Rap group N.W.A.'s album "Straight Outta Compton" was named to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress on Wednesday.
"Straight Outta Compton" is among 25 titles being added to the registry because of their cultural, artistic and historical importance to American society and the nation's audio heritage, the Library of Congress said in a statement.
Created by now-household names such as Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube, the group released an album of powerful lyrics about life in Compton, California, that is still regarded today as one of the most definitive albums in its genre by rap pioneers.
"Straight Outta Compton" confronted the issues that many of its members encountered while living in south central Los Angeles, with lyrics about gang violence and the drug trade in 1988. It reached platinum sales without playing on the radio and captured the attention of much of America, being the first album to receive a parental advisory label for explicit content as well as a warning letter from the FBI to the group's record label regarding their popular track "F--- tha Police."
The album was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in early 2016, as well as the Grammy Hall of Fame in late 2016. The group's rise to popularity was also depicted in the 2015 Academy Award-nominated film "Straight Outta Compton."
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden is tasked with selecting 25 titles each year that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.
With these latest recordings selected for 2016, the total number of titles in the registry comes to 475, a small portion compared to the nearly three million recorded-sound collection items.
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Other titles on the 2016 list include Judy Garland's hit single "Over the Rainbow," Wilson Pickett's 1965 "In the Midnight Hour," NPR's 1971 first episode of "All Things Considered" and the Eagles' 1976 greatest hits album.
Nominations were gathered through online submissions from the public and from the National Recording Preservation Board, a group made up of leaders in the fields of music, recorded sound and preservation.
The library is currently accepting nominations for its 2017 registry.
