Originally aired on NPR’s 1A on April 27, 2022. Featuring original interviews with Terry Riley, Stuart Dempster, Vicky Chow, David Behrman, and Robert Carl.

 “The Sounds of America” profiles a selection of recordings picked every year by the Library of Congress.

The National Recording Registry preserves for all time music, speeches, radio broadcasts, and comedy records. In fact, it preserves any recording that has cultural and historical importance to America’s history.

Today, our series, the “Sounds of America,” features a piece of music from the mid-1960s. Terry Riley’s “In C” is one of the 25 tracks picked this year to be preserved for all time as part of the National Recording Registry. The Registry houses recordings with historical or cultural importance to America’s history.

Alongside artists like Steve Reich, Philip Glass and LaMonte Young, Riley’s experimental recordings helped pioneer a new movement in contemporary music called minimalism. His ‘In C’ has also influenced the mainstream.

John Cale and Pete Townshend all cite Riley as an influence. Terry Riley’s best-known composition is a conceptual piece written in 1964. It has been recorded dozens of times and is still performed today.

Produced for 1A by Jennie Cataldo.