Green Day, Notorious B.I.G., and Blondie Albums Added to National Recording Registry

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Graphic courtesy of Library of Congress

Albums by Green Day, the Notorious B.I.G., and Blondie will be preserved among “the defining sounds of history” in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named this year’s 25 additions to the archive, also including songs and albums by ABBA, the Chicks, the Cars, Bill Withers, Jefferson Airplane, Kronos Quartet, and Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. See the full list—including Green Day’s Dookie, Biggie’s Ready to Die, Blondie’s Parallel Lines, Abba’s Arrival, and the Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces—below.

Last year’s inductees included Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Queen Latifah’s All Hail the Queen, and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.”

Recordings Selected for the 2024 National Recording Registry

  • “Clarinet Marmalade” – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)

  • “Kauhavan Polkka” – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)

  • Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)

  • “Rose Room” – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)

  • “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” – Gene Autry (1949)

  • “Tennessee Waltz” – Patti Page (1950)

  • “Rocket ‘88’” – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)

  • “Catch a Falling Star” / ”Magic Moments” – Perry Como (1957)

  • “Chances Are” – Johnny Mathis (1957)

  • “The Sidewinder” – Lee Morgan (1964)

  • “Surrealistic Pillow” – Jefferson Airplane (1967)

  • “Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers (1971)

  • “This is a Recording” – Lily Tomlin (1971)

  • “J.D. Crowe & the New South” – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)

  • “Arrival” – ABBA (1976)

  • “El Cantante” – Héctor Lavoe (1978)

  • “The Cars” – The Cars (1978)

  • “Parallel Lines” – Blondie (1978)

  • “La-Di-Da-Di” – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)

  • “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Bobby McFerrin (1988)

  • “Amor Eterno” – Juan Gabriel (1990)

  • “Pieces of Africa” – Kronos Quartet (1992)

  • “Dookie” – Green Day (1994)

  • “Ready to Die” – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

  • “Wide Open Spaces” – The Chicks (1998)

From its humble roots in the Bay Area punk scene to its massive hooks, *Dookie* has become one of the greatest teenage wasteland albums of any generation.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork