The Library of Congress has announced the newest selections for the National Recording Registry, which has existed since 2002. Each year, the Librarian of Congress chooses 25 recordings deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” for recognition. With the latest entrants, the list now stands at 600 unique recordings.
The registry represents a wide swath of material. Selections are stretching across 21 distinct genres – more if you include sub-genres. They include a range of musical genres, historical and field recordings, spoken word, and sports recordings. 20 entrants are recognized in the “technology” field, and two of the 600 are designated as “other.”
The oldest recordings date back to the pre-Civil War era, when recording technology was in its infancy. The newest – the cast recording of the musical Hamilton - is ten years old. That is one of the few rules for recognition. The recording must be at least ten years old.
2025 is a great year for the National Recording Registry
The largest genre, by a wide margin, is designated as “pop.” Based on the year of release, it is split into four sub-genres: pre-1955, 1956-1975, 1976-1995, and post-1995. Each has its own classification.
Other well-represented genres include “broadcast/spoken word,” “classical/opera,” “country/bluegrass,” and “jazz.”
Here is a quick rundown on the pop and pop-adjacent recordings selected in this year’s cohort.
This year, there was one pre-1955 song: “Sweet Georgia Brown,” released in 1949 by Brother Bones & His Shadows. Freeman Davis’ song became the theme music for the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.
Three pop recordings from 1955-1975 were honored. Chicago Transit Authority, the debut album from the band that would later be known as Chicago, was released in 1969 and helped reintroduce horns into rock & roll. Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” came out in 1971 and quickly became a signature of the women’s liberation movement.
Elton John’s double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from 1973 was the start of an extraordinary mid-decade run that saw the Englishman release six consecutive number-one albums in the USA.
Steve Miller’s 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle, which spawned the rocker’s number one hit “Rock’n Me,” was the only selection from the Pop, 1976-95, category. However, there were two more pop entries in the Post ’95 sub-genre. Celine Dion’s worldwide sensation “My Heart Will Go On,” from 1997, provided the musical heartbeat of the movie Titanic. And Amy Winehouse’s 2006 album Back to Black was her second and final studio release before her death in 2011.
There are also seven selections from pop-adjacent fields. They include the country singles “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” (Charley Pride) and “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (Freddy Fender), and the dance/disco song “I’ve Got the Music in Me” (Thelma Houston).
And there are four albums in pop-adjacent genres. Keith Jarrett’s The Koln Concert, recognized as the biggest-selling piano recording of all time, and Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, a seminal fusion album, represent jazz. Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut is designated as a folk entry. And Mary J. Blige’s second album, My Life, is 2025's one R&B honoree.
The remaining eleven recordings come from various genres, including folk, sports, field recording, Latin, choral, musical/soundtrack, and technology. That final one comes from pioneering art rock creator Brian Eno, whose 1995 Microsoft Windows Reboot Chime has been included in the Registry.
Rock & roll fans might be disappointed that Steve Miller is about as close as this year’s selections came to hard rock. But perhaps we can take solace in the fact that the true spirit of rock & roll is present in this year’s comedy selection. As rock & roll as they come, Don Rickles is being recognized for his 1968 album Hello Dummy!
The Registry provides an abundance of recorded riches for fans and scholars alike. The complete registry can be found here.