Songs by Madonna and Mariah Carey have been added to the U.S. National Recording Registry.
On Wednesday, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that 25 recordings will be inducted into the institution, including Madonna's 1984 classic Like a Virgin, Mariah's 1994 festive song All I Want for Christmas Is You, Queen Latifah's 1989 track All Hail the Queen, and Daddy Yankee's 2004 crossover hit Gasolina.
In a statement, Hayden explained that the songs have been deemed "audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time".
"The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation's diverse culture," she said. "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. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry."
The latest selections named to the registry span from 1908 to 2012. Other songs added include 1962's Sherry by The Four Seasons, 1970's Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, 1971's Imagine by John Lennon, 1971's Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, 1983's Flashdance...What a Feeling by Irene Cara, 1983's Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics, and 1983's Synchronicity by The Police.
In addition, the Super Mario Bros. theme, as composed by Koji Kondo, became the first video game soundtrack to join the registry.
"Having this music preserved alongside so many other classic songs is such a great honour," he said. "It's actually a little bit difficult to believe."
