Super Mario Bros. is making history again. The video game series’ iconic theme was inducted into the U.S. National Recording Registry on Wednesday, the first-ever video game theme song.
The original tune, also called the “Ground Theme” or “Overworld Theme,” was composed by Koji Kondo for the 1985 Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The song was chosen among 25 other recordings, including John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Queen Latifah also made history as the first female rapper to be inducted.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden stated in an issued statement:“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture…The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come,”
Click to Access Brand New YouTube Playlists
Kondo, speaking through an interpreter, told the Library of Congress, “I really had to be very innovative and make full use of the musical and programming ingenuity that we had at the time. I used all sorts of genres that matched what was happening on screen.”
According to an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, Kondo composed the song on a small keyboard. He was a college senior when he first answered a recruiting call from Nintendo. The iconic track has changed slightly depending on the game, system generation, or in-game location.
Every year, the library picks 25 inductees to add to the registry, which now has over 600 titles. They span more than a century: The oldest entry is a 1908 mariachi album, and the most recent is a 2012 chamber orchestra concerto. In addition to music, the registry also includes recordings such as Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot (1994) audiobook and radio journalist Dorothy Thompson’s commentary and analysis for NBC leading up to World War II.
The National Recording Preservation Board reviews submissions from the public and chooses recordings that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically important,” according to its nomination guidelines. To be eligible, a work must be at least a decade old.
Read Latest Indie Reviews > “Drop A Pin” by Sharod Virtuoso: A winding journey of slow rap
An entity of flesh and bones in pursuit of becoming a higher being. A connoisseur of the mystic arts and everything musical. His origins are unknown, and so are his true motives.
