Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, ‘South Pacific’ Recordings Will be Preserved by Library of Congress

Janis Joplin, the Bee Gees and radio address by President Eisenhower also make the cut

Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, Chubby Checker and Philip Glass are just a few of the artists whose work will be inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

Their songs and compositions are among 25 sound recordings that will be preserved for their cultural, artistic and historic importance.

Getty ImagesThe selections span musical genres, ranging from Broadway to rock to classical music. Other works on this year's list include the original soundtrack recording to "South Pacific"; the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, "Cheap Thrills," which marked Janis Joplin’s second release with the band Big Brother; and President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1958 radio address after the U.S. launched into orbit the world’s first communications satellite.

"Congress created the National Recording Registry to celebrate the richness and variety of our audio heritage and to underscore our responsibility for long-term preservation, to assure that legacy can be appreciated and studied for generations," James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, said in a statement. "Our challenge, however, continues to be finding collaborative and innovative ways to protect and make available this unmatched legacy to the public."

Under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with input from the public and from the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board, must select important recordings each year that are at least 10 years old, which explains the omission of, say, Justin Bieber. So far, 375 recordings have been tapped for preservation.

2012 National Recording Registry (Listing in Chronological Order)

    "After You’ve Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
    "Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
    "Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
    "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
    D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
    "Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
    "South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
    "Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
    Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
    President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
    "A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
    "The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
    "Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
    "The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
    "Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley’s," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
    "Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
    "Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
    "Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
    "The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
    "Music Time in Africa," Leo Sarkisian, host (July 29, 1973)
    "Wild Tchoupitoulas," The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
    "Ramones," The Ramones (1976)
    "Saturday Night Fever," The Bee Gees, et al (1977)
    "Einstein on the Beach," Philip Glass and Robert Wilson (1979)
    "The Audience with Betty Carter," Betty Carter (1980)

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