‘Perfect rock song’ among 25 new titles added to National Recording Registry

The “perfect rock song” by a Bay Area band is among the 25 recordings added this week to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.

The 2022 class brings to 600 the number of titles in the registry, described as “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

In addition to the musical selections, the new class includes famous speeches of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, WNYC’s broadcasts on 9/11 and Marc Maron’s podcast interview with Robin Williams.

Some of the musical selections are albums and others are singles — including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.” The registry entry notes that the 1981 hit  has “been described as a ‘perfect rock song’” and says it “has now taken its place not only as Journey’s greatest legacy, but also as the personal empowerment anthem of millions of people.”

The song is a tradition at home games of the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Red Wings, and it entered the cultural canon with its prominent role in the final episode of “The Sopranos.”

2022 selections to National Recording Registry:

• “Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921). Composition in the jazz piano style known as Harlem Stride.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
• “Walking the Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941, single). Honky-tonk hit notable for the prominence of electric guitar.
• “On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945). Norman Corwin’s salute to the Allied victory in Europe, aired the evening of V-E Day.
• “Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950, single). From the first studio session of Chicago gospel singer Sam Cook, seven years before he added an “e” to his last name and went on to pop music fame.
• “Ellington at Newport” — Duke Ellington (1956, album)
• “We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite” — Max Roach (1960, album)
• “The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961, single)
• “Tonight’s the Night” — The Shirelles (1961, album)
• “Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962, single)
• “In C” — Terry Riley (1968, album). An experimental composition of 53 melodic phrases that was first performed  at San Francisco’s Tape Music Center.
• “It’s a Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964, single). “One of the most widely heard and remembered songs of all time” (read: “classic earworm”).
• “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966, single)
• Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974). Called by radio broadcaster Milo Hamilton.
• “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975, single)
• “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981, single)
• “Canciones de Mi Padre” — Linda Ronstadt (1987, album)
• “Nick of Time” — Bonnie Raitt (1989, album)
• “The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest (1991, album)
• “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993, album)
• “Buena Vista Social Club” (1997, album)
• “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999, single)
• “Songs in A Minor” — Alicia Keys (2001, album)
• WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001)
• “WTF with Marc Maron,” with guest Robin Williams (April 26, 2010)