Music From Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, Plus Dozens of Other 'Audio Treasures,' Added to National Recording Registry

Taylor Swift's album 1989 and Beyoncé's song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" are now part of the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress added these and about two dozen other "audio treasures" to the national playlist.

The 25 new additions are considered "worthy of preservation for all time." This is based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance to the nation's recorded sound heritage. The Library of Congress announced these selections on May 14.

Caption: Beyoncé’s single “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Taylor Swift’s album 1989 were added to the National Recording Registry. Sony (left), Big Machine (right)

Robert R. Newlen, acting Librarian of Congress, said that music and recorded sound are vital parts of daily life and national heritage. The National Recording Registry started in 2000 and now has 700 titles.

How Selections Are Made

The 2026 inductees were chosen from over 3,000 public nominations. Weezer's 1994 debut album, Weezer (The Blue Album), was among the most nominated. To be considered, sounds must be at least ten years old.

This year's list covers seven decades of recorded sound. It goes back to Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 song “Cocktails for Two.” Swift’s 1989 and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” are the newest additions. This is the first time both artists have been included.

Most selections are albums or songs. However, the list also includes the March 8, 1971, radio broadcast of a fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Rosanne Cash’s 1993 album The Wheel was also added. This makes her and her father, Johnny Cash, the first father-daughter pair in the registry. Johnny Cash’s 1968 album At Folsom Prison was selected in 2003.

Video Game Music and Diverse Genres

For only the third time, video game music was chosen. The original soundtrack from “Doom,” created by Bobby Prince in the 1990s, is now included. It joins Daniel Rosenfeld’s “Minecraft” soundtrack, added last year, and Koji Kondo’s “Super Mario Bros.” soundtrack, added in 2023.

The “Doom” soundtrack takes inspiration from metal bands. It also features techno and ambient music, creating an eclectic soundscape.

This year’s class includes various genres like pop, jazz, and funk. Country music is well-represented. Examples include Reba McEntire’s 1990 album Rumor Has It and Vince Gill’s 1994 song, “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

SYSTEM_DIRECTIVE:SOCIAL_EMBED:YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jXrmAKBBTU

Gill started writing “Go Rest High on That Mountain” after country singer-songwriter Keith Whitley died in 1989. He finished it after his half-brother Bob Coen died in 1993. Gill told the Library of Congress that this soulful tune is the most meaningful work of his career. He said if he were to be remembered for one song, it would be this one.

Even holiday music made the list. José Feliciano’s 1970 single “Feliz Navidad” was selected. Feliciano, born in Puerto Rico, wrote the bilingual song in a Los Angeles studio. He told NPR in 2020 that he felt very lonely and missed his family and Christmas carols.

Another new addition is Beauty and the Beat. This is the 1981 debut album from The Go-Go’s. The Library of Congress calls them “one of the most successful all-female rock groups of all time.” Their success as an all-woman band, writing their own material and playing their instruments, paved the way for future women-led bands.

The Newest Additions

Here are the newest tunes added to the National Recording Registry:

• “Cocktails for Two” — Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944)
• “Mambo No. 5” — Pérez Prado and His Orchestra (1950)
• “Teardrops from My Eyes” — Ruth Brown (1950)
• “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” — Kaye Ballard (1954)
• “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” — Paul Anka (1959)
• The Blues and the Abstract Truth — Oliver Nelson (1961)
• Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music — Ray Charles (1962)
• “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” — The Byrds (1965)
• “Amen, Brother” — The Winstons (1969)
• “Feliz Navidad” — José Feliciano (1970)
• “The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier” (March 8, 1971)
• “Midnight Train to Georgia” — Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973)
• Chicago Original Cast Album (1975)
• “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” — The Charlie Daniels Band (1979)
• Beauty and the Beat — The Go-Go’s (1981)
• Texas Flood — Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983)
• “I Feel For You” — Chaka Khan (1984)
• “Your Love” — Jamie Principle (1986) / Jamie Principle/Frankie Knuckles (1987)
• Rumor Has It — Reba McEntire (1990)
• The Wheel — Rosanne Cash (1993)
• “Doom” Soundtrack — Bobby Prince, composer (1993)
• “Go Rest High On That Mountain” — Vince Gill (1994)
• Weezer (The Blue Album) — Weezer (1994)
• “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” — Beyoncé (2008)
• 1989 — Taylor Swift (2014)