Nintendo is adding another feather in its cap and it's about the Super Mario Bros. We're not talking about the recently released film, though it is a commercial success. Instead, the focus is on that all too familiar theme composed by Koji Kondo. The Super Mario Bros. theme has been added to the National Recording Registry and becomes the first ever video game song archived by the Library of Congress.
Some of you are probably wondering why all the fuss? You see, the National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings determined by the Library of Congress to be "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." It should be noted that these recordings are not necessarily chosen because they're the best recordings of all time. Rather, they're considered as "works of enduring importance to American culture."
In a post on its official Twitter account, the Library of Congress shared that the Super Mario Bros. theme song is probably one of the most recognized theme songs in history. The theme not only helped establish the legendary status of the game but also proved that the Nintendo sound chip was capable of vast musical complexity.
The post by the Library of Congress expounds on the choice stating that the main theme of the game, or "Ground Theme," features a jaunty and Latin-influenced melody which makes it the perfect accompaniment to the side-scrolling hijinks of Mario and Luigi. In addition, Kondo's score was the one that laid the groundwork for a whole generation of chiptune musicians. The theme itself has been performed by various orchestras around the world ensuring its status as one of the most beloved musical compositions of the last four decades.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden shared in a statement how Kondo is one of those musicians that have their work become internationally recognized for decades but they themselves remain relatively unknown.
Kondo was born and raised in Japan, and was a college senior in Osaka, he became interested in piano and design. It was also during this time when he saw on the university bulletin board a recruiting flier from Nintendo. He answered that ad and the rest is now video game history.
A total of 25 songs are added to the registry each year. Joining the Super Mario Bros. theme in 2023 are The Very First Mariachi Recordings (Cuarteto Coculense), Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Like a Virgin (Madonna), All Hail the Queen (Queen Latifah), and All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey).
