“Gasolina†has certainly proved it’s got good mileage. Almost two decades after its initial release, Daddy Yankee’s 2004 hit has become the first reggaeton song to be preserved as part of the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress announced the 2023 class of inductees on Wednesday, tweeting that “Gasolina†in particular was “so explosive that it poured over every border & ushered in a full reggaeton revolution. Some U.S. radio stations even switched formats to be part of it.†Per a press release, the track was one of 25 recordings chosen this year as “some of the defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture.â€
But “Gasolina†wasn’t the only selection that made history. The Super Mario Bros. theme became the first video game soundtrack to be recognized, while Living Single star Queen Latifah now has a living album — the inclusion of All Hail the Queen made her the first female rapper in this preserved collection. Below, here’s the full list of the 25 latest additions to the National Recording Registry:
1. “The Very First Mariachi Recordings†— Cuarteto Coculense (1908-1909)
2. “St. Louis Blues†— Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)
3. “Sugar Foot Stomp†— Fletcher Henderson (1926)
4. Dorothy Thompson: Commentary and Analysis of the European Situation for NBC Radio
(Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 1939)
5. “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around†— The Fairfield Four (1947)
6. “What the World Needs Now is Love†— Jackie DeShannon (1965)
7. “Wang Dang Doodle†— Koko Taylor (1966)
8. “Sherry†— The Four Seasons (1962)
9. “Ode to Billie Joe†— Bobbie Gentry (1967)
10. “Déjà Vu†— Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970)
11. “Imagine†— John Lennon (1971)
12. “Stairway to Heaven†— Led Zeppelin (1971)
13. “Take Me Home, Country Roads†— John Denver (1971)
14. “Margaritaville†— Jimmy Buffett (1977)
15. “Flashdance…What a Feeling†— Irene Cara (1983)
16. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)†— Eurythmics (1983)
17. “Synchronicity†— The Police (1983)
18. “Black Codes (From the Underground)†— Wynton Marsalis (1985)
19. Super Mario Bros. theme — Koji Kondo, composer (1986)
20. “Like a Virgin†— Madonna (1984)
21. “All Hail the Queen†— Queen Latifah (1989)
22. “All I Want for Christmas is You†— Mariah Carey (1994)
23. “Pale Blue Dot†— Carl Sagan (1994)
24. “Gasolina†— Daddy Yankee (2004)
25. “Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra— Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, composer (2012)