Listen to the Most American Playlist Ever

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If the Smithsonian is America’s attic, the National Recording Registry is the dusty box of records that America’s parents left up there.

Every year since 2002, the Library of Congress has chosen an eclectic mix of historically significant recordings in a wide range of genres to preserve. This year’s list, announced Wednesday, is no different.

Among the 25 recordings being added this year: the 1928 blues song soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/black_snake_moan.mp3|
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content=”Black Snake Moan” by Blind Lemon Jefferson, the original 1949 cast album of the Broadway musical soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kiss_me_kate-too_darn_hot.mp3|
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content=”Kiss Me, Kate” and Joan Baez’s soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/joan_baez.mp3|
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content=self-titled debut from 1960.

MORE When Joan Baez Made the Cover of TIME

With choices ranging from New Orleans jazz to gospel and country, there’s a little bit of something for everyone on the list. And that’s kind of the point.

Like any government project in a democracy, the National Recording Registry aims to please a broad range of interest groups and avoid controversy.

The best way to approach the list is not to think about the selections, but about the intended audience for each one. Here’s a breakdown of some of the major targets:

The Classic Rock Fan: Rock music still has a broad demographic reach, and nostalgia-prone Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers are sure to read a story about a classic rock band being preserved by the Library of Congress. These picks are so ubiquitous they hardly cry out to be urgent candidates for preservation, but they’re good for publicity. Past examples: Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run and Nirvana’s Nevermind.

  • This year’s picks: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/doors-light_my_fire.mp3|
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    content=The Doors’ debut album, the Righteous Brothers’ soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/youve_lost_that_lovin.mp3|
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    content=”You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin'” and Ben E. King’s soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/stand_by_me.mp3|
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    content=”Stand By Me.”
  • The Rock Critic: To quiet complaints from rock snobs about the previous selection, the list also typically includes a counterpoint that is beloved by music critics but not as radio-friendly. Past examples: Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, Patti Smith’s Horses and Jeff Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (double points for that one).

  • This year’s pick: Radiohead’s soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/radiohead.mp3|
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    content=OK Computer.
  • Hear More:
    soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2014_national_recording_registry_montage.mp3|
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    content=A seven-minute montage of this year’s picks.

    The Senior Citizen: The list-makers approach the world of pop music warily. Unlike rock ‘n’ roll, pop only qualifies for preservation if your grandmother listened to it. Songs that capture the zeitgeist of a bygone historical era are also favored. Past examples: “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Over There,” “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

  • This year’s pick: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/accentuate1.mp3|
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    content=”Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” by Johnny Mercer.
  • The Opry Fan: Country music is treated the same way as pop. If Johnny Cash would have listened to it, it’s OK. But modern country is out. One of the few contemporary country picks, Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger, was a complete rejection of the slick Nashville sound. Past examples: “Wildwood Flower,” by the Carter Family, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” by Bill Monroe and “Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams.

  • This year’s pick: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/sixteen_tons.mp3|
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    content=”Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
  • The Jazz Aficionado: The list-makers approach jazz music as reverently as a Ken Burns documentary, ticking off another part of the generally agreed upon canon or adding a key early influence each year. Past examples: Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings, Count Basie’s “One O’Clock Jump,” Charlie Parker’s “Ko Ko” and Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue.

  • This year’s picks: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/my_funny_valentine.mp3|
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    content=”My Funny Valentine” by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and New Orleans’
    soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/sweet_emma.mp3|
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    content=Sweet Emma Barrett and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
  • The Hip Hop Dilettante: The list approaches hip hop cautiously. Aside from early landmarks Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message,” the registry includes only De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet and Tupac Shakur’s “Dear Mama,” an idiosyncratic group. Potentially controversial choices like gangsta rap are avoided. This genre is also limited by the requirement recordings be at least 10 years old.

  • This year’s pick: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lauryn_hill.mp3|
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    content=The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
  • MORE: Photographs of the 25 Selections This Year

    The Vinyl Collector: Another selection will be familiar only to people who are into what rock critic Greil Marcus once called “the old, weird America.” Think of this as hitting shuffle on Bob Dylan’s mental iPod. Past examples: “Honolulu Cake Walk,” a ragtime song played on banjo; “Allons a Lafayette,” the first commercial Cajun music recording; and “Fon der Choope,” one of the first klezmer recordings.

  • This year’s pick: soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/coleman.mp3|
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    content=”The Boys of the Lough”/”The Humours of Ennistymon” by Irish-American fiddler Michael Coleman.
  • The Politician: The registry wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Congress, so politicians get their due as well. That can be anything from speeches to historic news coverage carefully curated to include bipartisan heroes. Past examples: Lyndon Johnson’s White House recordings, Ronald Reagan’s mid-1970s radio broadcasts and Republican training organization GOPAC’s instructional tapes.

  • This year’s pick: Radio coverage of soundFile=http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fdr_funeral.mp3|
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    content=Franklin Roosevelt’s funeral.
  • And that’s not all. Each year’s list also typically includes a historical recording from the early days of recorded music, gospel music, a traditional blues song, a comedy album, an old radio play and a Broadway musical. Less frequently, it may also include world music, disco, reggae, classical music, folk revival, spoken word, poetry, a movie soundtrack, an oral history or a historic interview.

    Regardless of the number of selections — currently at 425 overall — the list will always feel incomplete. But, the beauty is, there’s always next year.

