ABBA, Blondie, and the Notorious B.I.G. enter the National Recording Registry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — ABBA, Biggie, Blondie and Rudolph are entering America's audio canon.

New inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include ABBA 's 1976 album “Arrival,” The Notorious B.I.G. 's 1994 album “Ready to Die," Blondie 's 1978 breakthrough “Parallel Lines” and Gene Autry's 1949 version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the 25 new titles in the class of 2024 on Tuesday, saying in a statement that they are “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoe's signature song, 1978's “El Cantante,” written by Ruben Blades, will enter the registry, along with Mexican singer Juan Gabriel ’s tribute to his mother, “Amor Eterno." The library is enshrining a 1990 recording of the song first released in 1984.

Other titles deemed to be among “the defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture” are Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 album “Surrealistic Pillow,” Green Day ’s 1994 album “Dookie” and The Chicks ’ 1998 “Wide Open Spaces,” the most recording among the new inductees.

Lily Tomlin’s 1971 album of sketches “This Is a Recording” is the only comedy and the only non-musical recording on this year's list.

Autry, the singing cowboy who was among America's biggest stars in the mid-20th century, recorded the definitive version of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Last year a newer holiday perennial, Mariah Carey’s, “All I Want For Christmas Is You," joined the registry, which now has 650 titles.

“Arrival” was the disco-tinged fourth album from the Swedish supergroup ABBA, and included their hits “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money” and “Fernando.”

Blondie and singer Debbie Harry had their commercial breakthrough with “Parallel Lines,” an album with a famous striped black-and-white cover that featured “Heart of Glass.” It's joined this year by another new wave classic from the same year, the self-titled debut album by the Cars.

The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 album “Ready to Die” featuring “Juicy” and “Big Poppa," the only album released during his life, headlines hip-hop entries that also include “La-Di-Da-Di” — Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's 1985 single.

“Rocket ‘88’” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, the 1951 single that some argue was the first rock ‘n’ roll song, is also on the list.

Career-defining singles from several canonical artists are also entering the registry, including “Chances Are,” from Johnny Mathis, “Don't Worry, Be Happy” from Bobby McFerrin," “The Tennessee Waltz” from Patti Page and “Ain't No Sunshine” from Bill Withers.

This story has been corrected to report that the ABBA album included is “Arrival,” not “The Visitors.”

FILE - Clem Burke, from left, Debbie Harry and Rob Roth attend a screening of "Blondie: Vivir En La Habana" during the 20th Tribeca Festival in New York on June 16, 2021. Albums from ABBA, Blondie and the Notorious B.I.G. are entering the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. They're among the 25 titles announced Tuesday, April 16, 2024, that have been selected for preservation as “defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture." (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Members of ABBA, from left, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson arrive for the ABBA Voyage concert at the ABBA Arena in London, Thursday May 26, 2022. Albums from ABBA, Blondie and the Notorious B.I.G. are entering the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. They're among the 25 titles announced Tuesday, April 16, 2024, that have been selected for preservation as “defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture." (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

FILE - Notorious B.I.G., who won rap artist and rap single of the year, clutches his awards at the podium during the Billboard Music Awards in New York, on evening, Dec. 6, 1995. Albums from ABBA, Blondie and the Notorious B.I.G. are entering the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. They're among the 25 titles announced Tuesday, April 16, 2024, that have been selected for preservation as “defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture." (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

BEIRUT (AP) — Leaked photographs of the son of Libya’s late dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the tiny underground cell where he has been held for years in Lebanon have raised concerns in the north African nation as Libyan authorities demand improvements.

The photos showed a room without natural light packed with Hannibal Gadhafi’s belongings, a bed and a tiny toilet. “I live in misery,” local Al-Jadeed TV quoted the detainee as saying in a Saturday evening broadcast, adding that he is a political prisoner in a case he has no information about.

Two Lebanese judicial officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that the photographs aired by Al-Jadeed are of Gadhafi and the cell where he has been held for years at police headquarters in Beirut. Gadhafi appeared healthy, with a light beard and glasses.

A person who is usually in contact with Gadhafi, a Libyan citizen, said the photos were taken in recent days. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media outlets.

Gadhafi has been held in Lebanon since 2015 after he was kidnapped from neighboring Syria, where he had been living as a political refugee. He was abducted by Lebanese militants demanding information about the fate of prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr, who went missing during a trip to Libya in 1978.

The fate of al-Sadr has been a sore point in Lebanon. His family believes he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume al-Sadr, who would be 95 now, is dead.

A Libyan delegation visited Beirut in January to reopen talks with Lebanese officials on the fate of al-Sadr and the release of Gadhafi. The talks were aimed at reactivating a dormant agreement between Lebanon and Libya, struck in 2014, for cooperation in the probe of al-Sadr. The delegation did not return to Beirut as planned.

The leaks by Al-Jadeed came after reports that Gadhafi was receiving special treatment at police headquarters and that he had cosmetic surgeries including hair transplants and teeth improvements. Al-Jadeed quoted him as saying: “Let them take my hair and teeth and give me my freedom.”

Gadhafi went on a hunger strike in June last year and was taken to a hospital after his health deteriorated.

Libya’s Justice Ministry in a statement Sunday said Gadhafi is being deprived of his rights guaranteed by law. It called on Lebanese authorities to improve his living conditions to one that “preserves his dignity," adding that Lebanese authorities should formally inform the ministry of the improvements. It also said Gadhafi deserves to be released.

After he was kidnapped in 2015, Lebanese authorities freed him but then detained him, accusing him of concealing information about al-Sadr’s disappearance.

Al-Sadr was the founder of the Amal group, a Shiite militia that fought in Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war and later became a political party that is currently led by the country’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Many of al-Sadr’s followers are convinced that Moammar Gadhafi ordered al-Sadr killed in a dispute over Libyan payments to Lebanese militias. Libya has maintained that the cleric, along with two traveling companions, left Tripoli in 1978 on a flight to Rome.

Human Rights Watch issued a statement in January calling for Gadhafi’s release. The rights group noted that Gadhafi was only 2 years old at the time of al-Sadr’s disappearance and held no senior position in Libya as an adult.

FILE - In this undated file photo made available Sept. 25, 2011, Hannibal Gadhafi, son of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, watches an elite military unit exercise in Zlitan, Libya. Leaked photographs of Hannibal Gadhafi and the tiny underground cell where he has been held for years in Lebanon have raised concerns. Libyan authorities are demanding that Lebanon improves living conditions for Gadhafi. (AP Photo/Abdel Magid al-Fergany, File)