What do John Lennon, reggae singer Daddy Yankee, Madonna and the Mario Bros have in common? All of them will soon enter the Library of Congress, the Library of Congress, the American equivalent of our National Library, which lists all the essential works in the cultural history of the country.
Nearly 25 “sounds that define the nation’s history and culture” will be honored with a place on the National Recording Registry, said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
They are records, simple, but also sound elements, from the first known recording of mariachi music made between 1908 and 1909 to the record all hail the queen by Queen Latifah (1989), via All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey or even the emblematic tube of Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven.
The most recognizable video game music
And among all these stars of American and Anglo-Saxon musical history, an Italian-Japanese mustachioed plumber who is doing everything right now.
Because the intoxicating music of Super Mario Bros., the Nintendo game released in 1985 for the NES console, made the list due to its status as “the most recognizable video game theme ever”. A consecration for the Japanese house composer Koji Kondo that he did not think would end, 38 years later, crowned with such prestige by a sound extract later simply baptized Earth theme.
The composer even sees his name still associated with the pixel hero even in the hit movie, super mario the movie. And the person concerned explains that “the few usable data at the time for music and sound effects (he has) pushed to be innovative to make the most of programming and musical ingenuity.” At 61, still working at Nintendo, he still hasn’t gotten used to the incredible notoriety of his creation.
Simple musical theme initially, this melody has since become inseparable from Mario and all his adventures, both in games and in movies or jingles. It was logical that the music of Super Mario Bros. becomes the first video game music to enter the 625 recorded recordings in the Library of Congress collection, also along with a World War II radio recording.
Source: BFM TV
