Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Weezer Among 2026 National Recording Registry Inductees
Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have officially entered one of America’s most prestigious cultural archives for the first time, with the Library of Congress adding Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and Swift’s blockbuster album 1989 to the National Recording Registry.
The two pop superstars headline the Library’s 2026 class, which also includes landmark works from Weezer, The Go-Go's, Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and even the soundtrack to the iconic video game Doom.
Each year, the National Recording Registry selects recordings considered culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant to American life, preserving them for future generations. This year’s 25 selections span more than seven decades, drawn from a public nomination pool of over 3,000 submissions. With these additions, the Registry now contains 700 recordings, a small fraction of the roughly four million audio items housed by the Library of Congress.
For Beyoncé and Swift, the recognition marks a notable milestone. Despite their enormous commercial success and cultural influence, neither artist had previously been inducted into the Registry. In its official notes, the Library described “Single Ladies” as a cross-generational phenomenon embraced well beyond traditional pop audiences, while praising 1989 as a defining work in Swift’s catalog, particularly for its emotionally driven songwriting and string of massive hit singles, including “Shake It Off.”
Acting Librarian Robert R. Newlen said the selected recordings represent essential pieces of the American cultural story. In a statement, he described recorded music as a vital part of both daily life and national heritage, emphasizing the Registry’s mission to preserve what he called America’s “national playlist.”
Rock music also had a strong showing this year. Weezer (Blue Album), one of the most publicly nominated recordings, earned a place for its lasting influence on alternative rock. The Library highlighted the album’s defining singles, “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain’t So,” and “Undone, The Sweater Song”, while crediting producer Ric Ocasek with helping shape its signature sound. Meanwhile, Beauty and the Beat secured recognition as a landmark release, with guitarist Jane Wiedlin reflecting on the band’s cultural impact, particularly as pioneers who broke barriers for women in rock.
Other album selections include Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s Texas Flood, Rosanne Cash’s The Wheel, and the original cast recording of Chicago. Individual song inductees range from José Feliciano’s perennial holiday staple “Feliz Navidad” to Midnight Train to Georgia, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and I Feel for You, which Khan described as a historic creative collision between multiple iconic talents.
Some of the most unexpected entries this year came from outside traditional music. The Registry also added Bobby Prince’s soundtrack for Doom, recognizing the growing cultural importance of video game audio, alongside the 1971 broadcast of “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
Public nominations for the 2027 National Recording Registry remain open through October 1st.
