Bitches Brew cover art

On Wednesday, April 8, twenty-five pertinent audio captures were inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Amongst the selected pieces with enduring cultural significance were songs, albums, sounds, and more, ranging from Miles Davis’ influential 1970 LP Bitches Brew to Brian Eno’s 1995 contribution, Microsoft Windows Reboot Chime. 

“These are the sounds of America – our wide-ranging history and culture. The National Recording Registry is our evolving nation’s playlist,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation, including iconic music across a variety of genres, field recordings, sports history and even the sounds of our daily lives with technology.”

In addition to Davis’ momentous LP, other celebrated full-length works selected for the National Recording Registry include Tracy Chapman’s self-titled 1988 folk album, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle, as well as singles such as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ “Happy Trails,” Helen Redy’s anthem “I am Woman,” and more. 

“This year’s National Recording Registry list is an honor roll of superb American popular music from the wide-ranging repertoire of our great nation, from Hawaii to Nashville, from iconic jazz tracks to smash Broadway musicals, from Latin superstars to global pop sensations – a parade of indelible recordings spanning more than a century,” the chair of the National Recording Preservation Board, Robbin Ahrold offered via statement.

Also making the list are historically significant moments like the Radio Broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Eno’s aforementioned ring, and the Urata Field Recordings (capturing the songs and sounds of workers on a Hawaiian sugar plantation). 

Elton John commented on his status as an inductee. He said, “Nobody really knows what a hit record is. I’m not a formula writer. I didn’t think ‘Bennie and the Jets’ was a hit. I didn’t think ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ was a hit. And that’s what makes writing so special. You do not know what you’re coming up with and how special it might become.”

View the complete list below, and find more information on the Library of Congress website.

Recordings Selected for the National Recording Registry in 2025:

“Aloha ‘Oe” – Hawaiian Quintette (1913) (single)
“Sweet Georgia Brown” – Brother Bones & His Shadows (1949) (single)
“Happy Trails” – Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (1952) (single)
Radio Broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series – Chuck Thompson (Oct. 13, 1960)
Harry Urata Field Recordings (1960-1980)
Hello Dummy! – Don Rickles (1968) (album)
Chicago Transit Authority – Chicago (1969) (album)
Bitches Brew – Miles Davis (1970) (album)
“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” – Charley Pride (1971) (single)
“I Am Woman” – Helen Reddy (1972) (single)
“El Rey” – Vicente Fernandez (1973) (single)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (1973) (album)
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – Freddy Fender (1975) (single)
I’ve Got the Music in Me – Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker (1975) (album)
The Kӧln Concert – Keith Jarrett (1975) (album)
Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band (1976) (album)
Nimrod Workman Collection (1973-1994)
Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988) (album)
My Life – Mary J. Blige (1994) (album)
Microsoft Windows Reboot Chime – Brian Eno (1995)
“My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion (1997) (single)
Our American Journey – Chanticleer (2002) (album)
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2006) (album)
Minecraft: Volume Alpha – Daniel Rosenfeld (2011) (album)
Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Album) (2015) (album)