The work of three revolutionary Latino artists has joined the ranks of timeless American music preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

What You Need To Know

  • The latest round of inductees to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry includes Vicente Fernández’s “El Rey,” Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” and the cast album “Hamilton” from the hit Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda

  • The Library selects 25 recordings with “cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance” to be inducted and preserved in the registry each year

  • Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, a consistent advocate for Latino representation in media, said Wednesday’s announcement “represents the Library of Congress’ growing recognition that music by Latino musicians has shaped the soundtrack of American life”

  • Other titles inducted this year include Celine Dion’s 1997 single “My Heart Will Go On,” Amy Winehouse’s 2006 album “Back to Black,” the 1973 album by Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Tracy Chapman’s self-titled 1988 album and more

The Library selects 25 recordings with “cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance” to be inducted to the registry for preservation each year. Titles must be at least 10 years old and can include music, non-music, spoken word or broadcast sound.

The latest round of inductees, announced Wednesday, includes Vicente Fernández’s “El Rey,” Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” and the cast album “Hamilton” from the hit Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Fernández, an iconic Mexican singer who died in 2021, released his cover of the ranchera classic in 1973. It has since remained a staple at family cookouts, mariachi concerts and other gatherings in the Latino community.

Fender’s “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and quickly became a crossover hit. The Mexican American, Texas-born Tejano artist was able to bridge two cultures with the 1975 song that featured verses in both English and Spanish, opening it up to more listeners around the world.

Miranda’s “Hamilton” tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton through a hip-hop musical that debuted in 2015 and is still being performed today. Miranda, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, regularly uplifts and recognizes immigrants and their role in the U.S.

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, a consistent advocate for Latino representation in media, said the latest round of inductees “represents the Library of Congress’ growing recognition that music by Latino musicians has shaped the soundtrack of American life.”

“I am proud to see that these three iconic recordings from iconic artists are rightfully taking their place as legends in American music history,” Castro said in a statement.

Castro calls on the public each year to help nominate recordings by Latino artists, which still only make up about 5% of the registry’s 675 titles.

In the past, the registry has inducted several of the congressman’s nominations, including Irene Cara’s 1983 song “Flashdance…What a Feeling” and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 reggaeton hit “Gasolina.”

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Other titles inducted this year include Celine Dion’s 1997 single “My Heart Will Go On,” Amy Winehouse’s 2006 album “Back to Black,” the 1973 album by Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Tracy Chapman’s self-titled 1988 album and more. See the full list here.