2026 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

The latest twenty-five sound recordings have been selected and inducted into National Recording Registry. Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects titles each year that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least ten years old. This latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 675.

Some of the recordings that have been honored include Beyoncé's chart-topping hit, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" from her third solo album, "I Am... Sasha Fierce"; the original Broadway cast recording of the Bob Fosse directed musical, "Chicago" that featured theater legends, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera; the country music tale, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" that went on to become a crossover hit for the Charlie Daniels Band; Gladys Knight and the Pips' version of the country song, "Midnight Train to Georgia" which became the r&b group's first number one pop hit; Ray Charles' genre blurring album, "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" that features the soul music legend's versions of country music songs; the Byrds's cover of folk music singer and activist, Pete Seeger's song, "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" became an anthem during the social turmoil of the 1960's; the all-female new-wave rock band, the Go-Go's debut album, "Beauty and the Beat" that reached the top of the US album chart; José Feliciano's bilingual Christmas song, "Feliz Navidad" has gone on to become a holiday classic; Chaka Khan put an early hip-hop spin on a cover of Prince's song, "I Feel for You" and "1989", Taylor Swift's first foray into pop, after first achieving fame in country music, which launched her into becoming an even bigger star.

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered into the 2026 National Recording Registry:

"Cocktails for Two" – Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944) (single)
"Mambo No. 5" – Pérez Prado and His Orchestra (1950) (single)
"Teardrops from My Eyes" – Ruth Brown (1950) (single)



"Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" – Kaye Ballard (1954) (single)
"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" – Paul Anka (1959) (single)



"The Blues and the Abstract Truth" – Oliver Nelson (1961) (album)
"Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" – Ray Charles (1962) (album)
"Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" – The Byrds (1965) (single)



"Amen, Brother" – The Winstons (1969) (single)



"Feliz Navidad" – José Feliciano (1970) (single)
"The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier" (March 8, 1971) (broadcast)
"Midnight Train to Georgia" – Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973) (single)



"Chicago" Original Cast Album (1975) (album)



"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" – The Charlie Daniels Band (1979) (single)



"Beauty and the Beat" – The Go-Go’s (1981) (album)
"Texas Flood" – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983) (album)
"I Feel For You" – Chaka Khan (1984) (single)



"Your Love" – Jamie Principle (1986) / Jamie Principle/Frankie Knuckles (1987) (singles)
"Rumor Has It" – Reba McEntire (1990) (album)



"The Wheel" – Rosanne Cash (1993) (album)
"Doom" Soundtrack – Bobby Prince, composer (album)(1993)
"Go Rest High On That Mountain"– Vince Gill (1994) (single)
"Weezer (The Blue Album)"– Weezer (1994) (album)
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé (2008) (single)



"1989" – Taylor Swift (2014) (album)

FOREIGN TONGUES

The Rolling Stones have just announced they are releasing new music, with "Foreign Tongues" which will be the legendary British rock band's twenty-fifth studio album. Their last album of original material, "Hackney Diamonds" was released three years ago and the Stones has once again teamed up with Andrew Watt to produce their latest effort which will be drop on July 10th. 

While the two original members, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are now octogenarians (and longtime guitarist Ronnie Wood is not far behind at seventy-eight) and have been creating and playing music together for over sixty years, that doesn't mean they still can't rock. And they prove it quite convincingly with two songs released from the upcoming record. There's the lead single "In the Stars", a rousing blues-rock track with Jagger's vocals sounding in good form while another track, "Rough and Twisted" (which had been teased and put out on vinyl on Record Store Day last month under the band name, "The Cockroaches") is a guitar blasting blues number that glides with the band's classic swagger.

Some tracks were recorded during the "Hackney Diamonds" sessions and much like that last album, this new record will feature a few impressive guest appearances, this time by Paul McCartney, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Steve Winwood. "Foreign Tongues" will also feature the final recording with the band's original drummer, Charlie Watts which was done during a session in Los Angeles shortly before his death in 2021 at the age of eighty.

