Three Iconic Artists’ Tracks Officially Added to National Music Registry
The Library of Congress added 25 recordings to its National Recording Registry for 2026. The group includes Taylor Swift’s 2014 album 1989, Beyoncé’s 2008 single “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You”, Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, and The Go‑Go’s 1981 debut Beauty and the Beat. The selections were chosen for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance in American recorded sound.
Other inductees this year are Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Reba McEntire’s “Rumor Has It”, Rosanne Cash’s The Wheel, and Weezer’s self‑titled debut album commonly known as The Blue Album. Classic singles from Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Byrds, José Feliciano, and Paul Anka also entered the registry.
Unconventional additions include the soundtrack to the 1993 video game Doom and a radio broadcast of the 1971 boxing match “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The oldest recording is Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two,” while the newest is Swift’s 1989.
Acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced that over 3,000 public nominations were received for this class, marking the first time recordings by Swift and Beyoncé were selected for inclusion.