Dr. Dre has collected a slew of accolades since kicking off his career with the World Class Wreckin’ Cru in the 1980s. Now, he can add another one to the list.
On Wednesday (March 25), the Library of Congress announced Dre’s debut solo album, The Chronic, was inducted into their National Recording Register alongside albums from Selena, the Village People, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston, among others.
“The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said. “It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time. We received over 800 nominations this year for culturally, historically or aesthetically significant recordings to add to the registry.”
Hayden added, “As genres and formats continue to expand, the Library of Congress is committed to working with our many partners to preserve the sounds that have touched our hearts and shaped our culture.”
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The Chronic arrived in 1992 via Death Row Records and was distributed by Interscope. It marked Dre’s first solo album since parting ways with N.W.A and Ruthless Records. The project peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
Singles include “Let Me Ride,” “Nuthin But A G Thang” featuring Snoop Dogg and “Bitches Ain’t Shit.” The album heavily borrows from George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
Established in 2000, the registry is intended to designate recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old.
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See the full list of this year’s inductees below.
- “Whispering”, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (1920)
- “Protesta per Sacco e Vanzetti,” Compagnia Columbia; “Sacco e Vanzetti,” Raoul Romito (1927)
- “La Chicharronera”, Narciso Martinez and Santiago Almeida (1936)
- “Arch Oboler’s Plays” episode “The Bathysphere.” (Nov. 18, 1939)
- “Me and My Chauffeur Blues”, Memphis Minnie (1941)
- The 1951 National League tiebreaker: New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers — Russ Hodges, announcer (Oct. 3, 1951)
- Puccini’s “Tosca”, Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Angelo Mercuriali, Tito Gobbi, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli, Victor de Sabata (1953)
- “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh”, Allan Sherman (1963)
- WGBH broadcast of the Boston Symphony on the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination, Boston Symphony Orchestra (1963)
- Fiddler on the Roof, original Broadway cast (1964)
- “Make the World Go Away”, Eddy Arnold (1965)
- Hiromi Lorraine Sakata Collection of Afghan Traditional Music (1966-67; 1971-73)
- “Wichita Lineman”, Glen Campbell (1968)
- Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield (1969)
- Mister Rogers Sings 21 Favorite Songs From ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’, Fred Rogers (1973)
- Cheap Trick at Budokan, Cheap Trick (1978)
- Holst: Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, Suite No. 2 in F / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Bach: Fantasia in G, Frederick Fennell and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds (1978)
- “Y.M.C.A.” (single), Village People (1978)
- A Feather on the Breath of God, Gothic Voices; Christopher Page, conductor; Hildegard von Bingen, composer (1982)
- Private Dancer, Tina Turner (1984)
- Ven Conmigo, Selena (1990)
- The Chronic, Dr. Dre (1992)
- “I Will Always Love You”, Whitney Houston (1992)
- Concert in the Garden, Maria Schneider Orchestra (2004)
- Percussion Concerto, Colin Currie (2008)
