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Library of Congress Names 25 Recordings to 2026 National Recording Registry

The class showcases a wider view of America’s sound heritage, spanning seven decades across genres.

Overview

  • The Library of Congress, which announced the 2026 class Thursday, named 25 additions including Taylor Swift’s 1989 and Beyoncé’s Single Ladies.
  • The list reaches beyond pop and country to include the Doom video-game soundtrack and the 1971 Ali vs. Frazier radio broadcast, broadening what counts as preservable sound.
  • This year marks first-time entries for Swift and Beyoncé, while Rosanne Cash’s The Wheel creates the registry’s first father–daughter pairing with Johnny Cash.
  • The selections follow more than 3,000 public nominations and lift the registry’s holdings to 700 preserved titles.
  • By rule, inductees must be at least 10 years old and deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, with public nominations for next year open until Oct. 1.