2020 NRR Nominees: “Pulp Fiction”, “Like A Virgin”, “Stan”, And More…
It’s that time of year again, folks.
It’s that time of year again, folks.
With technologies used to preserve audio in a constant state of change, older recordings will be at greater risk for loss, while newer technologies can help to better recover them. George Massenburg, a board member of the National Recording Preservation Board, has said,
“Sound archives have reached a critical point in their history marked by the simultaneous rapid deterioration of unique original materials, the development of expensive and powerful new digital technologies, and the decline of analog formats and media. It has long been clear to most sound archivists that our old analog-based preservation methods are no longer viable and that new strategies must be developed in the digital domain.”
The Grammy Foundation was important in helping to form the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording Registry. Much like its sister foundation, the National Film Registry, the National Recording Registry (NRR) selects up to 25 American recordings each year that it decides are historically, culturally, or aesthetically significant. The recordings must be at least 10 years old to be eligible for preservation. Past recordings which have been selected for preservation by the NRR include The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, Orson Welles’ radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, John William’s soundtrack to Star Wars, and Gil-Scott Heron’s spoken word poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, among others.
Now, onto the nominees…
Pulp Fiction (soundtrack)
Artist: Various, including Dick Dale and Samuel L. Jackson
Release Date: September 27, 1994
Label: MCA
Much the film, Pulp Fiction, the soundtrack is a watershed mix-tape of American pop culture. The song features hip-hop “Jungle Boogie”, classic rock and roll “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”, country throwback, “Son of a Preacher Man,” and surfer rock, “Misirlou”/”Surf Rider.” The album also contains some of the best dialogue ever recorded, in particular, Samuel L. Jackson’s famous “Ezekiel 25:17” speech.
“Like A Virgin.”
Artist: Madonna
Album: Like A Virgin
Release Date: November 6, 1984
Label: Sire, Warner Bros.
Alongside Michael Jackson and Prince, Madonna was one of the premiere pop artists of the 1980’s. “Like A Virgin” is the single that helped propel the pop star into the mainstream. Controversial on its release for its sexually-charged lyrics which have been debated and discussed (most famously in Reservoir Dogs), Madonna helped redefine the image of women in American music, as well as in American culture.
“Stan”
Artist: Eminem
Album: Marshall Mathers LP
Release Date: December 9, 2000
Label: Aftermath, Shady, Interscope
Eminem was one of the breakthrough white artists to enter the rap genre. “Stan” is a song about obsessive fans and demonstrates Eminem’s expert lyricism. The song also brilliantly samples Dido’s “Thank You” for contrast, which helped bring her to fame in the United States. The song was selected by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll.
“The Ballot or the Bullet”
Speaker: Malcolm X
Recording Date: April 3, 1964
Recorded At: Cory Methodist Church
One of Malcolm X’s most profound speeches that he gave after breaking from the Nation of Islam. Malcolm wanted to show his willingness to work with the Civil Rights Movement, despite their disagreements, but also spoke to the continued frustrations of black people after the March on Washington. Malcolm, perceived as more radical than King at the time, urged Congress to pass the civil rights bill, with threats implicit that racial chaos would unload if it didn’t. Malcolm’s speech spoke to the anger and complexity of racial discrimination in the United States.
“The Whisper Of AIDS”
Speaker: Mary Fisher
Recording Date: 1992
Recorded At: 1992 Republican National Convention
Mary Fisher’s call to the Republican Party to be more open about the reality of AIDS is a landmark point in the shifting views on AIDS among conservatives, and most Americans more broadly. Fisher, a straight, white woman who became HIV positive from her husband, became a symbol, alongside Ryan White, who challenged the stereotype that AIDS only afflicted promiscuous gays or black users of heroin. The speech has been a popular point of analysis for its rhetorical skill, such as challenging the “American family” rhetoric by saying, “we do the President’s cause no good if we praise the American family but ignore a virus that destroys it.”
“Sunshine Of Your Love”
Artist: Cream
Album: Disraeli Gears
Release Date: January 1968
Label: Atco
“Sunshine Of Your Love” is among the finest examples of Cream’s psychedelic rock music, which drew upon the rhythm and blues for composition, but ultimately stands out it on its own due to the outstanding guitar solo in the middle.
