Simon and Garfunkel Chosen: 'The Sound of Silence' Picked for Preservation at Library of Congress National Recording Registry Among 25 Songs

The Library of Congress has chosen 25 new songs to include in its National Recording Registry for preservation, and one of those songs is Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel wrote this iconic song in response to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy. Garfunkel is thrilled about this induction and preservation. He says, "When you look at the little mesh, wire microphone... and you address people on the other side of the mic, you hope that your performance will be special, and you hope that it will have lasting power." 

In his statement earlier today, Librarian James Billington announced:

"Congress created the National Recording Registry to celebrate the richness and variety of our audio heritage and to underscore our responsibility for long-term preservation, to assure that legacy can be appreciated and studied for generations. Our challenge, however, continues to be finding collaborative and innovative ways to protect and make available this unmatched legacy to the public."

Here is a complete list of the 25 songs considered to be "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant," that are now included in the Library of Congress:

1. "After You've Gone," Marion Harris (1918)

2. "Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)

3. "Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)

4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)

5. D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)

6. "Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)

7. "South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)

8. "Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)

9. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)

10.   President's message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)

11.   "A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)

12.   "The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)

13.   "Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)

14.   "The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)

15.   "Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)

16.   "Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)

17.   "Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

18.   "Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)

19.   "The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)

20.   "Music Time in Africa," Leo Sarkisian, host (July 29, 1973)

21.   "Wild Tchoupitoulas," The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)

22.   "Ramones," The Ramones (1976)

23.   "Saturday Night Fever," The Bee Gees, et al (1977)

24.   "Einstein on the Beach," Philip Glass and Robert Wilson (1979)

25.   "The Audience with Betty Carter," Betty Carter (1980)