National Recording Registry Selections include Steve Martin, Radiohead and 23 More

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National Recording Registry announce this years tracks to preserve

Radiohead, Joan Baez, Ben E King, The Righteous Brothers and Steve Martin have been selected for the year 2014.

Every year, Library of Congress nominates tracks and albums to be preserved for eternity in the National Recording Registry. The tracks are short listed on the basis of cultural, historical or aesthetical significance. The Library chooses 25 tracks each year and last year’s nominees made the collection mount to 425. This year’s collection duration spanned from 1890 to 1999.

This year Radiohead’s album OK Computer from 1997 was selected to be added to the registry. The album received votes on it’s anti-consumerism, social alienation, isolation, malaise and an overall atmosphere of melancholy themes. The album signified the advent of modern technology and its effects on human life.

Curator Matt Barton disclosed the rock nominees for this year was The Doors where he thought that the real Rock prodigy started indeed from the Velvet Underground. The Door won it for their self-titled album from 1967 meanwhile The Righteous Brothers took their spot in the registry with their track; You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ from 1964.

Steve Martin had to be the surprise nominee this year as he got a spot on the registry from his 1978 comedy album ‘A Wild And Crazy Guy’. Martin was as surprised as everyone as he joked that ‘they must have found it funny’. He added that he was very honored to be included for the honor.

Sesame Street won the children’s music category and we can all admit the relevance it had on the lives of millions of children around the world.

Complete list of the National Recording Registry 2014 selections is given below:

Vernacular Wax Cylinder Recordings at University of California, Santa Barbara Library (c.1890-1910)
The Benjamin Ives Gilman Collection, recorded at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1893)
“The Boys of the Lough”/“The Humours of Ennistymon” (single)—Michael Coleman (1922)
“Black Snake Moan”/ “Match Box Blues”(single)—Blind Lemon Jefferson (1928)
“Sorry, Wrong Number” (episode of “Suspense” radio series, /4/25, 1943)
“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” (single)—Johnny Mercer (1944)
Radio Coverage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Funeral—Arthur Godfrey, et al. (April 14, 1945)
“Kiss Me, Kate” (original cast album) (1949)
“John Brown’s Body” (album)—Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, and Raymond Massey; directed by Charles Laughton (1953)
“My Funny Valentine” (single)—The Gerry Mulligan Quartet featuring Chet Baker (1953)
“Sixteen Tons” (single)—Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
“Mary Don’t You Weep” (single)—The Swan Silvertones (1959)
“Joan Baez” (album)—Joan Baez (1960)
“Stand by Me” (single)—Ben E. King (1961)
“New Orleans’ Sweet Emma Barrett and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band” (album)— Sweet Emma and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964)
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (single)—The Righteous Brothers (1964)
“The Doors” (album)—The Doors (1967)
“Stand!” (album)—Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
“Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues” (album)—Lincoln Mayorga (1968)
“A Wild and Crazy Guy” (album)—Steve Martin (1978)
“Sesame Street: All-Time Platinum Favorites” (album)—Various (1995)
“OK Computer” (album)—Radiohead (1997)
“Songs of the Old Regular Baptists”—Various (1997)
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (album)—Lauryn Hill (1998)
“Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman” (album)—Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor; Joan Tower, composer (1999)