“Ohio”
Artist: Crosby, Stills, Nash, And Young
Release Date: May 4, 1970
Label: Atlantic
A protest song written in response to the shootings of anti-war activists at Kent State University, “Ohio” eloquently captures the troubled times of the Vietnam War era. The song is also a showcase of the best talents of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young.
“Juicy”
Artist: Notorious B.I.G
Album: Ready To Die
Release Date: August 9, 1994
Label: Bad Boy, Arista
Perhaps no other gangsta rapper rivaled Tupac Shakur during the 90’s as well as Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls). In “Juicy” Biggie chronicles his rags-to-riches success, and is a great example of sampling in a hip-hop, as well as Biggie’s own rapping finesse. Even now, it is considered one of the best hip-hop singles of all time.
“White Rabbit”
Artist: Jefferson Airplane
Album: Surrealistic Pillow
Release Date: June 24, 1967
Label: RCA Victor
Alongside “Somebody To Love” remains one of Jefferson Airplane’s most popular songs, probably because it so poetically draws on Lewis Carrol’s Alice In Wonderland to speak about the drug culture of the 1960’s. The song is also a great demonstration of Gracie Slick’s haunting vocals.
Boston (album)
Artist: Boston
Release Date: August 25, 1976
Recorded: October 1975 — April 1976 at Foxglove Studios in Watertown, Massachusetts • Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California • The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.
Label: Epic
One of the defining progressive rock albums of the 70’s, Boston is unique in the sense that it was technological creation. The music was almost exclusively done by multi-instrumentalist, Tom Scholz, and vocalist Brad Delp, who mixed the various tracks together in his basement. The album captures old memories “More Than A Feeling” and aspirations of fame “Rock & Roll Band.” The tracks have become staples of any rock radio station.
“Freebird”
Artist: Lynryd Skynryd
Release Date: November 1974
Recorded: April 3, 1973 at Studio One, Doraville, Georgia
Label: MCA
Regarded as one of the most requested songs in American history, the popular “Freebird” is an outstanding example of Lynryd Skynryd’s southern rock style. Its aesthetic significance lies with its powerful guitar solo and its expression of the restless American spirit.
The United States of America (album)
Artist: The United States of America
Release Date: March 6, 1968
Recorded: December 7 to 23, 1967
Label: Columbia
One of the great zeitgeist pieces of the 1960’s, the album is essentially the sound of America during that tumultuous decade. The album is very experimental, using electronic synthesizers and a variety of instruments including classical ones. Much of the album is enthused in the psychedelic rock music that dominated times with its unconventional directions and poetic lyricism, as heard in “Hard Coming Love” or “The Garden Of Earthly Delights.” “Cloud Song”, in particular, takes its lyrics from a poem in A.A. Milne’s Winne The Pooh. The very leftist political air is also touched upon in “Song For The Dead Che.”
“The House Of The Rising Sun.”
Artist: The Animals
Release Date: 1964
Label: Columbia
An old folk song about a New Orleans brothel gained new life when it was covered by The Animals in 1964. Their arrangement was over four minutes long, unheard of for a pop song at the time, and their use of the electric guitar in a folk song helped popularize the instrument.
Relentless (album)
Artist: Bill Hicks
Release Date: 1992
Label: Rykodisc
Bill Hicks has been among the most celebrated American comedians, and in Relentless is contained many of his funniest and most intellectual jokes, in which he covers topics as diverse as pornography, smoking, illegal drugs, and the Gulf War.
“The Perils of Indifference”
Speaker: Elie Wiesel
Recording Date: April 12, 1999
Recorded At: Washington D.C.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, was a Holocaust survivor who famously chronicled his experiences in the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Auschwitz in Night. He is remembered for his lifelong advocacy to prevent the occurrence of such horrors once more. In his famous speech before Congress and President Clinton, he critiqued the consequences of apathy towards injustice. The speech remains a strong example of his life philosophy.
“Chop Suey!”
Artist: System of a Down
Album: Toxicity
Recorded: February 2001 — March 2001
Released: August 13, 2001
Label: American
This song is the epitome of System of a Down’s unique musical style, from Serj Tankian’s strong vocals to Daron Malakian’s charging guitar. The song shifts from fast and confrontational in the first half, to being lyrical and moving in the second, with references to the dying words of Jesus Christ.
