Reggaeton continues to take off around the world. The Library of Congress announced that the song Gasolina by Puerto Rican artist Daddy Yankee is going to be inducted into the National Recording Registry, becoming the first of this musical genre to have this great recognition in history.
Daddy Yankee’s massive 2004 hit “Gasolina” was so explosive that it poured over every border & ushered in a full reggaeton revolution. Some U.S. radio stations even switched formats to be part of it. "Gasolina" is the first reggaeton recording to be added to the #NatRecRegistry. pic.twitter.com/UNthlw1CQs
— Library of Congress (@librarycongress) April 12, 2023
Reggaeton has been growing year after year all around the world. The United States is aware of this. In addition, the fact that the number of Hispanic residents has been growing had a big influence on reggaeton becoming one of the most listened-to genres.
GASOLINA 2004 pic.twitter.com/Qz44MzRsjS
— Daddy Yankee 💧🕐☀️ (@daddy_yankee) April 12, 2023
Gasolina was one of the first big hits that reggaeton fans could dance to. Daddy Yankee posted a video to this Instagram thanking the Library of Congress for inducting his song to the registry two decades after he released it. He never dreamed something like this would happen:
For that kid who grew up in Santurce, to have the song 'Gasolina,' which was born in a neighborhood in Puerto Rico to be recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the songs that transformed culture, changed musical history in the world and the U.S. and is something I never dreamed of. And the best part is that it was in Spanish. When you do things with love, passion, determination and discipline and add to that the support of all my beautiful people for more than three decades, everything you dream of can come true.
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Aside from Gasolina, the Library of Congress has added 24 other songs to the National Recording Registry, including Take Me Home, John Denver's Country Roads, John Lennon's Imagine, Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams and Madonna's Like A Virgin.
