2024 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

On April 16th, The National Recording Registry selected the latest twenty-five sound recordings to be inducted to highlight what it calls "the range and diversity of the American recorded sound heritage". The Registry is an extension of the passage by Congress in 2000 of the National Recording Preservation Act. Since 2002, the Library of Congress oversees the selection of 25 recordings, which must be at least 10 years old at the time of induction, and deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". This latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 650.

Some of the recordings selected include the debut album by the new-wave rock band, The Cars; "Chances Are", the second single by easy listening crooner, Johnny Mathis to sell over a million copies; the punk-rock group, Blondie's breakthrough album, "Parallel Lines" that features the disco tune, "Heart of Glass"; "Ain't No Sunshine", Bill Withers' soul-folk song that became his first major hit; "Arrival", the fourth album by the Swedish pop quartet, ABBA that contains their international smash, "Dancing Queen"; Patti Page's popular pop version of the country song, "Tennessee Waltz"; "Ready To Die", the semi-autobiographical debut studio album from the late hip-hop artist, The Notorious B.I.G.; the crossover pop hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by jazz performer, Bobby McFerrin; "This Is a Recording", Lily Tomlin's first comedy album that won her a Grammy Award and the holiday classic about that reindeer with the shiny red nose originally recorded by Gene Autry, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered into the 2024 Recording Registry:

"Clarinet Marmalade" – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)
"Kauhavan Polkka" – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)
Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)
"Rose Room" – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Gene Autry (1949)
"Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page (1950)



"Rocket ‘88’" – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
"Catch a Falling Star" / "Magic Moments" – Perry Como (1957)
"Chances Are" – Johnny Mathis (1957)



"The Sidewinder" – Lee Morgan (1964)
"Surrealistic Pillow" – Jefferson Airplane (1967)



"Ain’t No Sunshine" – Bill Withers (1971)
"This is a Recording" – Lily Tomlin (1971)
"J.D. Crowe & the New South" – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)
"Arrival" – ABBA (1976)
"El Cantante" – Héctor Lavoe (1978)
"The Cars" – The Cars (1978)
"Parallel Lines" – Blondie (1978)
"La-Di-Da-Di" – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)



"Don’t Worry, Be Happy"– Bobby McFerrin (1988)



"Amor Eterno" – Juan Gabriel (1990)



"Pieces of Africa" – Kronos Quartet (1992)
"Dookie"– Green Day (1994)



"Ready to Die" – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
“Wide Open Spaces” – The Dixie Chicks (1998)