Elton John, ‘Hamilton’ and more enter National Recording Registry
Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and the original Broadway cast album for “Hamilton” are among the 25 selections entering the National Recording Registry this year, alongside a slew of offbeat choices — including the music for the “Minecraft” video game and the Microsoft Windows reboot chime.
The Library of Congress announced the class of 2025 on Wednesday morning, bringing the registry to 675 titles since it was launched in 2002. The recordings, which must be a decade old to be considered, are selected “based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage,” according to the library.
Joining John and Dion as artists earning their first recognition from the registry are Chicago for its 1969 debut record “Chicago Transit Authority”; Helen Reddy for her 1972 single “I Am Woman”; Steve Miller Band for the 1976 album “Fly Like an Eagle”; Tracy Chapman for her 1988 self-titled record; Mary J. Blige for her 1994 album “My Life”; and Amy Winehouse for 2006’s “Back to Black.” Miles Davis, whose 1959 album “Kind of Blue” was inducted in 2002, landed a second selection this year with 1970’s “Bitches Brew” — joining Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Nat “King” Cole among artists with multiple recordings in the registry.
The public submitted more than 2,600 recordings for consideration through the library website, and “Chicago Transit Authority” received the most nominations.
“These are the sounds of America — our wide-ranging history and culture,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry is our evolving nation’s playlist. The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation, including iconic music across a variety of genres, field recordings, sports history and even the sounds of our daily lives with technology.”
John last year accepted the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song alongside his longtime songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. With his 1973 album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” entering the registry, the EGOT-anointed singer-songwriter adds another Library of Congress honor to his accolades.
“Nobody really knows what a hit record is,” John said in an interview with the library. “I’m not a formula writer. I didn’t think ‘Bennie and the Jets’ was a hit. I didn’t think ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ was a hit. And that’s what makes writing so special. You do not know what you’re coming up with and how special it might become.”
“My Heart Will Go On,” Dion’s Oscar-winning anthem from the 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” was among several selections drawn from film and other media. Those inductees included Chuck Thompson’s radio broadcast from Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, won by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run; Don Rickles’ 1968 stand-up record “Hello Dummy!”; and the reboot chime created by Brian Eno for Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system.
The two newest selections were the 2015 cast album for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical theater sensation “Hamilton” and “Minecraft: Volume Alpha,” Daniel Rosenfeld’s soundtrack for the 2011 sandbox game. After the “Super Mario Bros.” theme became the first video game recording selected for the registry in 2023, just as “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was dominating at the box office, the “Minecraft” selection comes with its own film adaptation fresh off a $300 million global debut.
National Recording Registry selections
“Aloha ‘Oe” — Hawaiian Quintette (1913)
“Sweet Georgia Brown” — Brother Bones & His Shadows (1949)
“Happy Trails” — Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (1952)
Radio broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series — Chuck Thompson (1960)
Harry Urata field recordings (1960-1980)
“Hello Dummy!” — Don Rickles (1968)
“Chicago Transit Authority” — Chicago (1969)
“Bitches Brew” — Miles Davis (1970)
“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” — Charley Pride (1971)
“I Am Woman” — Helen Reddy (1972)
“El Rey” — Vicente Fernandez (1973)
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” — Elton John (1973)
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” — Freddy Fender (1975)
“I’ve Got the Music in Me” — Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker (1975)
“The Köln Concert” — Keith Jarrett (1975)
“Fly Like an Eagle” — Steve Miller Band (1976)
Nimrod Workman collection (1973-1994)
“Tracy Chapman” — Tracy Chapman (1988)
“My Life” — Mary J. Blige (1994)
Microsoft Windows reboot chime — Brian Eno (1995)
“My Heart Will Go On” — Celine Dion (1997)
“Our American Journey” — Chanticleer (2002)
“Back to Black” — Amy Winehouse (2006)
“Minecraft: Volume Alpha” — Daniel Rosenfeld (2011)
“Hamilton” — original Broadway cast album (2015)