that are considered important due to their cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. With this year’s selections, we now have a total of 600 distinct recordings recognized in this way.

The registry encompasses a broad array of various types of content. It spans over 21 unique categories (with even more if you consider subcategories). This collection features numerous musical genres, historical and environmental recordings, spoken word pieces, and sports broadcasts. In the technology sector, we acknowledge 20 contributors, while only two out of the total 600 are categorized as “miscellaneous.”

(Word count: 71)

The earliest recordings can be traced to before the Civil War, a time when recording technology was still very new. Conversely, the most recent one – the cast recording of the musical “Hamilton” – is merely ten years old. One requirement for qualification is that the recording must have been produced at least a decade ago.

2025 is a great year for the National Recording Registry

By a significant lead, the category labeled as “pop” dominates others in popularity. This genre is further divided into four distinct eras based on the year of release: before 1955, from 1956 to 1975, from 1976 to 1995, and after 1995. Each era has its unique characteristics and classifications.

Other popular categories encompass “radio/speech,” “symphony/opera,” “folk/mountain music,” and “jazz.

Here is a quick rundown on the pop and pop-adjacent recordings selected in this year’s cohort.

In 1949, a tune older than 1955, specifically “Sweet Georgia Brown,” was released by Brother Bones & His Shadows. This catchy number later served as the theme music for the famous Harlem Globetrotters basketball squad, composed by Freeman Davis.

Three pop recordings from the years 1955 to 1975 were given recognition. The first one, “Chicago Transit Authority,” was Chicago’s debut album, launched in 1969, and played a significant role in reincorporating horns into rock and roll music. Another notable track is “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy, which emerged in 1971 and soon became anthemic for the women’s liberation movement.

In 1973, Elton John launched a remarkable mid-decade streak with his double album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which marked the beginning of six straight number-one albums in the U.S.A.

Steve Miller’s 1976 album titled “Fly Like an Eagle,” which included his number one hit song “Rock’n Me,” was the sole representative from the Pop category spanning 1976-1995. Interestingly, there were two more pop entries in the Post-1995 subcategory. Celine Dion’s globally renowned track “My Heart Will Go On, released in 1997, played a significant role as the soundtrack for the movie Titanic. Lastly, Amy Winehouse’s 2006 album “Back to Black” was her second and last studio album before she passed away in 2011.

Additionally, there are seven tracks that lean towards popular genres. Among them are country hits such as “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” by Charley Pride and “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” by Freddy Fender, and the dance/disco tune “I’ve Got the Music in Me” sung by Thelma Houston.

There are four albums that fall into genres close to pop music. Among these, Keith Jarrett’s renowned album “The Koln Concert,” which holds the title of the best-selling piano recording ever, and Miles Davis’ groundbreaking fusion album “Bitches Brew,” can be classified as jazz. Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album is categorized as folk, and Mary J. Blige’s second album, “My Life,” is our choice for the R&B representative in 2025.

The last of the eleven recordings belongs to different music styles such as folk, sports, ambient, Latin, choir, movie scores, and tech-related sounds. Interestingly, the very last one is a creation by Brian Eno, renowned for inventing the iconic Microsoft Windows startup sound in 1995, which is now part of history as it’s included in the Registry.

As a rock and roll enthusiast, I must admit that Steve Miller’s inclusion this year might not have been what hard rock fans were hoping for. But hey, maybe we can find some comfort in the fact that the essence of rock and roll is still very much alive – and it’s taking center stage in this year’s comedy section! If anyone embodies the raw spirit of rock and roll, it’s none other than Don Rickles, who’s being honored for his 1968 album, “Hello Dummy!

For both enthusiasts and academics, the Archive offers a wealth of documented treasures. You can access the entire collection by following this link.

Read More

2025-04-13 13:00