Village People’s ‘YMCA’ Song Added To Library Of Congress National Recording Registry

Iconic Song Joins Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ And Others Form ‘Ultimate Stay At Home Playlist’

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger

A silly song that instantly became a big-time “party song” has been added to the Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A” joins Whitney Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” Cheap Trick’s 1978 album Live At Budokan, Dr Dre’s 1992 rap album The Chronic and another silly song, “Hello Mudda, Hello Fadder” from Allan Sherman. As well as many others to form what the registry calls “the ultimate stay-at-home playlist.”

That list was put together by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who stated, “the National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape. It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time.”

“We received over 800 nominations this year for culturally, historically or aesthetically significant recordings to add to the registry. As genres and formats continue to expand, the Library of Congress is committed to working with our many partners to preserve the sounds that have touched our hearts and shaped our culture.”

YMCA Lead singer Victor Willis – the cop and sometimes the naval officer – said “I had no idea when we wrote ‘Y.M.C.A’ that it would become one of the iconic songs of the world and a fixture at almost every wedding, birthday party, bar mitzvah and sporting event.”

But it is, always accompanied by the raising of the arms over the head to form the letters as they are sung by the band: Y. M. C. A.

Willis is the only surviving original member of the band. He now lives in San Diego and recently had a drink with a PubClub.com friend in Metl, a bar in the downtown Gaslamp Quarter. A block up the street from Metl, the bar Trailer Park After Dark often plays “Y.M.C.A.” as part of its party dance music.

Here is the complete list for 2020:

1. “Whispering” (single), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (1920)
2. “Protesta per Sacco e Vanzetti,” Compagnia Columbia; “Sacco e Vanzetti,” Raoul Romito (1927)
3. “La Chicharronera” (single), Narciso Martinez and Santiago Almeida (1936)
4. “Arch Oboler’s Plays” episode “The Bathysphere.” (Nov. 18, 1939)
5. “Me and My Chauffeur Blues” (single), Memphis Minnie (1941)
6. The 1951 National League tiebreaker: New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers — Russ Hodges, announcer (Oct. 3, 1951)
7. Puccini’s “Tosca” (album), Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Angelo Mercuriali, Tito Gobbi, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli, Victor de Sabata (1953)
8. “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” (single), Allan Sherman (1963)
9. WGBH broadcast of the Boston Symphony on the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination, Boston Symphony Orchestra (1963)
10. “Fiddler on the Roof” (album), original Broadway cast (1964)
11. “Make the World Go Away” (single), Eddy Arnold (1965)
12. Hiromi Lorraine Sakata Collection of Afghan Traditional Music (1966-67; 1971-73)
13. “Wichita Lineman” (single), Glen Campbell (1968)
14. “Dusty in Memphis” (album), Dusty Springfield (1969)
15. “Mister Rogers Sings 21 Favorite Songs From ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ ” (album), Fred Rogers (1973)
16. “Cheap Trick at Budokan” (album), Cheap Trick (1978)
17. Holst: Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, Suite No. 2 in F / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Bach:  Fantasia in G (Special Edition Audiophile Pressing album), Frederick Fennell and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds (1978)
18. “Y.M.C.A.” (single), Village People (1978)
19. “A Feather on the Breath of God” (album), Gothic Voices; Christopher Page, conductor; Hildegard von Bingen, composer (1982)
20. “Private Dancer” (album), Tina Turner (1984)
21. “Ven Conmigo” (album), Selena (1990)
22. “The Chronic” (album), Dr. Dre (1992)
23. “I Will Always Love You” (single), Whitney Houston (1992)
24. “Concert in the Garden” (album), Maria Schneider Orchestra (2004)
25. “Percussion Concerto” (album), Colin Currie (2008)