(CelebrityAccess) — The Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry announced this year’s additions to the registry with songs such as Alicia Keys’ debut album “Songs in A Minor,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” all making the cut for 2022.
In all, Congress Carla Hayden announced that 25 songs and audio recordings would be added to the registry this year, based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
“The National Recording Registry reflects the diverse music and voices that have shaped our nation’s history and culture through recorded sound,” Hayden said. “The national library is proud to help preserve these recordings, and we welcome the public’s input. We received about 1,000 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”
The music inducted into the registry for 2022 ranges from James P. Johnson’s “Harlem Strut” dating from 1921 to the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast from 2010 featuring a guest appearance by the late, great comedian Robin Williams.
The inducted material includes multiple historical audio recordings as well, such as the play calling for baseball legend Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th Career Home Run in 1974 and WNYC broadcasts from September 11, 2001.
On the musical side, the registry now includes hits by Wu Tang Clan (“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”), Tribe Called Quest (“The Low End Theory”), and Queen (“Bohemian Rhapsody”).
The recordings selected for the National Recording Registry bring the number of titles on the registry to 600, a perishingly small number compared to the 4 million audio artifacts held by the Library of Congress.
National Recording Registry, 2022 Selections
(chronological order)
“Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
“Walking the Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (single)
“On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)
“Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (single)
“Ellington at Newport” — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)
“We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite” — Max Roach (1960) (album)
“The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (single)
“Tonight’s the Night” — The Shirelles (1961) (album)
“Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single)
“In C” — Terry Riley (1968) (album)
“It’s a Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (single)
“Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (single)
Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)
“Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (single)
“Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (single)
“Canciones de Mi Padre” — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album)
“Nick of Time” — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album)
“The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album)
“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album)
“Buena Vista Social Club” (1997) (album)
“Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (single)
“Songs in A Minor” — Alicia Keys (2001) (album)
WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001)
“WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)
