The Doors seminal 1967 self-titled debut album is among 25 new additions selected for induction into the Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Works by Radiohead (“OK Computer”), Sly And The Family Stone (“Stand!”), The Righteous Brothers ("You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’"), Steve Martin ("A Wild and Crazy Guy") and Tennesse Ernie Ford (“Sixteen Tons”) and more are being recognized for their cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy.
Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with advice from the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.
"Congress understood the importance of protecting America’s aural patrimony when it passed the National Recording Preservation Act 15 years ago," says Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "By preserving these recordings, we safeguard the words, sounds and music that embody who we are as a people and a nation."
The new selections bring the total number of recordings on the registry to 425, a small part of the Library’s vast recorded-sound collection of nearly 3 million items.
The Doors debut is considered one of the most influential albums in the progression of psychedelic rock, featuring instant classics like “Break On Through (To The Other Side)”, “Soul Kitchen”, “The End” and the No. 1 single, “Light My Fire.”
The record remains the band’s most successful studio release, selling more than 4 million copies in the States alone and over 17 million worldwide.
Guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore remain the band’s surviving members; frontman Jim Morrison died under suspicious circumstances in Paris, France in 1971 at the age of 27, and keyboardist Ray Manzarek died from bile duct cancer in Rosenheim, Germany in 2013 at 74.
National Recording Registry inductions
(Listing in Chronological Order)
01. Vernacular Wax Cylinder Recordings at University of California, Santa Barbara Library (c.1890-1910)
02. The Benjamin Ives Gilman Collection, recorded at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1893)
03. "The Boys of the Lough"/"The Humours of Ennistymon" (single)—Michael Coleman (1922)
04. "Black Snake Moan" / "Match Box Blues"(single)—Blind Lemon Jefferson (1927)
05. "Sorry, Wrong Number" (episode of "Suspense" radio series, May 25, 1943)
06. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (single)—Johnny Mercer (1944)
07. Radio Coverage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Funeral—Arthur Godfrey, et al. (April 14, 1945)
08. "Kiss Me, Kate" (original cast album) (1949)
09. "John Brown’s Body" (album)—Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, and Raymond Massey; directed by Charles Laughton (1953)
10. "My Funny Valentine" (single)—The Gerry Mulligan Quartet featuring Chet Baker (1953)
11. "Sixteen Tons" (single)—Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
12. "Mary Don’t You Weep" (single)—The Swan Silvertones (1959)
13. "Joan Baez" (album)—Joan Baez (1960)
14. "Stand by Me" (single)—Ben E. King (1961)
15. "New Orleans’ Sweet Emma Barrett and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band" (album)—Sweet Emma and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964)
16. "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’" (single)—The Righteous Brothers (1964)
17. "The Doors" (album)—The Doors (1967)
18. "Stand!" (album)—Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
19. "Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues" (album)—Lincoln Mayorga (1968)
20. "A Wild and Crazy Guy" (album)—Steve Martin (1978)
21. "Sesame Street: All-Time Platinum Favorites" (album)—Various (1995)
22. "OK Computer" (album)—Radiohead (1997)
23. "Old Regular Baptists: Lined-Out Hymnody from Southeastern Kentucky" (album)—Indian Bottom Association (1997)
24. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (album)—Lauryn Hill (1998)
25. "Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman" (album)—Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor; Joan Tower, composer (1999)
See also:
VIDEO: The Doors preview release of 1968 documentary Feast Of Friends
The Doors: Marianne Faithfull reveals who killed Jim Morrison
Classic rockers salute The Doors on new tribute album
The Doors to perform Ray Manzarek tribute concert
Search The Doors at hennemusic
