SHOF Inductees Honored By Library Of Congress In National Registry Class Of 2019

Three of the nineteen SHOF Inductees honored (left to right) - Chairman Emeritus Hal David, Dolly Parton and former Chairman Jimmy Webb

"Wichita Lineman" Glen Campbells' haunting and poetic country smash written by Jimmy Webb, a former chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame; Dolly Parton's global megahit "I Will Always Love You"; and Broadway's celebrated "Fiddler on The Roof" by legendary musical theater team Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick head an impressive list of works by SHOF inductees honored by the Library of Congress as the newest works to be listed in the prestigious National Recording Registry. The 2020 selections, announced this week by Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, will become part of an elite group of recordings destined for special preservation and scholarship attention due to their "cultural, historic and aesthetic significance to American society and the nation's audio heritage."

Nineteen Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees contributed to the 25 recordings inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry 

Also honored in this year's NRR list are works by a diverse honor roll of legendary SHOF inductees whose inductions span from 1972 to 2013: Alan and Marilyn Bergman, David Bowie, Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, Al Green, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Holly Knight, Michel Legrand, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill, and Randy Newman. Dusty Springfield's recording of "In The Land of Make Believe" by the late Hal David, SHOF's beloved Chairman (2000-2010) and co-written by Burt Bacharach was honored as a track from her album "Dusty in Memphis".

This year's NRR honorees include the following works authored by SHOF inductees:
~ "Fiddler on the Roof" by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick
"Wichita Lineman" by Jimmy Webb
~ "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton

~ Tracks from Dusty Springfield's universally acclaimed 1969 pop masterpiece "Dusty in Memphis" include:

* "In the Land of Make Believe" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David 
"Just a Little Lovin" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill 
"Just One Smile" and "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" by Randy Newman 
* "The Windmills of Your Mind" by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Michel Legrand 
"So Much Love", "Don't Forget About Me", "No Easy Way" and "I Can't Make It Alone" by Gerry Goffin and Carole King

~ Tracks from Tina Turner's 1984 landmark comeback album "Private Dancer" include:
* "Better Be Good to Me" co-written by Holly Knight 
"Let's Stay Together" co-written by Al Green 
"1984" by David Bowie

~ "Ain't That a Shame" by Antoine "Fats" Domino and Dave Bartholomew from Cheap Trick's 1978 breakout album "Cheap Trick at the Budokan"

SHOF President and CEO Linda Moran said: "This year's National Recording Register class honors Songwriters Hall of Fame songwriters and composers whose work spans the most iconic and successful songs from country, Broadway, pop, rock and R&B. It is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary contributions of these men and women to America's musical heritage."

Moran serves as a member of the federally-chartered National Recording Preservation Board, which assists the Librarian in selecting the recordings each year. SHOF President's Advisory Council member Robbin Ahrold has chaired the annual meetings of the National Recording Preservation Board for the past two years. The current SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers has been twice honored as his works "We Are Family" recorded by Sister Sledge was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2016 and Chic's inescapable disco hit "Le Freak" in 2017. 

Librarian of Congress Hayden added "The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape. It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time. We received over 800 nominations this year for culturally, historically or aesthetically significant recordings to add to the registry. As genres and formats continue to expand, the Library of Congress is committed to working with our many partners to preserve the sounds that have touched our hearts and shaped our culture."

The Registry was established in 2002. The recordings selected for the class of 2018 bring the total number of titles on the registry to over 550, a small part of the Library's vast recorded-sound collection of nearly 3 million items. Each year, the National Recording Preservation Board recommends works to be added to the collection, and the Librarian of Congress makes a final selection of about 25 works annually. The Board also advises on significant strategies in preservation of rare and endangered recordings, in collaboration with the nation's leading academic institutions. 

Read more about the Class of 2019 here: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-20-023/national-recording-registry-class-produces-ultimate-stay-at-home-playlist/2020-03-25/

The full list of this year's Registry selections is available in the official Library of Congress media release at loc.gov.

More information on the Registry and the Library's important work in audio preservation is available on the Library's special website at: www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/about-this-program/