Tony Bennett, Kenny Rogers, Fleetwood Mac, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, The Temptations, Groucho Marx and Run-DMC are just a few of the artists whose work has now been marked for preservation by the Library of Congress.
On March 21, 2018, the Library named 25 audio recordings to be inducted to its National Recording Registry, a compendium of sound recordings to be preserved as representative of America’s artistic, cultural and historic treasures. Ranging from rock, pop, jazz, classical and gospel to musical theatre, film soundtracks, radio broadcasts and comedy albums, the recordings have been recognized as vital to our nation’s audio legacy, and are now required to be preserved for future generations.
Click through this gallery to listen to audio samples from each of this year’s inductees, presented in alphabetical order.
With this year’s additions, the Registry now numbers 500 historic recordings – just a small part of the Library’s collection of recorded sound numbering nearly three million items.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said, “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.”
