National Recording Registry Now at 500 Titles

Now in its sixteenth year, the National Recording Registry has grown to 500 entries with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden having just announced 25 sound recordings as the official entries for 2017, stating: “This annual celebration of recorded sound reminds us of our varied and remarkable American experience. The unique trinity of historic, cultural and aesthetic significance reflected in the National Recording Registry each year is an opportunity for reflection on landmark moments, diverse cultures and shared memories—all reflected in our recorded soundscape.”

Under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, selected recordings must be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and at least ten years old.

Spanning the years 1911-1996, the selections for 2017 are as follows:

1. “Dream Melody Intermezzo: Naughty Marietta” (single), Victor Herbert and his Orchestra (1911)
2. Standing Rock Preservation Recordings, George Herzog and Members of the Yanktoni Tribe (1928)
3. “Lamento Borincano” (single), Canario y Su Grupo (1930)
4. “Sitting on Top of the World” (single), Mississippi Sheiks (1930)
5. The Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas (album), Artur Schnabel (1932–35)
6. “If I Didn’t Care” (single), The Ink Spots (1939)
7. Proceedings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization (4/25–6/26, 1945)
8. “Folk Songs of the Hills” (album), Merle Travis (1946)
9. “How I Got Over” (single), Clara Ward and the Ward Singers (1950)
10. “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” (single), Bill Haley and His Comets (1954)
11. “Calypso” (album), Harry Belafonte (1956)
12. “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (single), Tony Bennett (1962)
13. “King Biscuit Time” (radio), Sonny Boy Williamson II and others (1965)
14. “My Girl” (single), The Temptations (1964)
15. “The Sound of Music” (soundtrack), Various (1965)
16. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (single), Arlo Guthrie (1967)
17. “New Sounds in Electronic Music” (album), Steve Reich, Richard Maxfield, Pauline Oliveros (1967)
18. “An Evening with Groucho” (album), Groucho Marx (1972)
19. “Rumours,” (album), Fleetwood Mac (1977)
20. “The Gambler” (single), Kenny Rogers (1978)
21. “Le Freak” (single), Chic (1978)
22. “Footloose” (single), Kenny Loggins (1984), remake released in 2011
23. “Raising Hell” (album), Run-DMC (1986)
24. “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” (single), Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine (1987)
25. “Yo-Yo Ma Premieres Concertos for Violoncello and Orchestra” (album), Various (1996)

The full National Recording Registry can be viewed online here. The Registry solicits nominations annually for inclusion on the registry; further information on the criteria and procedures for making nominations for 2018 is available at the Registry website.