The Library of Congress has inducted 25 recordings into its National Recording Registry, including Taylor Swift‘s 1989 and Beyoncé‘s Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).
The 2026 selections, announced on Thursday (May 14), mark the first time recordings by either Swift or Beyoncé have been chosen for the registry.
Other inductees include The Go-Go’s‘ debut album Beauty and the Beat, Weezer‘s self-titled Blue Album, Chaka Khan‘s I Feel for You, Reba McEntire‘s Rumor Has It, Vince Gill‘s Go Rest High On That Mountain, and the soundtrack to the video game Doom.
Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen named the 25 recordings “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”
“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said.
“The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”
The public submitted more than 3,000 nominations for this year’s registry, with Weezer among the most nominated selections.
The 2026 class of inductees spans 70 years of recorded sound, from Spike Jones and His City Slickers‘ Cocktails for Two (1944) through to Swift‘s 1989 (2014).
The selections bring the total number of titles on the registry to 700.
Swift‘s 1989, her fifth studio album, was originally released in October 2014 and spawned seven singles, including Shake It Off.
Swift was named IFPI‘s Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2025 – a record sixth time she has collected the accolade.
In May last year, Swift acquired the master recordings of her first six studio albums – including the original 1989 – from investment firm Shamrock Capital.
Beyoncé‘s Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), released in 2008 as a single from her album I Am…Sasha Fierce, became what the Library of Congress called “the cultural moment of 2008 and most of ’09 as well.”
Beyoncé is currently on the road with her Cowboy Carter Tour, which set a revenue record at London‘s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year.
Among the other 2026 inductees, The Winstons‘ Amen, Brother (1969) was recognized for its six-second drum break – performed by band member Gregory Coleman – which has become what the Library of Congress described as “what may be the most sampled musical riff in history.”
The “Amen Break,” as it is known, has been sampled in works by NWA, Salt-N-Pepa, Aphex Twin, and Oasis, among others.
Chaka Khan, whose I Feel for You was written by Prince, reflected on the song’s selection.
“‘I Feel for You’ was a moment where everything converged, Prince’s genius, Stevie’s harmonica, Grandmaster Melle Mel’s rap, and whatever God put in me that day,” Khan said.
“For the Library of Congress to say this recording belongs in the permanent collection of American sound heritage, that means it wasn’t just a hit, it was history.”
Vince Gill said his selection, Go Rest High On That Mountain, was the song he would most want to be remembered for.
“I’ve been writing songs for over 50 years, and if you asked me straight up what’s the one song you’d want to be remembered for, I would pick this one, hands down. Wouldn’t even be close,” Gill said.
Gill said the song was written while grieving the loss of his brother, and that he had never planned on recording it until producer Tony Brown told him: “The world should hear this song.”
The Go-Go’s singer Jane Wiedlin said the band’s induction underscored their place in the history of women in music.
“There is literally no other all-female band that went No. 1 on the charts, play their own instruments and write their own songs. None,” Wiedlin told the Library.
The selection of Rosanne Cash‘s The Wheel (1993) marks the first time a daughter and father have both been included in the registry – her father Johnny Cash‘s At Folsom Prison was selected in 2003.
The Doom soundtrack, composed by Bobby Prince, marks the third time video game music has been selected for the registry.
Other inductees include Ray Charles‘ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962), Gladys Knight and the Pips‘ Midnight Train to Georgia (1973), the original cast album of Chicago (1975), José Feliciano‘s Feliz Navidad (1970), and house music recordings Your Love by Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles.
Under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress selects 25 titles each year that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old.Music Business Worldwide