“I Will Survive” will keep on surviving in the Library of Congress.
Gloria Gaynor’s disco classic is one of 25 new additions to the library’s National Recording Registry, which aims to preserve sound recordings that have great cultural and historic importance to the United States. Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” the Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go” and John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” are also included.
“‘I Will Survive’ is my mantra, the core of my God-given purpose,'” Gaynor said in a statement. “It is my privilege and honor to use it to inspire people around the world of every nationality, race, creed, color and age group to join me as I sing and live the words: ‘I Will Survive.’”
The oldest addition this year is “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” by the Peerless Quartet, from 1911; the most recent is Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” from 1986. Non-musical recordings include George Marshall’s “Marshall Plan” speech from 1947 and fourth quarter radio coverage of the 1962 basketball game between the Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks in which Wilt Chamberlain set the record for the most points scored in a single game (100).
Nominations for this year’s additions came from public submissions and from the National Recording Preservation Board, which is currently taking ideas for next year online. Recordings must be at least 10 years old to be included; there are now 450 recordings total on the registry.
“This collection … helps safeguard the record of what we’ve done and who we are,” said Acting Librarian of Congress David S. Mao in a statement.
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