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The Sounds of American Culture Every year, the Library of Congress selects 50 sound recordings for the National Recording Registry. Deemed by the Library as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant, the recordings range from John Coltrane's Giant Steps to Game Four of the 1941 World Series. Independent producer Ben Manilla, Media Mechanics, and Weekend All Things Considered look at recent additions to the registry.
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The Sounds of American Culture

NPR honors recent additions to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

'Head Hunters' Found A New Direction In Jazz

Herbie Hancock's album is now considered one of the defining moments in jazz fusion. The Library of Congress is preserving the album in its musical collection as one of the country's most culturally significant audio recordings. Hancock and producer David Rubinson reflect on the album's creation and long-lasting impact.

'Head Hunters' Found A New Direction In Jazz

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Kitty Wells: Don't Blame The 'Honky-Tonk'

Singer Emmylou Harris says a 33-year-old housewife named Kitty Wells turned both country music and the country on its head with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." With that song, Wells captured the tensions of the time and paved the way for more female musicians.

Kitty Wells: Don't Blame The 'Honky-Tonk'

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Mercy: Behind Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman'

One day, Roy Orbison's first wife walked down the street to the store. By the time she returned, the rock 'n' roll pioneer had already written his most enduring hit. "Oh, Pretty Woman" is one of the newest additions to the National Recording Registry.

Mercy: Behind Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman'

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NYC Mayor LaGuardia's Legendary Radio Readings

The year is 1945. The world is at war, and New York City's newspaper delivery men are on strike. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia solves the problem. Independent producer Ben Manilla shares the story behind LaGuardia's legendary radio readings of comic strips like Little Orphan Annie.

NYC Mayor LaGuardia's Legendary Radio Readings

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'Button-Down Mind' Changed Modern Comedy

In 1960, Bob Newhart stood before one of the first live nightclub audiences he'd ever faced. That performance resulted in the beloved comedy album, "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," which the Library of Congress selected for its National Recording Registry.

'Button-Down Mind' Changed Modern Comedy

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Bob Marley's Reggae Landmark

In 1973, a reggae group on the verge of breaking up released an album — its second that year — filled with militant anthems inspired by life in the Jamaican slums. Burnin' turned out to be Bob Marley's big break.

Bob Marley's Reggae Landmark

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The Fight of the Century: Louis vs. Schmeling

The 1938 boxing rematch between American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling is believed to have had the largest audience in history for a single radio broadcast. In 2005, the Library of Congress selected it for the National Recording Registry.

The Fight of the Century: Louis vs. Schmeling

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The Psychedelic Debut of Jimi Hendrix

When Jimi Hendrix's debut album, Are You Experienced? was released in 1967, it turned the music world upside down. The ground-breaking psychedelic rock recording is a recent selection for the National Recording Registry.

The Psychedelic Debut of Jimi Hendrix

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Mamie Smith and the Birth of the Blues Market

Mamie Smith was the first black artist to record a blues song: 1920's "Crazy Blues." The recording opened the door for a brand new market known from the 1920s to the 1940s as "race records."

Mamie Smith and the Birth of the Blues Market

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The Impact of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'

American composer Samuel Barber (1910-1981) won the Pulitzer Prize twice — once for his opera Vanessa in 1957 and again for his 1962 piano concerto. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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The Impact of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'

Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" is considered one of the most popular of all 20th-century classical works. Its 1938 premiere by the NBC Orchestra with conductor Arturo Toscanini is a recent selection for the National Recording Registry.

The Impact of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'

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Jerry Lee Lewis: 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'

Recorded in only one take at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Jerry Lee Lewis' original recording of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" propelled the rock legend to instant fame. In 2005, the Library of Congress selected the song for the National Recording Registry.

Jerry Lee Lewis: 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'

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