14 April 2020
Marco Gandolfi
If you were ever tasked with writing down the names of the hundred greatest bands or artists ever to create magic in the recording studio, you probably wouldn’t list camp 1970s and 1980s pop act The Village People among them. That’s not to take anything away from the Village People - everyone alive has surely heard ‘YMCA’ and knows the dance moves - but it’s hard to imagine them shoulder to shoulder with the Led Zeppelins, Beatles, Elvis Presleys and Michael Jacksons of the world. Nevertheless, what they did during the peak years of their career has lasted forever - and they can now say that they’re considered ‘historically important’ in the United States of America.
Back in the year 2000, a new registry was created within the US Library of Congress, and given the responsibility of curating songs that had made a significant contribution to culture within the country. Only 25 tracks are allowed to be inducted into this hall of fame-like register each year, and here in 2020, it's the turn of the Village People and 'YMCA.' With no disrespect intended to 'In The Navy' or any of the band's subsequent output, it's the one song that everyone associates with them most closely. You could make a strong case that the song is far more popular and widely-known than the youth organization it references. In truth, the real YMCA has had an uneasy relationship with the song over the years after initially suspecting the band of mocking them, but they've learned to accept it as the decades have gone by.
The song has undergone a strange revival of sorts in recent years. Regardless of your politics, you probably wouldn’t expect the Republican Party or supporters of Donald Trump to openly embrace a pro-LGBT anthem that comes with camp dancing and over-the-top flamboyant outfits. Despite that, the song has somehow become a popular accompaniment at Trump’s rallies, where supporters sing the letters ‘MAGA’ in place of ‘YMCA,’ albeit without the accompanying dance moves. A version of the song was even released commercially, sung by a Florida-based lawyer and featuring characters dressed as Trump and the current major Democratic candidates dancing along with the music.
The song is in good company in this year's list, which can include albums as well as singles. Aside from 'YMCA,' space has also been found for 'The Chronic,' which was the first-ever solo album by the hugely influential rap artist Dr. Dre. The entire Broadway cast of the classic show 'Fiddler on the Roof' has also been recognized, with the show's full soundtrack being committed to the archive. While Dolly Parton's original version of 'I Will Always Love You' is yet to be officially honored, the Whitney Houston version recorded for her movie 'The Bodyguard' has found its way in, as has Glen Campbell's 'Wichita Lineman,' originally written by his trusted songwriter Jimmy Webb. Dolly Parton might have missed out on the country music front, but her contemporary Dusty Springfield has found her way in with her whole seminal 'Dusty in Memphis' album. It's an eclectic collection covering all genres, but there's no doubt that 'YMCA' sticks out like a sore thumb among such revered company.
A song or recording doesn’t have to have enjoyed chart success in order to be considered for submission or approval. Music that was played at an especially poignant time or for a historically significant purpose can also sometimes make the cut. That’s evidenced by the inclusion of a Boston Symphony Orchestra recording that was taken from a radio broadcast on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. Even children’s television theme tunes can gain recognition if they’re considered to be iconic enough, and so the theme from ‘Mister Rogers’ is now classed as ‘historically important’ too. In the case of the latter, that may have something to do with the recent revival of interest in ‘Mister Rogers’ after his life was immortalized in film by Tom Hanks.
The archive has a sub-category for recordings that involve the spoken word rather than the played instrument, which is why the commentary from a baseball match between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants from 1951 has also been recorded. You may not be familiar with the match, but you’ve likely heard the expression ‘the shot heard around the world,’ which came from it. Given the universal understanding of that line, it’s strange that the recording hasn’t been preserved before now.
‘YMCA’ was a disco song for the children of the late 1970s. When those children grew up and had children of their own, they played it for their own kids during the 1990s and early 2000s. Now, those same people are probably watching their grandchildren dance to the song, and probably even teaching them the dance moves. Thanks to this new recognition and immortalization of the song, we can probably rest assured that people are going to be playing it and dancing to it one hundred years from now. The Village People may have been played for laughs at the time they first took to the stage, but they’ve definitely had the last laugh in the long run.
