Original Doom soundtrack added to National Recording Registry

The Library of Congress added Bobby Prince’s 1993 soundtrack for the original “Doom” to the National Recording Registry on May 14, placing one of the most recognizable scores in video game history alongside 24 other recordings selected for preservation. Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen announced the 2026 class in a release that described the picks as audio treasures chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance.” The 2026 class brought the registry to 700 titles, according to the Library, and “Doom” was the third video game music selection to make the list. The Library said the class spans 70 years, from Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 recording of “Cocktails for Two” to Taylor Swift’s 2014 album “1989.” (newsroom.loc.gov) ### When did the Library of Congress make the announcement? May 14, 2026 was the date the Library of Congress published its announcement naming the 25 recordings selected for that year’s registry. The agency said Newlen made the selections as part of the National Recording Registry program, which each year adds 25 recordings for preservation. (newsroom.loc.gov) The Library’s registry pages show the annual selections are posted by induction year, with the 2025 class announced on April 9, 2025 and earlier classes listed back to the registry’s start. The same Library materials say the registry now contains 700 titles. ### Which “Doom” recording was selected? (newsroom.loc.gov) Bobby Prince’s “Doom” video game soundtrack, listed by the Library as an album from 1993, was the recording added in the 2026 class. The Library included it in the chronological roster alongside Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel,” Weezer’s self-titled “Blue Album” and Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” (loc.gov) The Library’s release referred to the selection more generally as “the soundtrack from Doom.” Its blog post gave the fuller credit line, identifying Prince by name and dating the recording to the year the game first appeared. (blogs.loc.gov) ### How unusual is it for game music to make the registry? The Library of Congress said 2026 marked the third time video game music had been selected for the National Recording Registry. That language appeared in both the official release and the Library blog post announcing the class. (newsroom.loc.gov) The Library’s complete registry listing shows “Minecraft: Volume Alpha” by Daniel Rosenfeld was inducted in 2025. The agency’s 2026 announcement did not name the earlier game-music selections in the release text, but its count establishes “Doom” as the latest of three such entries. (newsroom.loc.gov) ### What else was inducted with it this year? Taylor Swift’s “1989,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” The Go-Go’s “Beauty and the Beat,” and Weezer’s debut album were among the 25 recordings chosen in 2026, the Library said. Other selections included Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” and the March 8, 1971 Mutual Radio Networks broadcast of Muhammad Ali vs. (loc.gov) Joe Frazier, according to the Library’s published list. More than 3,000 public nominations were submitted for this year’s consideration, the Library said, and Weezer was among the most-nominated selections. The agency also said 2026 marked the first registry selections for Swift and Beyoncé. (newsroom.loc.gov) ### What does selection actually do? The Library of Congress said the National Recording Registry is intended to preserve recordings that are significant to the nation’s recorded sound heritage. Newlen said in the announcement that the Library would work with “partners in the recording industry” to preserve the newly selected recordings. (newsroom.loc.gov) The Library’s program page says the registry chooses 25 recordings each year to showcase the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage and to increase preservation awareness. The complete listing says the 700 registry titles represent only a small share of the Library’s broader recorded sound holdings, which the agency says number nearly 4 million items. (newsroom.loc.gov) May 2026 materials on the Library’s website include the full 25-title list for this year’s class and the induction-year archive for prior years. The registry pages also link to nomination and listing resources for readers tracking future additions. (blogs.loc.gov) (loc.gov)