US Library of Congress also adds Blondie's ‘Parallel Lines’ to the National Recording Registry.
The US Library of Congress has finalised its annual list of albums to be preserved for posterity, with Green Day and Blondie making the cut this year.
Green Day’s breakout smash ‘Dookie’ was selected as one of the “defining sounds of history and culture”.
The 1994 album was the band’s third, and their first for a major label, and its success heralded the 90s pop-punk boom, with it going on to sell around 20 million copies to date.
“Say whaaattttt?” the band commented on social media, adding: “What an honour.”
Alongside ‘Dookie’ the punk community is also represented in this year’s National Recording Registry intake by Blondie’s 1978 landmark ‘Parallel Lines’.
Also Blondie’s third long-player, ‘Parallel Lines’ saw the New York band’s style coalesce into a robust punk-influenced power-pop that spawned international pop hits like the disco-inflected ‘Heart of Glass’ and the 60s pop stylings of ‘Sunday Girl’.
The Library of Congress selects recordings if they are deemed “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time”, a high watermark that’s based on their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in [America’s] recorded sound heritage”.
In addition to Green Day and Blondie the ‘class of 2024’ also includes ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’, Perry Como’s ‘Catch a Falling Star’/‘Magic Moments’, Gene Autry’s ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer’, and Bobby McFerrin’s ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said: “The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry. We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation.”
Previous albums added to the Registry include Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’, Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’, Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’, Talking Heads’ ‘Remain in Light’, The Police’s ‘Synchronicity’, Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ and the Ramones’ first album.
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album Review: Slalom D release ‘I Choose My Own Way To Burn’, giving us a lesson in melodic punk rock with a heart
Slalom D, Sunderland’s finest, bring out their third album on Serial Bowl Records. Tilte ‘I Choose My Own Way To Burn’ comes from a quote
EP Review: mirabelle. remind us it’s OK to not be OK in new 4-track ‘LOSERS’
This September, heavy pop punks mirabelle. are dropping their new four-track EP ‘LOSERS’ via French label BANSHIES, and they’re calling it their “most ambitious release
Exclusive interview: Ruts DC’s Segs on new EP ‘Bound In Blood’
Yes, Ruts DC are about to release their first ever EP, ‘Bound In Blood’ – read what Segs has to say about the songwriting, the
Live review: Hot Flushes/High Voltage gig – fun and fundraising for The Menopause Charity!
Eastfield, The Duel, Cherry & Peesh, Marie and the Meltdownz, and Dinosaur Skull do MoonPunx proud at their end-of-season show at Camden’s Fiddler’s Elbow, raising
Album review: Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys sharpen up with brand new release!
What a tantalizing name for a band! Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys have just released a brand-new album, ‘Disgust’, and my attention was well and
Live review: Chelsea / Desperate Measures / Rage DC at Facebar, Reading 28/08/26
Tonight, the indomitable Mannie of Shake Some Acton heads west to bring together local, national and international Punk bands to entertain us; Rage DC, Desperate
An occasional writer on punk rock.
Click on Dom’s photo for more of his articles
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
