Elton John, ‘Hamilton,’ ‘Minecraft’ selected for Library of Congress recording registry
National Recording Registry From "Hamilton" to the 1960's World Series, 25 recordings have been selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. (Library of Congress)
ByCox Media Group National Content Desk
WASHINGTON — From the Yellow Brick Road to Chicago (the band, not the musical or city) to “Hamilton,” the Library of Congress has selected 25 recordings for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said they were deemed “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”
The public nominated more than 2,600 recordings to be considered, with it was whittled down to just over a dozen selections.
“Chicago Transit Authority” had the most public nominations this year. Other songs that cracked the Top 10 were “Happy Trails,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “My Life.”
The songs selected this year are from 1913 (“Aloha ‘Oe”) to 2015 (“Hamilton” Broadway cast recording). The list also includes songs that may not be on your playlist but are still recognizable such as the theme to the video game “Minecraft” and the reboot chime from “Microsoft.”
With the latest 25 recordings, the National Recording Registry now has 675 entries, a small portion of the nearly 4 million items in the library’s recordings archive.
“Nobody really knows what a hit record is. I’m not a formula writer. I didn’t think ‘Bennie and the Jets’ was a hit. I didn’t think ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ was a hit. And that’s what makes writing so special,” John said of the honor. “You do not know what you’re coming up with and how special it might become.”
2025 National Recording Registry selections (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Aloha ‘Oe” – Hawaiian Quintette (1913) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Sweet Georgia Brown” – Brother Bones & His Shadows (1949) (single) (The Harlem Globetrotters/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections Radio Broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series – Chuck Thompson (1960) (Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections Harry Urata Field Recordings (1960-1980) (Smithsonian/Folkways/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Hello Dummy!”– Don Rickles (1968) (album) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Chicago Transit Authority” – Chicago (1969) (album) (Sony/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “B------ Brew” – Miles Davis (1970) (album) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” – Charley Pride (1971) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “I Am Woman” – Helen Reddy (1972) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “El Rey” – Vicente Fernandez (1973) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – Elton John (1973) (album) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – Freddy Fender (1975) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “I’ve Got the Music in Me” – Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker (1975) (album) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “The Kӧln Concert” – Keith Jarrett (1975) (album) (ECM/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Fly Like an Eagle” – Steve Miller Band (1976) (album) (UMG/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections Nimrod Workman Collection (1973-1994) (Appalshop/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections • “Tracy Chapman” – Tracy Chapman (1988) (album) (Warner Brothers/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “My Life” – Mary J. Blige (1994) (album) (UMG/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections Microsoft Windows Reboot Chime – Brian Eno (1995) (Microsoft/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion (1997) (single) (Library of Congress/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Our American Journey” – Chanticleer (2002) (album) (Rhino/WB/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Back to Black” – Amy Winehouse (2006) (album) (UMG/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Minecraft: Volume Alpha” – Daniel Rosenfeld (2011) (album) (Daniel Rosenfeld/Library of Congress)
2025 National Recording Registry selections “Hamilton” – Original Broadway Cast Album (2015) (album) (Warner Bros./Library of Congress)
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