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Ziggy Stardust, American Pie Lead Additions To National Recording Registry

03-30-2017
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Don McLean

The Library of Congress this week added Don McLean's "American Pie", David Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," the Eagles' 1976 "Their Greatest Hits" and other landmark recordings to their National Recording Registry.

Those records lead the list of 25 recordings selected last year for addition to the registry, which now stands at 475 titles. Other additions this year include N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton", Wilson Pickett's hit single "In The Midnight Hour", Talking Heads' "Remain in Light", Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" and Harry Richman's recording of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz".

Don McLean shared his reaction to the honor, "I have been proud to be an American artist who has represented his country around the world for almost 50 years. I hope I did a good job because I was always aware of the country I came from. America has a vast musical heritage which is diverse and profound. With few exceptions American music is the whole of popular music. We have done it all. Written the greatest songs and produced the greatest artists. I am so proud to be a part of this creative effort."

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden added, "This year's exciting list gives us a full range of sound experiences. These sounds of the past enrich our understanding of the nation's cultural history and our history in general."

2016 National Recording Registry (Listing Titles in Chronological Order)
1. The 1888 London cylinder recordings of Col. George Gouraud (1888)
2. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (singles), Manhattan Harmony Four (1923); Melba Moore and Friends (1990)
3. "Puttin' on the Ritz" (single), Harry Richman (1929)
4. "Over the Rainbow" (single), Judy Garland (1939)
5. "I'll Fly Away" (single), The Chuck Wagon Gang(1948)
6. "Hound Dog" (single), Big Mama Thornton (1953)
7. "Saxophone Colossus," Sonny Rollins(1956)
8. The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, announced by Vin Scully (September 8, 1957)
9. "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs," Marty Robbins(1959)
10. "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery," Wes Montgomery (1960)
11. "People" (single), Barbra Streisand (1964)
12. "In the Midnight Hour" (single), Wilson Pickett(1965)
13. "Amazing Grace" (single), Judy Collins (1970)
14. "American Pie" (single), Don McLean (1971)
15. "All Things Considered," first broadcast (May 3, 1971)
16. "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," David Bowie (1972)
17. "The Wiz," original cast album (1975)
18. "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)," Eagles (1976)
19. "Scott Joplin's Treemonisha," Gunter Schuller, arr. (1976)
20. "Wanted: Live in Concert," Richard Pryor (1978)
21. "We Are Family" (single), Sister Sledge (1979)
22. "Remain in Light," Talking Heads (1980)
23. "Straight Outta Compton," N.W.A. (1988)
24. "Rachmaninoff's Vespers (All-Night Vigil)," Robert Shaw Festival Singers (1990)
25. "Signatures," Ren�e Fleming (1997)

See the full announcement here.

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