An eclectic mix of aural achievements, headlined by Judy Garland (“Over the Rainbow”), Barbra Streisand (“People”), N.W.A (Straight Outta Compton) and Vin Scully (the last Dodgers-Giants game at New York’s Polo Grounds), have made it into the National Recording Registry this year.
Also included among the 25 treasures to be preserved by the Library of Congress: the albums The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars from David Bowie, Remain in Light from Talking Heads and Wanted: Live in Concert from Richard Pryor; the first episode of NPR’s All Things Considered; the original cast album of Broadway’s The Wiz; and unforgettable songs from Wilson Pickett, Don McLean, Big Mama Thornton, Marty Robbins, Melba Moore, Judy Collins, Renee Fleming, Sonny Rollins, and Sister Sledge.
Each year, the Librarian of Congress picks 25 titles that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and at least 10 years old. This latest batch spans the years 1888 to 1997 and brings the total number of titles in the Registry to 475.
“With few exceptions, American music is the whole of popular music,” McLean said in a statement after learning that his sweeping 1971 ballad, “American Pie,” was enshrined. “We have done it all, written the greatest songs and produced the greatest artists. I am so proud to be a part of this creative effort.”
Streisand, meanwhile, called it “humbling and gratifying” that her 1964 hit “People,” from composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill, had been selected.
“This is the prestigious treasure house in which American art is archived and acknowledged as part of the flow of our nation’s culture,” she said. “I believe ‘People’ touched our common desire to relate to others with love and caring, and I’ve always tried to express this in my renditions of this magical song.”
A version of this story first appeared on Billboard, which has full descriptions of each item.
