U2, Jeff Buckley inducted into Library of Congress

One of the biggest honors in music is being selected for preservation in The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. This year, 25 iconic recordings have been inducted, after being deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". And it's kind of hard to argue with these choices, even if the later work of the acts haven't really matched the standard. We have U2's classic The Joshua Tree, Isaac Hayes' Oscar-winning theme from Shaft, Jeff Buckley's "gorgeous but overdone to exhaustion on every single singing competition in the universe" version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and Creedence Clearwater Revival's iconic anthem "Fortunate Son."

“These recordings represent an important part of America’s culture and history,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington in a statement on the organization's website. “As technology continually changes and formats become obsolete, we must ensure that our nation’s aural legacy is protected. The National Recording Registry is at the core of this effort.”

Despite the relatively slim list of requirements for eligibility (such as the recording needing to be at least 10 years old), it's incredibly difficult to be chosen by the Library's National Recording Preservation Board, especially given that just 25 selections are made each year. This year's nominees were culled online from public and National Recording Preservation Board submissions.

Credit: NBC

Of course, the inductees feature more than just popular music: interviews, field recordings, presidential conversations have made the cut. Even a 1962 comedy LP poking fun at the Kennedy family has been restored from its original place in history's dustbin following the President's assassination. Because apparently we, as a nation, have healed to the point where it's okay to make fun of the Kennedys again, or something. Check out the full, chronological list of inductees below and see if any of your favorites made the cut (I'm partial to the Sweeney Todd cast recording, which is truly an album for all seasons).

George Washington Johnson - "The Laughing Song" (single) (c. 1896)

Harry Macdonough and Alice Green - "They Didn’t Believe Me" (single) (1915)

Bing Crosby; Rudy Vallee - "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" (singles) (both 1932)

Franz Boas and George Herzog Recordings of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Dan Cranmer (1938)

Roland Hayes - "Were You There" (single) (1940)

The Goldbergs: “Sammy Goes Into the Army” (July 9th, 1942)

Louis Jordan - "Caldonia" (single) (1945)

Elmore James - "Dust My Broom" (single) (1951)

Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland (Vols. 1 and 2) (albums) (1954)

The Louvin Brothers - "When I Stop Dreaming" (single) (1955)

The Everly Brothers - "Cathy’s Clown" (single) (1960)

Mance Lipscomb - Texas Sharecropper and Songster (album) (1960)

The First Family (album) (1962)

Lawrence Ritter’s Interviews With Baseball Pioneers of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century (1962-66)

Presidential Recordings of Lyndon B. Johnson (November 22nd, 1963-January 10th, 1969)

Buck Owens and His Buckaroos - Carnegie Hall Concert With Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (album) (1966)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Fortunate Son" (single) (1969)

Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft (album) – Isaac Hayes (1971)

Larry Norman - Only Visiting This Planet (album) – Larry Norman (1972)

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco - Celia & Johnny (album) – (1974)

Aaron Copland - "Copland Conducts Copland: Appalachian Spring" – Aaron Copland (1974)

Linda Ronstadt- Heart Like a Wheel (album) – Linda Ronstadt (1974)

Sweeney Todd (album) – Original Cast Recording (1979)

U2 - The Joshua Tree (album) – U2 (1987)

Jeff Buckley - "Hallelujah" (single) – Jeff Buckley (1994)

Via: Rolling Stone