Daddy Yankee’s major hit "Gasolina" is making history as the first reggaeton song to be inducted into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
Listen to Daddy Yankee Radio and more on the free Audacy app
You no doubt know the track that didn’t just rocket the Puerto Rican rapper into mainstream success back in 2004. But more than that, "Gasolina" also marked the beginning of the globalization of reggaeton, a Latin urban music genre that was once considered more niche.
"Gasolina" was released as the lead single for Yankee's third studio album Barrio Fino. The album went on to win Best Album at the Latin GRAMMY in 2005, while “Gasolina” was also the first reggaeton song to be nominated for the Latin GRAMMY for Record of the Year that same year.
Among other 25 recordings and albums selected for preservation at the nation’s audio history library, “Gasolina” isn’t the only one making history. The Super Mario Bros. theme, composed by Koji Kondo, marks the first theme from a video game to join the registry. And while The Beatles’ landmark 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was inducted in 2003, John Lennon’s “Imagine” is the first recording by a former Beatle to be honored.
Other honorees include Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Mariah Carey’s Christmas classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You," and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Check out the full 2023 National Recording Registry HERE.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram