The Library of Congress adds LGBT-associated songs to its collection

[Former Member]

The (US) Library of Congress preserves sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or artistically significant and/or inform or reflect life in the United States’ in the  National Recording Registry. This year, three songs were chosen that are closely associated with the LGBTQ Community, Sister Sledge’s We Are Family, Judy Garland's Over the Rainbow, and David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

 

Wendy Carlos’ Switched on Bach, Cole Porter’s You’re the Top, Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti, the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, and a Studs Terkel interview with James Baldwin are among the previously selected recordings I recognized as having LGBTQ connections. They all join Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech and many other worthy choices.

[Dodger]

This is interesting droughtquake. I wonder who gets to choose these or if there is a panel of judges that decide. Do they take themselves really seriously or is it a little showbizzy. I'm thinking 'America's Got Talent' but seriously, I would like to have that job, although I suspect they do other things for the rest of the year.

[Former Member]

18 minutes ago, Dodger said:

This is interesting droughtquake. I wonder who gets to choose these or if there is a panel of judges that decide. Do they take themselves really seriously or is it a little showbizzy. I'm thinking 'America's Got Talent' but seriously, I would like to have that job, although I suspect they do other things for the rest of the year.

The National Recording Preservation Board, whose members are appointed but the Library of Congress, make the selections.  The US Library of Congress is a very serious institution. The National Recording Registry announcement is one of several annual events.

 

 

There is a similar National Film Registry for movies. Cabaret, Castro Street (documentary), Dog Day Afternoon, Midnight Cowboy, and Paris is Burning have been preserved alongside the odious Charleton Heston’s naked butt (Planet of the Apes). There is a National Film Preservation Board that narrows down public nominations and the Librarian of Congress and his staff make the final decision.

[Dodger]

Thanks for your links droughtquake, I've just read up on these people, and they are indeed very serious about the work that they do (don't mean to compare them to 'America's Got Talent'). I think that it's a good thing that a lot of people are not aware of, including me. The 'National Film Registry' would be more of an interest to me personally.

[Former Member]

I was aware of the preservation work that the Library of Congress did, but I didn’t realize how organized the selection process is. While it’s good to know that LGBTQs are represented in those two registries, there are many other important LGBTQ recordings that need to be preserved. I know that Outfest, LA’s LGBT film festival, has done some preservation work, I don’t think anyone is organized or well-funded enough to do it on a larger, more methodical way.

 

And there are bits and pieces of LGBTQ history that gets thrown out by hetero relatives who are, at best, unaware of the cultural significance of old home movies and other documentation. Find a way to have your important artifacts preserved while you are still alive and can make those decisions. Generations worth of information was lost during the worst ravages of the AIDS crisis.

[W_L]

Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" is also synonymous with Wizard of Oz as well

 

Personally, I am waiting for them to add Weathergirls- It's Raining Men

 

Do I hear "A-men" to that?

 

Joking aside, it's awesome to know so many works of LGBT related or important historical pieces are in the Library of Congress' collection.