Windows 95 Jingle, 1960 World Series Broadcast and Other ‘Audio Treasures’ Added to the National Recording Registry From a list of 2,600 nominations submitted by the public, the Library of Congress has selected 25 songs, albums and sounds that are at least ten years old to preserve for posterity The Windows 95 reboot chime was one of 25 audio works added to the National Recording Registry this year. Brooks Kraft LLC / Sygma via Getty Images When users turned on their computers during the mid-1990s, many heard a short, whimsical tune indicating that their Windows 95 operating system was booting up. Developed by the renowned music producer Brian Eno, the six-second startup chime was intended to convey a sense of “welcome, hopefulness and progress” at a time when many individuals were still getting comfortable with personal computers, according to a statement from the Library of Congress. Now, Eno’s nostalgic ditty will be preserved for posterity. It’s one of 25 audio works selected this year to join the National Recording Registry, which protects “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” songs, albums and sounds that are at least ten years old. Microsoft Windows 95 Startup Sound Watch on “These are the sounds of America—our wide-ranging history and culture,” says Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, in the statement. “The National Recording Registry is our evolving nation’s playlist.” This year’s inclusions were chosen from more than 2,600 nominations submitted by members of the public, according to the library’s announcement. Chicago’s debut 1969 album, Chicago Transit Authority, topped the list of public nominations. Other top-ten finishers included Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ 1952 single “Happy Trails,” Elton John’s 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album My Life.  The oldest selection on this year’s list is a 1913 recording of the song “Aloha ‘Oe” by the Hawaiian Quintette. The song was written in the late 19th century by Lili’uokalani, a princess and later queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom, after a “heartfelt parting” with a close friend, per the library. The beloved tune spread to the mainland United States by as early as 1884. Lin-Manuel Miranda created Hamilton and played the title character during its Broadway debut. Library of Congress The newest audio work is the original Broadway cast album for the hit musical Hamilton, created in 2015. It just made the ten-year cutoff to be considered for this year’s list. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton’s creator, describes the registry as “an artistic version of a nation’s conversation with itself.” “Every piece of art that is made is both deemed timeless by the Library of Congress and also a product of its time,” Miranda says in a video released by the library. “To listen to these recordings, to go back as far as the turn of the century [from] the beginning of recorded sound to the present, is to hear points in a timeline, is to time travel. I feel incredibly honored that Hamilton is a point in that timeline.” Another new work is Minecraft: Volume Alpha, the soundtrack album created by Daniel Rosenfeld for the 2011 version of the popular video game. It’s only the second video game recording to be selected for the registry, following the inclusion of the “Super Mario Bros.” theme in 2023. Just as the Nintendo tune entered the registry alongside the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, “the ‘Minecraft’ selection comes with its own film adaptation fresh off a some $300 million global debut,” writes the Washington Post’s Thomas Floyd. James Horner & Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On (From "Titanic") Watch on Several well-known albums are entering the archive, including the Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle (1976) and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (2006). According to Billboard’s Paul Grein, three of the newly selected singles once topped the Billboard Hot 100: Celine Dion’s 1997 hit “My Heart Will Go On” from the film Titanic, Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” (1972) and Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (1975). This year’s inclusions go beyond music. Also joining the registry is a radio broadcast of the final game of the 1960 World Series between the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. In the recording, NBC announcer Chuck Thompson gives a play-by-play of the action-packed game on October 13, 1960, which the Pirates ultimately won 10-9. “The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation, including iconic music across a variety of genres, field recordings, sports history and even the sounds of our daily lives with technology,” says Hayden in the statement. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.