U.S. — "Sunday Morning" published a list of 250 essential American songs in 2025. The compilation is available online.

Nate Sloan, a professor of musicology at USC's Thornton School of Music, discussed the criteria for inclusion. "When we try to think about what does it mean to be American, this almost impossible question, one of the ways we might try and answer that is through music," Sloan said. He added, "It has to be something that people can sing along to. I think an American song needs to be communal."

Sloan outlined further requirements for the selections. "And beyond that, I think an American song can take a lot of different forms. I think it can be something that comments on society and our nation in some way," he said. "Or, it can simply be a song that has stood the test of time."

Songs on the list include Ray Charles's "America the Beautiful" and Mahalia Jackson's "We Shall Overcome." Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" was also featured. Regarding that song, Sloan said, "It's such a powerful homage to this country. It's not overly nationalistic. It doesn't take sides. It's a message we can all relate to. This land is our land." Billie Holiday performed "Strange Fruit," a song about lynching.

The program featured contemporary performances related to the list. Jon Batiste performed "Georgia On My Mind," while Sara Bareilles performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." James Taylor presented "Moon River."

Other artists and compositions mentioned include Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A.," George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," Aretha Franklin's "Respect," and Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of "Over the Rainbow." Bob Dylan performed "Blowin' In The Wind" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" was also recognized.

"What's so unique about our country is the plurality of cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds we have here," Sloan said. "We're a diverse country, and we're a young country. This list is almost like the wild, wild west of music. Anything goes! The sort of chaos of that is actually a beautiful representation of America itself."

Sloan is an associate professor of musicology at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. He co-authored the book "Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters," which Oxford University Press published. Sloan also co-hosts the podcast "Switched On Pop."