Mamma mia, the Super Mario Bros. theme is rightly recognized as a major contribution to American history. It is one of 25 songs that will be added to the National Recording Registry this year, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Wednesdayand the first video game song ever added.
The Super Mario Bros. theme, officially named ‘Ground Theme’, was composed by Koji Kondo, the legendary Japanese composer behind many of Nintendo’s hits. Released in 1985, the theme has become ubiquitous – appearing in countless subsequent Mario games, being a theme in recent Super Mario Bros. movie, and has been remixed countless times on YouTube, TikTok and elsewhere. Kondo, 61, who still works at Nintendo, has contributed so much to video game music history, including themes for The Legend of Zelda and arrangements in Super Smash Bros. games.
“It’s such an honor to preserve this music along with so many other classic songs,” Kondo told the Library of Congress through an interpreter. “It’s actually kind of hard to believe.”
This feels like a moment of recognition in a year when Mario has taken the US by storm. Yes, Nintendo games featuring Mario helmets have been loved for years, but in the past six months, Mario has appeared in more places than ever. The Super Mario Bros. movie broke box office records in its opening weekend, Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the Nintendo Switch became the third best-selling console of all time, with over 122 million sales.
Other additions to the National Recording Registry this year include Mariah Carey’s stone-cold Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Daddy Yankee’s absolute stunner “Gasolina,” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” It’s a year for icons and classics, and the Mario theme has more than earned its place in music history.