National Recording Registry adds music from Notorious B.I.G, Green Day, ABBA

The Library of Congress has added another 25 songs to its National Recording Registry.

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This year, songs run the gamut of genres, from rap, to holiday, to pop and even disco, with performers such as Notorious B.I.G., Blondie, ABBA and Gene Autry.

The oldest recording inducted this year came from 1919 and is called “Clarinet Marmalade,” recorded by Jim Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band.

But there are more familiar songs and albums on the list that many may have thought were already memorialized in the annals of music, including the holiday favorite “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Tennessee Waltz.”

Overall there are 600 recordings that make up the National Recording Registry.

The National Recording Preservation Board has determined what songs should be added to the registry since 2002. The board said the collection “highlights the richness of the nation’s audio legacy and underscores the importance of assuring the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.”

Here is the list of songs and the artists who made them famous:

• “Clarinet Marmalade” (single), Jim Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band, released in 1919.
• “Kauhavan Polkka” (single), Viola Turpeinen & John Rosendahl, released in 1928.
• “Wisconsin Folksong Recordings,” various artists, released 1937-1946.
• “Rose Room” (single), Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian, released in 1939.
• “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer“ (single), Gene Autry, released in 1949.
• “Tennessee Waltz” (single), Patti Page, released in 1950.
• “Rocket ‘88′” (single), Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, released in 1951.
• “Catch a Falling Star/Magic Moments,” (single), Perry Como, released in 1957.
• “The Sidewinder” (album), Lee Morgan, released in 1964.
• “Surrealistic Pillow” (album), Jefferson Airplane, released in 1967.
• “Ain’t No Sunshine” (single), Bill Withers, released in 1971.
• “This is a Recording” (album), Lily Tomlin, released in 1971.
• “J.D. Crowe & the New South” (album), J.D. Crowe & the New South, released in 1975.
• “Arrival” (album), ABBA, released in 1976.
• “Parallel Lines” (album) Blondie, released in 1978.
• “The Cars” (album) The Cars, released in 1978.
• “El Cantante” (single), Héctor Lavoe, released in 1978.
• “La-Di-Da-Di” (single), Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, released in 1985.
• “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (single), Bobby McFerrin, released in 1988.
• “Amor Eterno” (single), Juan Gabriel, released in 1990.
• “Pieces of Africa” (album), Kronos Quartet, released in 1992.
• “Dookie” (album), Green Day, released in 1994.
• “Ready to Die” (album), Notorious B.I.G., released in 1994.
• “Wide Open Spaces” (album), Dixie Chicks, released in 1998.

Many of the recordings are available on various platforms, but if you would like to hear some of the more obscure ones, the Library of Congress has set up the National Jukebox.

The group is also already compiling nominations to consider for 2025. If you would like to add some of your favorite songs to the registry, visit the registry’s nomination page.

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