    Read next: Streaming Music Showdown: Spotify vs. Beats

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    See the 25 Recordings the Library of Congress Will Preserve

    "The Doors" original album. Courtesy Elektra.
    The Doors' self-titled 1967 debut album featured the hit "Light My Fire" as well as the 12-minute Oedipal drama "The End." (Elektra/Library of Congress)Elektra/Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    Lyricist Johnny Mercer's own take on his peppy sermon, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," was more popular than a version released by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters that same month. (Capitol Records/Library of Congress)Capitol Records/Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    On "Songs of the Old Regular Baptists," the Kentucky choir sings a once-popular style of hymn in a call-and-response style. (Smithsonian Folkways/Library of Congress)Smithsonian Folkways/Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    A collection of 101 homemade recordings from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair features world music from special international "villages," including some of the earliest know recordings of non-Western styles such as Javanese Gamelan. (Chicago History Museum/Getty Images)Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
    Joan Baez. Photo by William Claxton.
    The self-titled debut album of folk singer Joan Baez was a key part of the folk revival movement in the 1960s. (William Claxton—Library of Congress)William Claxton—Library of Congress
    "John Brown's Body" (1953 album release). Courtesy Columbia Masterworks.
    The 1953 double-album "John Brown's Body" was a landmark recording of a theater project about the Civil War. (Columbia Masterworks/Library of Congress)Columbia Masterworks/Library of Congress
    Sweet Emma Barrett and the Preservation Hall Jazz band, veterans of New Orleans jazz, performed before a live audience on this 1964 album, which helped spark a revival of interest in the older style. (Preservation Hall/Library of Congress)Preservation Hall/Library of Congress
    “Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman”—Joan Tower (CD cover). Courtesy KOCH International.
    A five-part composition written between 1986 and 1993 by composer Jaon Tower, "Fanfares for the Common Woman" celebrated women in music. (KOCH International/Library of Congress)KOCH International/Library of Congress
    “OK Computer” original CD cover. Courtesy Capitol Records.
    Radiohead's 1997 alt-rock album "OK Computer" was an instant classic due to its complex blend of different musical styles. (Capitol Records/Library of Congress)Capitol Records/Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    A collection of rare homemade recordings made from the 1890s to the 1910s housed at the University of California, Santa Barbara features families singing, people telling jokes and even the sounds of barnyard animals.Museum of Science and Industry/Getty Images
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    Blind Lemon Jefferson's rural style of the blues, captured on a 1928 single "Black Snake Moan" / "Match Box Blues" was influential in broadening the genre. (GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images)GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    Irish fiddler Michael Coleman, who moved to New York City in 1914, brought new respect to traditional Irish music with his highly skilled playing. (Viva Voce/Library of Congress)Viva Voce/Library of Congress
    Steve Martin. Courtesy Warner Records.
    Steve Martin's 1978 comedy album "A Wild and Crazy Guy" was notable for eschewing formulaic jokes and for bits like "King Tut." (Warner Records/Library of Congress)Warner Records/Library of Congress
    The Swan Silvertones. Courtesy Vee-Jay Records.
    The 1959 recording of the gospel classic "Mary Don't You Weep" broke new ground musically and became an anthem of the civil rights movement. (Vee-Jay Records/Library of Congress)Vee-Jay Records/Library of Congress
    Chet Baker. Library of Congress Collections.
    Trumpeter Chet Baker was a featured player on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet's live performance of jazz standard "My Funny Valentine," a powerful West Coast cool jazz classic. (Library of Congress)Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    Radio coverage of the 1945 funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt featured veteran broadcaster Arthur Godfrey breaking down emotionally. (George Tames—Library of Congress)George Tames—Library of Congress
    National Recording Registry Library of Congress Music
    After the breakup of the Fugees, Lauryn Hill released an acclaimed 1998 solo album that fused soul, R&B, rap and reggae. (Lauryn Hill/Library of Congress)Lauryn Hill/Library of Congress
    Cole Porter. Library of Congress Collections.
    Cole Porter's first musical to integrate songs and the storyline was a retelling of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." (Library of Congress)Library of Congress
    The cast of "Sesame Street." Courtesy Sesame Workshop.
    The musicians behind "Sesame Street" strived to write inventive, humorous songs such as "Rubber Duckie" and "C is for Cookie" that both children and adults could enjoy. (Library of Congress)Library of Congress
    Tennessee Ernie Ford. Library of Congress Collections.
    Released as a B-side, Tennessee Ernie Ford's cover of "Sixteen Tons" stood out among more lighthearted country songs of the 1950s. (Library of Congress)Library of Congress
    Sly and the Family Stone. Courtesy Epic Records.
    Sly and the Family Stone's 1969 album Stand! was an important influence on soul and funk and is among the most sampled records of all time. (Epic Records/Library of Congress)Epic Records/Library of Congress
    The Righteous Brothers. Courtesy Polydor.
    The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was among the most-played songs of the 20th century on radio and television. (Polydor/Library of Congress)Polydor/Library of Congress
    Ben E. King. Courtesy Rhino Records.
    Inspired by a gospel song, Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" was among the most broadcast songs of the 20th century. (Rhino Records/Library of Congress) Rhino Records/Library of Congress
    “Sorry, Wrong Number” 1947 Decca issue. Courtesy Decca.
    Orson Welles once called "Sorry, Wrong Number," an episode of the "Suspense" radio series, the single greatest radio script ever written. (Decca/Library of Congress)Decca/Library of Congress

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