By ASSOCIATED PRESS
May 14, 2008
WASHINGTON - The best-selling pop album on planet Earth and a disc sent hurtling into deep space are among recordings the Library of Congress will preserve for their cultural significance.

Twenty-five selections were added to the National Recording Registry on Wednesday, part of the library's attempt to save America's aural history by archiving recordings deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."



The inductees range from Michael Jackson's 1982 all-time-bestseller "Thriller" and jazz artist Herbie Hancock's 1973 fusion smash "Headhunters" to the 1977 record of Earth sounds that flew aboard the spacecraft Voyager in the event alien life forms encountered the craft. Other recordings added to the registry include works by Roy Orbison, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Kitty Wells and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

A collection of Navajo songs, Harry Truman's 1948 Democratic National Convention speech, radio broadcasts from Ronald Reagan before he became president, and the original cast recording of "My Fair Lady" also made the cut, as did broadcasts of New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia reading comics to children during a 1945 newspaper delivery strike.

A recording of the first trans-Atlantic broadcast - an orchestral performance transmitted from London and relayed to the U.S. East Coast in 1925 - also was included because it represented a technological breakthrough in broadcasting.

The Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings each year to add to its registry and preserve. Nominations come from a Library of Congress preservation board and online suggestions from the public. The selections for 2007 bring the registry's total to 250.
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In case you were wondering

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Rolling Stones (1965)
Initially released as a single in the United States, “Satisfaction” also appeared on the Rolling Stones’ 1965 album, Out of Our Heads. Guitarist Keith Richards claims to have woken up in the middle of the night with the famous fuzz-laden guitar riff in his head and immediately committed it to tape. Although he was ambivalent about the riff, he nonetheless presented it to vocalist Mick Jagger, who penned the song’s anti-commercial lyrics. Despite both Richards’ and Jagger’s feelings that the song should not be released, the other members of the Rolling Stones voted to release the song and it became a classic of rock ’n’ roll. Selected for the 2006 registry.

It was # 202

I think "Thriller" is somewhat dated and shallow compared with 1978's "Off The Wall" (deeper grroves) or the Jackson 5's best singles. Obviously "T" is a phenomenon due to its commercial success, and dominated charts & radio during 1982 - 84, but I'll take 'Wanna Be Starting Something' or 'ABC' anyday.
By the way, I wonder if Jackson stole the whole 'one glove' thing from The Music Machine (biggest but not only hit 'Talk Talk', 1966 - covered by Alice Cooper etc) who always playe, and appeared on Dick Clark, w/ each member wearing one black glove, 40 years ago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-05-14 21:08 by john r.

Thriller is undoubtedly a 'killer' disc. Wasn't 'wanna be starting something' the opening track?

7 great singles off this one, while I've no time for the man himself, can't argue that THriller deserves its spot.

Yorkshirestone, my mistake, I guess 'Wanna' is the song that still holds up for me.

Paul Weller has stated (don't know if he was kidding or not)
that the Jam's brilliant album Sound Affects
was inspired by "Revolver and Off The Wall."

While Thriller has some great tracks "Beat It", "Wanna Be Starting Something" and "Bille Jean", it has some absolute crap too. I've never heard a worse song than "The Girl Is Mine". So much filler for an album named Thriller.
Personally I prefer Off The Wall.