In an effort to encourage appreciation of the rich folk heritage of the United States, the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress presents this annual list of 30 recordings selected by a panel of distinguished experts from nearly two hundred titles submitted by producers, suggested by folklorists and ethnomusicologists, and proposed by center staff. All entries were released in 1984, feature cultural traditions found within the United States, emphasize "root traditions" over popular adaptations of traditional materials, are conveniently available to American purchasers, and are well annotated with liner notes or accompanying booklets relating the recordings to the performers, their communities, genres, styles, or other pertinent information. The annotated entries are followed by sources of the listed recordings as well as sources of further listings and reviews of folk records. (BZ)