The Library of Congress has added 25 recordings to its National Recording Registry for 2026, selecting works that span genres, eras and formats — from pop and country to jazz, R&B, Broadway, radio and even video-game music. The new inductees bring the registry’s holdings to 700 titles drawn from the Library’s much larger recorded-sound collection.
Among this year’s picks the most recent release is Taylor Swift’s 2014 album 1989; Beyoncé’s 2008 hit “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” is the only other 21st‑century selection. The list includes landmark albums, influential singles, historic broadcasts and groundbreaking soundtracks that helped shape American musical and cultural life.
2026 National Recording Registry additions (alphabetical)
– “1989” — Taylor Swift (2014, album): Swift’s bold move from country to synth-driven pop produced multiple chart-topping singles and won major awards; the album has had lasting commercial and cultural impact.
– “Amen, Brother” — The Winstons (1969): Best known for its seven-second drum break, “Amen, Brother” became one of the most sampled pieces in modern music history.
– Beauty and the Beat — The Go‑Go’s (1981, album): The debut from one of rock’s most successful all-female bands, featuring hits like “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed.”
– The Blues and the Abstract Truth — Oliver Nelson (1961, album): A post‑bop jazz landmark noted for its compositions and sophisticated arrangements.
– Chicago (Original Cast Album) (1975): The John Kander and Fred Ebb musical’s original recording helped preserve a show that later became Broadway’s longest-running revival and a major film.
– “Cocktails for Two” — Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944): A novelty recording packed with comic sound effects that typified Jones’s satirical style.
– “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” — The Charlie Daniels Band (1979): A country-rock staple featuring a virtuoso fiddle performance that became a signature recording for Charlie Daniels.
– Doom (Soundtrack) — Bobby Prince (1993): The soundtrack for the influential videogame used MIDI and heavy‑metal‑inspired themes, marking an early crossover between games and mainstream music sensibilities.
– “Feliz Navidad” — José Feliciano (1970): A bilingual holiday standard that became a perennial favorite across generations and cultures.
– The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier (broadcast, March 8, 1971): A landmark radio broadcast capturing round-by-round coverage of the legendary boxing match.
– “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” — Kaye Ballard (1954): The first commercial recording of the Bart Howard standard, released under its original title.
– “Go Rest High on That Mountain” — Vince Gill (1994): A poignant country ballad written in memory of Gill’s brother that has become a common choice at memorials.
– “I Feel for You” — Chaka Khan (1984): Khan’s hit reinvigorated a Prince composition with rap, R&B production and crossover appeal, earning multiple Grammys.
– “Mambo No. 5” — Pérez Prado (1950): One of the key recordings responsible for popularizing mambo music outside Cuba.
– “Midnight Train to Georgia” — Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973): A Grammy-winning soul classic and one of the group’s signature songs.
– Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music — Ray Charles (1962, album): Charles’s genre‑crossing album reinterpreted country songs through his R&B and soul sensibility and topped the charts.
– “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” — Paul Anka (1959): A teenage heartthrob’s enduring ballad and one of Anka’s early pop standards.
– Rumor Has It — Reba McEntire (1990, album): A celebrated country album that showcased McEntire’s artistry and included hits such as “Fancy.”
– “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” — Beyoncé (2008): A defining pop and R&B anthem with widespread cultural influence and major awards recognition.
– “Teardrops from My Eyes” — Ruth Brown (1950): An R&B chart-topper that helped establish Brown as a major voice of early rhythm and blues.
– Texas Flood — Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983, album): The debut that launched Vaughan’s career and reenergized electric blues for a new generation.
– “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” — The Byrds (1965): A folk-rock hit adapted from Ecclesiastes that became an anthem of the 1960s era.
– Weezer (The Blue Album) — Weezer (1994, album): The band’s breakout record, featuring singles like “Buddy Holly” and establishing an influential alternative-rock sound.
– The Wheel — Rosanne Cash (1993, album): A critically praised album exploring personal themes and transitions in Cash’s life and career.
– “Your Love” — Jamie Principle (1986); Jamie/Frankie Knuckles (1987): A foundational Chicago house track that, in its various versions, helped define early electronic dance music.
These selections reflect the Registry’s mission to preserve recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The additions this year cover nearly every corner of American sound culture, from early jazz and mambo to hip-hop sampling, country classics, groundbreaking pop albums and even videogame scores.
The Library of Congress accepts public nominations for the National Recording Registry; interested people can find nomination details on the Library’s website.