The Windows 95 sound joins music legends in the Library of Congress—proving greatness comes in small packages
The iconic Windows 95 startup sound—composed by ambient music pioneer Brian Eno—has been enshrined in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, joining an eclectic class of 2025 inductees.
The six-second chime, originally crafted under tight creative constraints, now stands alongside timeless works like Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, and the Hamilton cast recording.
From Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, this year’s selections span genres and eras, celebrating recordings of “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.”
Even video game music (Minecraft: Volume Alpha) and a 1960 World Series radio broadcast made the cut.
Eno once joked about the challenge of composing Microsoft’s brief but memorable sound: tasked with evoking “optimism, futurism, and sentimentality” in just 3.25 seconds, he delivered a miniature masterpiece. Decades later, that tiny arpeggio has earned its place in history.
