What just happened? Sounds from Microsoft and Minecraft were among the 25 recordings recently inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress based on their historical, cultural, or aesthetic importance.
The Microsoft Windows 95 start-up and reboot chime was composed by Brian Eno. Among the 84 sound elements Eno created for the project, the now-familiar six-second chime – which was nearly twice as long as what Microsoft had originally requested – was selected.
Hilariously enough, Eno composed the piece on a Macintosh computer. In an interview on the BBC Radio 4 show The Museum of Curiosity in 2011, Eno said he’s never used a PC in his life and doesn’t even like them.
Also joining the National Recording Registry is the soundtrack for Minecraft. Created by German composer Daniel Rosenfeld for the 2011 sandbox game, it’s only the second video game soundtrack ever to join the registry following the 2023 induction of the theme from Super Mario Bros.
Most of the other inductees are from the traditional music industry, and include hits such as Fly Like an Eagle from Steve Miller Band, Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On (the theme from the 1997 film Titanic), and the Back to Black album by Amy Winehouse.
It’s a bit surprisingly that Minecraft is only the second game soundtrack to ever find its way into the registry given the history of the video game industry. A few years back, we highlighted standout soundtracks from the 8-bit and 16-bit console era and later went on to add some classic PC scores to the mix. IMO, any of these would serve as excellent additions to the registry.
The National Recording Registry was established in 2000 to safeguard American recording heritage. The first batch of 50 recordings was added in 2002. During the first four years, 50 new recordings were added annually. Since 2006, just 25 additions have found their way to the registry each year. As of this writing, the registry contains 700 total entries.
