Every year, the National Recording Preservation Board selects 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." They must also be at least 10 years old. With the library's 2013 selection, the number of items in the registry reached a total of 400. The picks are as diverse as they are fascinating, ranging from the 1915 Broadway musical, "They Didn't Believe Me," to U2's breakthrough rock album, "The Joshua Tree." Each recording is accompanied by an annotation explaining the cultural and historical significance of the selection. For instance, George Washington Johnson was the first African American to make commercial records. His 1896 recording, "The Laughing Song," was his best known song, and it is bound to make readers smile.