Only songs that are truly cherished by the U.S. are added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. This year, yet another class of perennial works is being added to those ranks including Like a Virgin by Madonna, “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.
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Madonna’s Like a Virgin topped the charts in 1985 and helped to launch her to superstardom. Carey’s Chrismas hit one of the many holiday classics in the registry including Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas and Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” is the first reggaeton recording to be included in the registry.
Elsewhere in the varied list of honorees is Carl Sagan’s audio recording of the space-centric book Pale Blue Dot, the Super Mario Bros. theme song, Queen Latifah’s All Hail the Queen, The Four Season’s “Sherry,” The Police’s Synchronicity, and Crosby Stills Nash and Young’s debut as a four-piece Déjà Vu.
Each of the works on this list has been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” by the Library of Congress. So much so, that they need to be preserved for generations to come. The works are housed in collections across the country.
Some classic hits are finally receiving their dues as well, including John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” and Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville.”
The National Recording Registry nomination comes on the heels of the Eurythmics’ induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. They also are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their registry song’s accompanying album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).
As shocking as it may seem, “Imagine” is the first song from any of the Beatles’ solo careers to be included in the registry.
Find the full list of inductees, below.
2023 National Recording Registry Class
1. Cuarteto Coculense – The Very First Mariachi Recordings (1908-1909)
2. Handy’s Memphis Blues Band – “St. Louis Blues” (1922)
3. Fletcher Henderson – “Sugar Foot Stomp” (1926)
4. Dorothy Thompson: Commentary and Analysis of the European Situation for NBC Radio
(Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 1939)
5. The Fairfield Four – “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” (1947)
6. Jackie DeShannon – “What the World Needs Now is Love” (1965)
7. Koko Taylor – “Wang Dang Doodle” (1966)
8. The Four Seasons – “Sherry” (1962)
9. Bobbie Gentry – “Ode to Billie Joe” (1967)
10. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – Déjà Vu (1970)
11. John Lennon – “Imagine” (1971)
12. Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
13. John Denver – “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1971)
14. Jimmy Buffett – “Margaritaville” (1977)
15. Irene Cara – “Flashdance…What a Feeling” (1983)
16. Eurythmics – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (1983)
17. The Police – Synchronicity (1983)
18. Wynton Marsalis – “Black Codes (From the Underground)” (1985)
19. Koji Kondo, composer – “Super Mario Bros. theme” (1986)
20. Madonna – Like a Virgin (1984)
21. Queen Latifah – All Hail the Queen (1989)
22. Mariah Carey – “All I Want for Christmas is You” (1994)
23. Carl Sagan – Pale Blue Dot (1994)
24. Daddy Yankee – “Gasolina” (2004)
25. Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, composer – “Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra” (2012)
(Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