“Black Hole Sun”
Artist: Soundgarden
Album: Superunknown
Recorded: July–September 1993
Release Date: May 13, 1994
Label: A&M
Soundgarden’s most popular single remains a staple of the grunge genre, with surreal, apocalyptic lyrics written by Chris Cornell, and an acclaimed guitar solo by Kim Thayil. No doubt it is a reflective piece of rock music in the 1990s.
“Wake Up”
Artist: Rage Against The Machine
Album: Rage Against The Machine
Release Date: November 3, 1992
Label: Epic
The rock band Rage Against The Machine is well known for their revolutionary, left-wing politics. Their talents, from Tom Morello’s lead guitar to Zach de la Roca’s vocals, are best displayed in their single “Wake Up”, which served as a protest against the hypocrisies and injustices of American society, particularly Edgar Hoover’s Cointelpro. The song even references Martin Luther King’s famous rhetorical phrase, “How long, not long/ Cause what you reap is what you sow.”
“Three Skeleton Key”
Speaker: Vincent Price
Program: Escape
Release Date: March 17, 1950
The radio serials such as Escape, Suspense, and Lights Out, were an important part of storytelling in America through acting. By far one of the best segments of these serials was “Three Skeleton Key”, a short story by French author George G. Toudouze about three men trapped in a lighthouse surrounded by rats. This particular episode featured Vincent Prince in the leading role, one of America’s finest vocal talents, who would later go on to do the segment again in 1956 and 1958 for Suspense.
“Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”
Speaker: Hillary Clinton
Date Recorded: September 5, 1995
Recorded At: United Nations Fourth World Conference, Beijing, China
Then First Lady Hillary Clinton’s influential speech which put pressure on international powers to make women’s rights a human rights issue, a idea which would later be reflected in her “Hillary Doctrine” as Secretary of State. Clinton’s speech courageously spoke out against the violations of women’s rights in China, against the advice of U.S. officials to soften her rhetoric. The speech has since been an important point in the history of feminism, which inspired leaders around the globe, and the phrase “women’s rights are human rights” has become a common one.
“Eight Miles High”
Artist: The Byrds
Album: The Fifth Dimension
Release Date: March 14, 1966
Label: Columbia
While the Byrds did many covers, “Eight Miles High” remains one of their finest original compositions. The sing also had a role in shaping the psychedelic rock of the 1960’s, which was informed by John Coltrane’s Impressions as well as Ravi Shankar’s sitar genius. “Eight Miles High” was banned on U.S. radio stations for possible drug connotations in its lyrics.
“Shapes Of Things”
Artist: The Yardbirds
Release Date: February 25, 1966
Label: Columbia
What makes the Yardbirds such an influential rock group, is that they provided music with the three of the best guitarists in pop music, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. The song “Shapes Of Things” captures the anti-war and environmental fervor of the times, with Beck’s particular use of the guitar being influential in the formation of heavy metal.
“Pokémon Theme”
Artist: Jason Paige
Album: Pokémon T.B.A. Master
Recorded: 1998–1999
Released: June 29, 1999
Label: Koch Records
Even though Pokémon is of Japanese origin, it has had a strong influence on American pop culture, growing into a cultural phenomenon during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The “Pokémon Theme”, produced for the English dub of the Pokémon anime, is probably one of the most well-known and popular theme songs. At the height of Pokemania, the song was even sung in music classes for elementary schoolers, and the phrase “Gotta Catch Em All” has been cemented as synonymous with the franchise.
Make your own nominations to the 2020 NRR Registry: https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/nominate/
2020 NRR Nominee List:
- Pulp Fiction (soundtrack)
- “Like A Virgin”
- “Stan”
- “The Ballot or the Bullet”
- “The Whisper of AIDS”
- “Sunshine of Your Love”
- “Ohio”
- “Juicy”
- “White Rabbit”
- Boston (album)
- “Freebird”
- The United States of America (album)
- “The House of the Rising Sun”
- Relentless (album)
- “The Perils of Indifference”
- “Chop Suey!”
- “Black Hole Sun”
- “Wake Up”
- “Three Skeleton Key”
- “Womens Rights Are Human Rights”
- “Eight Miles High”
- “The Shapes of Things”
- “Pokémon Theme”
