It's a milestone birthday for the U.S. this weekend. And we're marking the 250th by taking a look back at this year's Sounds of America series.
Every year,
the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress selects 25 pieces of sound to add to its collection — songs, speeches, and beyond.
In the past, we’ve partnered with
the 14th Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, who oversaw this project for nine years. Each spring,
1A worked with Hayden and the Library of Congress to bring you a look at why those honorees matter to America.
This year, the Library of Congress looks a little different. President Donald Trump fired Hayden in 2025. The White House cited her
“pursuit of DEI” as reason for her dismissal.But we continued our annual series this year with a look at the 2026 inductees. And we'll continue to ask you: What are the sounds of America? Highlights have included Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, Tracy Chapman singing “Fast Car," The Giants’ “shot heard round the world” walk-off home run in 1951. And the theme song from Super Mario. You can
nominate your favorite piece of sound through the Library of Congress.
Now to the class of 2026: First, we sit down with Rachael Stoeltje. She’s the head of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia, which houses and preserves the Library of Congress’ audio and video artifacts. Then, we get the backstory on
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia," by the Charlie Daniels Band. We bop along to
"Beauty and the Beat" by The Go-Go's and meet members of the all-women rock band. And close it out with the radio broadcast of
"The Fight of the Century" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The Sounds of America series is produced by Jennie Cataldo of Accompany Studios.You can hear all our past Sounds of America interviews with Carla Hayden here. Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.See
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