‘Thriller’ is picked for preservation

The bestselling pop album on planet Earth and a disc sent hurtling into deep space are among recordings the Library of Congress will preserve for their cultural significance.

Twenty-five selections were added to the National Recording Registry on Wednesday, part of the library’s attempt to save America’s aural history by archiving recordings deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

The inductees range from Michael Jackson’s 1982 all-time bestseller “Thriller” and jazz artist Herbie Hancock’s 1973 fusion smash “Head Hunters” to the 1977 record of Earth sounds that flew aboard the spacecraft Voyager in the event alien life forms encountered the craft.

Other recordings added to the registry include works by Roy Orbison, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Kitty Wells and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.