New Artists Added to National Recording Registry

The Library of Congress announced the latest sound recordings selected for the 2013 National Recording Registry, with U2, Isaac Hayes and Creedence Clearwater Revival among the stellar cast of artists whose recordings will be preserved for generations to come. Other notable recording artists being added to the National Recording Registry include Art Blakey, The Everly Brothers, Linda Ronstadt and Jeff Buckley, among others. With these additions the total number of sound recordings in the National Recording Registry sits at 400 entries.

“These recordings represent an important part of America’s culture and history,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “As technology continually changes and formats become obsolete, we must ensure that our nation’s aural legacy is protected. The National Recording Registry is at the core of this effort.”

Each year the Librarian (currently Billington), with advice from the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), must select 25 sound recording that are over a decade old and which are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” to add to the National Registry. The collection started in 2000 with the passage of the National Recording Preservation Act.

U2’s 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, Isaac Hayes’ 1971 song “Theme From Shaft” and CCR’s 1969 single, “Fortunate Son” were selected to be added. Buckley’s 1994 cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is the second most recently recorded entry on the National Recording Registry. “Dear Mama,” recorded in 1995 by rapper 2Pac (Tupac Shakur), was added to the registry in 2009.

In addition to the musical entries, the 2013 Registry additions includes field recordings of the Kwakwaka’wakw Native American tribe and interviews with baseball pioneers of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

2013 National Recording Registry (Listing in Chronological Order)

“The Laughing Song” (single) — George Washington Johnson (c. 1896)
“They Didn’t Believe Me” — Harry Macdonough and Alice Green (1915)
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” (singles) — Bing Crosby; Rudy Vallee (both 1932)
“Franz Boas and George Herzog Recordings of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Dan Cranmer (1938)
“Were You There” (single) — Roland Hayes (1940)
“The Goldbergs”: Sammy Goes Into the Army (July 9, 1942)
“Caldonia” (single) — Louis Jordan (1945)
“Dust My Broom” (single) — Elmore James (1951)
A Night at Birdland (Vols. 1 and 2) (albums)—Art Blakey (1954)
“When I Stop Dreaming” (single) — The Louvin Brothers (1955)
“Cathy’s Clown” (single) — The Everly Brothers (1960)
Texas Sharecropper and Songster (album) — Mance Lipscomb (1960)
The First Family (album) (1962)
Lawrence Ritter’s Interviews with Baseball Pioneers of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century (1962-1966)
Presidential Recordings of Lyndon B. Johnson (Nov. 22, 1963 – Jan. 10, 1969)
Carnegie Hall Concert with Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (album) — Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (1
“Fortunate Son” (single) — Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
“Theme from ‘Shaft’” (single) — Isaac Hayes (1971)
Only Visiting This Planet (album) — Larry Norman (1972)
Celia & Johnny (album) — Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco (1974
) “Copland Conducts Copland: Appalachian Spring” — Aaron Copland (1974)
Heart Like a Wheel (album) — Linda Ronstadt (1974)
Sweeney Todd (album) — Original Cast Recording (1979)
The Joshua Tree (album) — U2 (1987)
“Hallelujah” (single) — Jeff Buckley (1994)

[Andy Kahn is Senior Editor at MediaNet and runs the music industry and discovery website Editor’s Mix.]