NEW SOUNDS

NORTH WEST

North West is the twelve year old daughter of the erratic hip-hop musician, Kanye West (currently going by "Ye") and the media personality-turned-entrepreneur, Kim Kardashian. And it's not really much of a surprise that she has been dabbling in professionally performing and making music since she was ten. Now, West has just debuted her first EP as a solo artist, "N0rth4evr". She was fully hands on in the production and songwriting of this recording with the six tracks featuring an intriguing blend of rap, goth rock and hyperpop. Most of the songs are under two minutes but I have to say that this album is a solid collection, twisting sounds and beats to inventively blast out her Gen Alpha angst. With "N0rth4evr", West reveals she has much in common with her father, credibly displaying that she does have the essential qualities to potentially become a major musical artist.





MAYA HAWKE

The actor and musician, Maya Hawke has released her fourth studio album with "Maitreya Corso". The title represents a fictional "magical misfit" persona that allows Hawke to boldly explore themes of ego, ambition, and reinvention. The songs possess an other-worldly vibe, transporting us through with eclectic sounds, understated arrangements and whimsical thoughts. The twenty-seven year old offspring of actors, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman has crafted an indie-pop record that also pays tribute to her community of fellow musicians in the New York scene, collaborating with local performers like Benjamin Lazar Davis, Will Graefe, and Michael Riddleberger. 

MAXWELL'S URBAN HANG SUITE: THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite", the debut album by the r&b artist, Maxwell. Inspired by the legends of classic soul, Maxwell took the music he loved and put his own distinctive spin to create a sound that was fresh and contemporary yet also capturing an old school vibe. "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite", along with D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar" in 1995 and Erykah Badu's "Baduizm" released in 1997, would define the neo soul movement and helped reshape popular black music.

The Brooklyn native born Gerald Maxwell Rivera began creating music at seventeen after receiving a Casio keyboard. While hip-hop was becoming the dominate sound being played on r&b radio at the time, Rivera remained a fan of the soul he heard growing up in the 1980's. As he got older, he continued pursuing music, learning to play other instruments and gaining access to a recording studio where he worked on demos. Rivera had begun performing around in small clubs throughout New York City, which created some buzz for him, while his demos where making the rounds, leading to him being signed to Columbia Records in 1994

Taking on his middle name as his professional moniker, Maxwell went to work on his debut with songwriter, Leon Ware. But after completing the record about a year later, the label put it on hold due to concerns of it's commercial appeal. When "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" was finally released on April 2, 1996, the concept album did struggle a bit to receive attention with the first single, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'" failing to chart. But the mellow collection of funk, jazz, smooth soul did gain some serious traction with the help of the second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" peaking at number eight on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and crossing over to the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The follow-up single, "Sumthin' Sumthin'" also charted, helping "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" go on to sell over two million copies in the US alone.

The album would land on several Top-Ten Album of the Year lists and receive a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album. This success lead to him being featured live on MTV Unplugged (which was highly unusual since he only had one album to date) with the EP being released the following year with his cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" becoming a hit, reaching number sixteen on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

I FEEL SO FREE

It has been six years since she has released new music and Madonna is ready for a return. It has been teased for a few years and her fifteenth studio album is now official with "Confessions On A Dance Floor: Part II" which is due out on July 3rd. This spiritual sequel to the 2005 album has the Queen of Pop reteaming with producer, Stuart Price to create a modern and further exploration into dance music.

The first taste of this record is the song, "I Feel So Free", a deep house track that has Madonna speaking seductively (over a sample of the 1989 acid house song, "French Kiss" by Lil Louis) about being able to fully let loose while dancing. This is a thrilling preview and hopefully we'll get even more in a very short matter of time. In the meanwhile, here is the official visualizer for "I Feel So Free" with the lyrics and Lil Louis' original version of "French Kiss":

NUMBER ONE FLASHBACK

The number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of April 19, 1975, was "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John. The British rock artist was still riding high with a string of hit singles with this song becoming his fourth number one song on the US chart and held this position for two weeks.

