Dr. Dre‘s first solo album “The Chronic” is not just considered a classic; the album now is part of the National Recording Registry and has been inducted into the Library of Congress.
The announcement came from the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who explained why the 1992 LP was chosen.
“The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape,” said Hayden in a statement. “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,” she added.
“The Chronic” was revolutionary in its time and saw great success, as it opened doors in hip hop, introducing the world to rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg and Warren G.
The LP would also serve as the perfect launching pad for Snoop, who became one of the world’s biggest rap stars with his album “Doggystyle,” released just 11 months later in November 1993.
The title of Dre’s album was taken from the old slang term used to describe a potent marijuana strain, which Dre talked about on the “The Arsenio Hall Show” many years ago.
“The Chronic is like, you know, it’s the bomb thing on the street right now, and I figured my album is the bomb, so I had to call it that,” Dre explained.
Other albums inducted into the Library of Congress with “The Chronic” include Tina Turner’s LP “Private Dancer,” released in 1984 and Whitney Houston‘s 1992 single “I Will Always Love You.”
