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.
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