Jay-Z’s landmark 2001 album The Blueprint will be inducted into the National Recording Registry, The Library of Congress announced today (Wednesday, 20th March).
The album sits alongside 525 other recordings, which are selected in batches of 25 by the registry each year.
The selected pieces must be at least a decade old and considered to be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the National Recording Preservation Board.
The Blueprint joins Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit album, She’s So Unusual, Curtis Mayfield’s blaxploitation soundtrack Superfly, Ritchie Valens‘ ‘La Bamba’, and Earth, Wind and Fire’s dancefloor anthem, ‘September’ in this year’s round of inductees.
In a statement, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said: “The National Recording Registry honors the music that enriches our souls, the voices that tell our stories and the sounds that mirror our lives.
“The influence of recorded sound over its nearly 160-year history has been profound and technology has increased its reach and significance exponentially. The Library of Congress and its many collaborators are working to preserve these sounds and moments in time, which reflect our past, present, and future.”
Last year’s list of archived honourees included Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, and Chic’s ‘Le Freak’.
Photo via AP Images
