The Library of Congress added 25 titles to the National Recording Registry, including Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” which was penned by Dolly Parton.
The 25 titles were chosen based on their “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” importance. This year’s additions bring the Registry’s total to 550 titles.
Glen’s recording of “Wichita Lineman,” which was written by Jimmy Webb, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart in 1968.
“‘Wichita Lineman’ is the ultimate expression of the musical and spiritual bond between my husband Glen and his songwriting soulmate Jimmy Webb,” said Kim Campbell, Glen’s widow. “Despite ‘Wichita Lineman’ being such an important song for Glen, it was also one of his favorites and I know he’d be so thrilled and honored to have his original recording preserved in the Library of Congress.”
“I’m humbled and, at the same time for Glen, I am extremely proud,” said Jimmy Webb. “I wish there was some way I could reach him to say, ‘Glen, you know they’re doing this. They are putting our music in a mountain—it will be preserved for all time.’”
Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away,” which was penned by Hank Cochran, reached No. 1 on the Billboard country chart in 1965.
Take a look at this year’s selections below.
- “Whispering” – Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (1920)
- “Protesta per Sacco e Vanzetti” – Compagnia Columbia; “Sacco e Vanzetti” – Raoul Romito (1927)
- “La Chicharronera” – Narciso Martinez and Santiago Almeida (1936)
- “Arch Oboler’s Plays” episode “The Bathysphere” (Nov. 18, 1939)
- “Me and My Chauffeur Blues” – Memphis Minnie (1941)
- The 1951 National League tiebreaker: New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers: Russ Hodges, announcer (Oct. 3, 1951)
- Puccini’s “Tosca” – Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Angelo Mercuriali, Tito Gobbi, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli, Victor de Sabata (1953)
- “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” – Allan Sherman (1963)
- WGBH broadcast of the Boston Symphony on the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination, Boston Symphony Orchestra (1963)
- Fiddler on the Roof, original Broadway cast (1964)
- “Make the World Go Away” – Eddy Arnold (1965)
- Hiromi Lorraine Sakata Collection of Afghan Traditional Music (1966-67; 1971-73)
- “Wichita Lineman” – Glen Campbell (1968)
- Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield (1969)
- Mister Rogers Sings 21 Favorite Songs From ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’, Fred Rogers (1973)
- Cheap Trick at Budokan, Cheap Trick (1978)
- Holst: Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, Suite No. 2 in F / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Bach: Fantasia in G, Frederick Fennell and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds (1978)
- “Y.M.C.A.” (single), Village People (1978)
- A Feather on the Breath of God, Gothic Voices; Christopher Page, conductor; Hildegard von Bingen, composer (1982)
- Private Dancer, Tina Turner (1984)
- Ven Conmigo, Selena (1990)
- The Chronic, Dr. Dre (1992)
- “I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston (1992)
- Concert in the Garden, Maria Schneider Orchestra (2004)
- Percussion Concerto, Colin Currie (2008)