"Philadelphia Freedom" was originally written by John with his musical collaborator, Bernie Taupin to pay tribute to tennis player, Billie Jean King as she was playing with the Philadelphia Freedoms, a part of a charter franchise of the World Team Tennis in 1974. Taupin could not really find a way to write a song about tennis so he went on to convey a message that was uplifting and somewhat patriotic. The song is also dedicated in part to the feeling of "the Philadelphia sound" which was the soul music of writer-producers Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell. In fact, John would later perform "Philadelphia Freedom" on "Soul Train" on May 17. 1975, making him the second White artist to appearance on the r&b music program following Gino Vannelli who was on about four months earlier.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

We'll be seeing a lot of the actress, Anne Hathaway over the next couple of weeks. First she will be seen on the big screen in "Mother Mary" from writer/director, David Lowery on April 24th. In this psychological-drama musical, Hathaway plays a pop singer called Mother Mary who reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer (played by Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance. The original songs in the film will be available on a soundtrack album, "Mother Mary: Greatest Hits" set for release on April 17th. Hathaway is performing the songs and a couple of the tracks have been released. "Burial" (written by Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX) delivers a "Lady Gaga" vibe while "My Mouth Is Lonely For You" feels like a "FKA Twigs" track and it should since it was co-written by the artist (who makes a screen appearance in "Mother Mary").

Then on May 1st, the long awaited sequel to the 2006 high-fashion comedy, "The Devil Wears Prada" hits theaters worldwide with Hathaway reprising her role as Andrea Sachs along with Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep as fashion editor, Miranda Priestly. An original song for the movie's soundtrack, "Runway" teams up Lady Gaga and Doechii for a euphoric house music song. Andrew Watt, Bruno Mars, Cirkut and D'Mile all co-wrote and produced this track.



The alternative R&B artist, Kelela makes her highly anticipated return after three years with "idea 1" who co-wrote and produced the track with PinkPantheress; Kehlani, who won two Grammy awards this year for her smash r&b single, "Folded", is back with new music delivering "Back and Forth" that features Missy Elliott; Saint Harison, the Brit singer/songwriter, has released a soulful ballad, "Stuck" from his upcoming EP, "Ghost"; another British act trying to gain some traction in the US is Flo, a classic girl hip-hop/soul group, that has dropped the lead single, "Leak It" from their upcoming second album

And I will close by paying tribute to the passing of two artists: Dash Crofts, one half of the the soft rock duo, Seals & Crofts, passed away on March 26th at the age of eighty-seven. Born Darrell George Crofts in Cisco, Texas, he got his nickname "Dash" when he was a baby. Crofts first started playing the piano as child before switching to the drums as a teenager. In high school, he played in a band where he met the saxophone player, Jim Seals. The two decided to try their luck as professional musicians by moving to Southern California in 1958. They briefly joined a rock band, the Champs before Crofts was drafted and spent two years with the Army. By 1969, they started recording under "Seals & Crofts" and by their second album, "Summer Breeze" with the title track becoming a top-ten pop hit in 1972, the duo had a string of popular songs. Seals (who died in 2022) and Crofts would part ways as an act in 1983 but would reunite for a concert tour in 1991 to 1992 and again in 2004 after the duo recorded their first new album since 1980 and also final recording together, "Traces".

And one of the pioneers that would greatly influence hip-hop culture, Afrika Bambaataa has passed away on April 9th. The Bronx native, who was was an originator of breakbeat DJing, died from complications of from prostate cancer and was sixty-eight. Born Lance Taylor, he was exposed to the ideologies of the Black Liberation Movement through his parents as a teen as well as the sounds of their eclectic record collection. After wining an essay contest that earned him a trip to Africa, Taylor was inspired by the sense of community while he was there and determined create one in his own neighborhood. Adopting the name, "Afrika Bambaataa Aasim", he set about creating the "Bronx River Organization" which was a positive alternative to the street gangs that infiltrated the Bronx and that he had once been affiliated. Bambaataa soon turned his attention to music after hosting several block parties and forming the Universal Zulu Nation which brought together socially and politically aware rappers and graffiti artists. Inspired by the emerging electronic music scene, he released "Planet Rock" in 1982 with the Soul Sonic Force that merged electro beats and hip-hop. The single, produced by Arthur Baker, reached the top five on the US R&B and Dance charts.