The Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, today announced the selection of 25 sound recordings to the registry, marked for preservation because of their cultural, artistic and historic importance to the nation’s aural legacy.
Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with advice from the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.
2012 National Recording Registry (Listing in Chronological Order):
1. "After You’ve Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
2. "Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
3. "Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
5. D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
6. "Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
7. "South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
8. "Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
9. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
10. President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
11. "A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
12. "The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
13. "Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
14. "The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
15. "Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley’s," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
16. "Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
17. "Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
18. "Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
19. "The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
20. "Music Time in Africa," Leo Sarkisian, host (July 29, 1973)
21. "Wild Tchoupitoulas," The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
22. "Ramones," The Ramones (1976)
23. "Saturday Night Fever," The Bee Gees, et al (1977)
24. "Einstein on the Beach," Philip Glass and Robert Wilson (1979)
25. "The Audience with Betty Carter," Betty Carter (1980)
