‘Superfly,’ ‘Soul Man,’ ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ‘La Bamba,’ ‘The Blueprint’ And More Added To National Recording Registry

Courtesy Golden 1 Center – Jay-Z
Jay-Z draws a packed house at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., Dec. 17.

Albums by Jay-Z, Cyndi Lauper and Curtis Mayfield and songs from Nina Simone, Earth Wind & Fire, Neil Diamond, Curtis Mayfield and Sam & Dave are all being added to the National Recording Registry, the Library of Congress announced March 20.

The annual selection of 25 recordings for the Registry consists of songs “worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

In order to qualify for selection, titles must be 10 years old. This year’s additions bring the number of titles on the registry to 525, with a broader recorded-sound collection of 3 million items.

“The National Recording Registry honors the music that enriches our souls, the voices that tell our stories and the sounds that mirror our lives” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “The influence of recorded sound over its nearly 160-year history has been profound and technology has increased its reach and significance exponentially. The Library of Congress and its many collaborators are working to preserve these sounds and moments in time, which reflect our past, present and future.”

The full list of recordings added can be found here.