Danica Davidson
April 13, 2023 
The Super Mario Bros. franchise is on fire! In addition to breaking global opening records with the Super Mario Bros. Movie, it was just announced that the “Super Mario Theme” (a.k.a. the “Ground Theme” according to composer Koji Kondo) has been included in the U.S. National Recording Registry. A video game’s music has never before received this honor.
Some of the other songs being included this year are “Imagine” by John Lennon, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffet, “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara, “Like a Virgin” by Madonna, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. To be put on this list, songs are supposed to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
The Library of Congress explains:
“Each year since 2002, the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) and members of the public have nominated recordings to the National Recording Registry. The depth and breadth of nominations received highlights the richness of the nations” audio legacy and underscores the importance of assuring the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.”
“The amount of data that we could use for music and sound effects was extremely small, so I really had to be very innovative and make full use of the musical and programming ingenuity that we had at the time,” Kondo told the Library of Congress.
He continued, “Having this music preserved alongside so many other classic songs is such a great honor.”
The “Super Mario Theme” originated in 1985 and is known by fans throughout the world. Different versions of the song can be heard in other games and parts of the Super Mario Bros. franchise.
While Kondo wasn’t the main composer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, he did contribute to the soundtrack, proceeding with his work with Nintendo.
Source: The Mainichi
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
