The National Recording Registry Class of 2024!

This photo is from Billboard’s article about the Registry inductees.

It’s mid-April: the weather is less depressing, you’ve filed your taxes (if that’s your thing), and the Library of Congress has inducted 25 new recordings into the National Recording Registry! Here is the Class of 2024 in chronological order:

“Clarinet Marmalade” – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369^th 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 Chicks (1998)

Other notes

First off, the NRR made a playlist with this year’s inductees available wherever you listen to music.
As is typical with each year’s NRR inductees, I recognize about half of the recordings and artists on this list, and I will take the NRR’s word that the other half is also historically significant. These 25 are a good eclectic mix and bring the NRR’s total to a respectable 650. If I had focused my blog on this Registry rather than the other one, I’d be done by now.
To the best of my knowledge, 24 of the 25 recordings are musical in nature. With get the comedy album “This Is a Recording”, but no radio programs or news coverage. Better luck next year, National Public Radio.
Shoutouts to Jefferson Airplane and Gene Autrey, both making their NRR debuts after I have written posts pointing out their conspicuous absences. Bonus shoutout to Jefferson Airplane, whose song “Somebody to Love” I recently mentioned in my “Apollo 13” post. Along with the induction of CCR’s “Fortune Son” in 2013, the NRR now has two songs that serve as movie shorthand for “turbulent ’60s”. All they need is Jimi Hendrix’s cover of “All Along the Watchtower” for the hat trick.
Thanks to this list, my current earworm is Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”, but just the part where he sings “I know I know I know I know I know” about 187 times.
I really should listen to Lily Tomlin’s comedy albums one of these days. Speaking of, along with Debbie Harry, Benny Goodman, and the aforementioned Gene Autrey and Jefferson Airplane, Lily Tomlin is part of a growing group of artists whose work has been inducted to both of the Library of Congress’ national registries.
Interesting that The Chicks are credited here by their current name, even though in 1998 they were known as The Dixie Chicks. The NRR write-up mentions the name change in 2020 because…well it was 2020 and that’s what we were doing. Between this, tearing down racist statues, and closing Splash Mountain, we kept ourselves busy during lockdown.
Did you know that The Notorious B.I.G.’s real name was Christopher Wallace? I definitely did not.
Pop sensation ABBA is this year’s reminder that the NRR is more open to international recordings that have become part of American pop culture than their counterparts at the NFR. I am genuinely curious if the NFR will ever consider adding international films, and the massive floodgate that will open if they do.
And finally, you can nominate recordings for the National Recording Registry’s Class of 2025 right now! According to the NRR, a record-breaking 2899 recordings were nominated that year, so let your voice be heard. Nominations can be submitted at the Registry’s website, with a deadline this year of October 1^st, 2024. They also have a list of artists not yet on the Registry. It needs an updating, but it’s a good starting point.