A fresh crop of music just got enshrined in the annals of our nation’s history.
On Wednesday, the Library of Congress added 25 audio selections to the , including a range of pop, hip-hop, country, Latin, Hawaiian, jazz, blues, gospel, classical and children鈥檚 music spanning from 1878 to 2008.
鈥淭he National Recording Registry will preserve our history through these vibrant recordings of music and voices that have reflected our humanity and shaped our culture from the past 143 years,鈥� Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said.
The new class includes Janet Jackson鈥檚 album 鈥淩hythm Nation 1814″ (1989), connecting “The Star Spangled Banner” to modern-day racial injustice.
“We wanted ‘Rhythm Nation’ to really communicate empowerment,” producer James Harris III said. “It was making an observation, but it was also a call to action. … The lyrics of 鈥楻hythm Nation鈥� and 鈥楽tate of the World鈥� 鈥� some of those resonate just as powerfully, if not more so, as a narrative of what’s happening in society.”
It also includes Labelle鈥檚 iconic dance hit 鈥淟ady Marmalade” (1974), which rode its 鈥淗ey sista, go sista鈥� chant and racy chorus all the way to No. 1 in the U.S.
鈥淲e knew it was a hit,鈥� lead singer Patti LaBelle said.
Other cool additions include Nas鈥� iconic rap album 鈥淚llmatic,” Kool & the Gang鈥檚 鈥淐elebration,” Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and Kermit the Frog鈥檚 鈥淭he Rainbow Connection” by Jim Henson in “The Muppet Movie鈥� (1979).
“Well, gee, it’s an amazing feeling to officially become part of our nation’s history,” Kermit said. “I am thrilled 鈥� I am thrilled! 鈥� to be the first frog on the list!”
In addition to the music, we also see radio鈥檚 power in capturing important history, such as Roger Maris’ record-breaking 61st home run in 1961, as well as the very first podcast induction of NPR’s 鈥淭his American Life: The Giant Pool of Money鈥� (2008).
“My theory is that podcasting is most powerful for the same reason that radio is the most powerful,” host Ira Glass said. “That is, when you have a medium where you’re not seeing people, there’s just an intimacy to hearing somebody’s voice.”
See the full list of new inductees below:
National Recording Registry Class of 2021:
1. 鈥淪t. Louis Tinfoil鈥� 鈥斅燭homas Edison (1878)
2. 鈥淣ikolina鈥� 鈥� Hjalmar Peterson (1917) (single)
3. 鈥淪myrneikos Balos鈥� 鈥� Marika Papagika (1928) (single)
4. 鈥淲hen the Saints Go Marching In鈥� 鈥� Louis Armstrong (1938) (single)
5. Christmas Eve Broadcast 鈥� FDR & Winston Churchill (Dec. 24,聽1941)
6. 鈥淭he Guiding Light鈥� 鈥� Nov. 22, 1945
7. 鈥淥detta Sings Ballads and Blues鈥� 鈥� Odetta (1957) (album)
8. 鈥淟ord, Keep Me Day by Day鈥� 鈥� Albertina Walker and the Caravans (1959) (single)
9. Roger Maris hits his 61st home run (October 1, 1961)
10. 鈥淎ida鈥� 鈥� Leontyne Price, et.al. (1962) (album)
11. 鈥淥nce a Day鈥� 鈥� Connie Smith (1964) (single)
12. 鈥淏orn Under a Bad Sign鈥� 鈥� Albert King (1967) (album)
13. 鈥淔ree to Be…You & Me鈥� 鈥� Marlo Thomas and Friends (1972) (album)
14. 鈥淭he Harder They Come鈥� 鈥� Jimmy Cliff (1972) (album)
15. 鈥淟ady Marmalade鈥� 鈥� Labelle (1974) (single)
16. 鈥淟ate for the Sky鈥� 鈥� Jackson Browne (1974) (album)
17. 鈥淏right Size Life鈥� 鈥� Pat Metheny (1976) (album)
18. 鈥淭he Rainbow Connection鈥� 鈥� Kermit the Frog (1979) (single)
19. 鈥淐elebration鈥� 鈥� Kool & the Gang (1980) (single)
20. 鈥淩ichard Strauss: Four Last Songs鈥� 鈥� Jessye Norman (1983) (album)
21. 鈥淩hythm Nation 1814鈥� 鈥� Janet Jackson (1989) (album)
22. 鈥淧artners鈥� 鈥� Flaco Jim茅nez (1992) (album)
23. 鈥淥ver the Rainbow / What A Wonderful World鈥� 鈥� Israel聽Kamakawiwo鈥檕le (1993) (single)
24. 鈥淚llmatic鈥� 鈥� Nas (1994) (album)
25. 鈥淭his American Life: The Giant Pool of Money鈥� (May 9, 2008)
The new class brings the number of titles in the registry to 575, representing just a small portion of the library鈥檚 vast sound collection of nearly 3 million items.
