‘Super Mario Bros’ Theme Is First Video Game Song Added To Library Of Congress
In a rather historic announcement, the Library of Congress recently announced that the original theme song from the hit video game Super Mario Bros will be inducted to the US National Recording Registry, alongside other “defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture.”
Officially dubbed the Ground Theme, the song was created by Nintendo composer Koji Kondo in 1985. It is now the first-ever tune from a video game to enter the registry, with the Library calling it “the most recognizable video game theme in history.”
The theme song will be part of a total of 25 albums, singles, and other soundbites added to the registry, such as the first known recording of mariachi music dating all the way back to 1908 and 1909 by Cuarteto Coculense, to Queen Latifah’s 1989 album All Hail The Queen.
According to IGN, the library selects a group of audio samples each year to join its archives, spanning the “range and diversity of American record sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness.”
Other songs that made the cut this year include What A Feeling by Irene Cara (1983), John Lennon’s Imagine (1971), Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin (1971), John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971), and more by the likes of Madonna and Mariah Carey.
Interestingly, two non-musical entries will join these famous melodies—astronomer Carl Sagan’s audiobook recording of Pale Blue Dot, and NBC radio reporter Dorothy Thompson’s commentaries and analysis of Europe during the build-up to World War II in 1939.
“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” explained Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden.
“The National Library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on what songs, speeches, podcasts, or recorded sounds we should preserve next.”
[via The Guardian and IGN, images via various sources]
