What do Minecraft, Microsoft Windows, and the musical Hamilton have in common?
The U.S. government recently added sounds or songs from all three to the National Recording Registry. That is an official collection of recordings meant to represent the country in sound. The registry is part of the Library of Congress, which provides research for the U.S. Congress.
The 25 additions also include the Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle album from 1976, the 1913 Hawaiian Quintette version of the folk song “Aloha ‘Oe,” and the radio broadcast from Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
The registry offers a unique entryway into American history and culture, says Stephen Leggett, who helps oversee the collection. Songs and other recordings are “easy to access, own, and experience over and over,” he explains.
The Library of Congress only considers recordings that are at least a decade old, Leggett adds. And nearly two-thirds of the collection is music. But there are also other types of sounds. One recording features Wisconsin foghorns. Another preserves the calls of an ivory-billed woodpecker, a species last confirmed seen in 1944.
The registry accepts public nominations for new sounds each year, but the final decision is made by the librarian of Congress. Make your own pitch by going to loc.gov/recording.
—Sean Price