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Recordings by Janis Joplin (with Big Brother and the Holding Company), Simon & Garfunkel, Chubby Checker, and The Ramones are among the latest additions to the Libary of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

Every year, the National Recording Preservation Board selects 25 recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old.

Librarian of Congress, James Billington, says:

“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. Our challenge, however, continues to be finding collaborative and innovative ways to protect and make available this unmatched legacy to the public.”

Art Garfunkel told CBS News Radio that he is “thrilled” that the Simon & Garfunkel album “Sounds of Silence” has been inducted::

“I’m thrilled. I love when my work is appreciated. I stood in front of a mic years and years ago hoping that I would connect with people and it’s a great honour for the Library of Congress to say ‘Well, you connected’.”

The 25 recordings selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry were:

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

Nominations were gathered through online submissions from the public and from the National Recording Preservation Board, which comprises leaders in the fields of music, recorded sound and preservation.