The Library of Congress has announced its 2026 class of National Recording Registry inductees, and the 25 selections span 70 years of American sound. From a 1944 novelty record to Taylor Swift’s blockbuster 2014 album ‘1989’, this year’s class is one of the most wide-ranging in the registry’s history.
The class marks the first recordings by both Swift and Beyoncé to enter the registry. Swift’s ‘1989’ joins Beyoncé’s 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” as the newest additions chronologically. Weezer’s self-titled debut, known as ‘The Blue Album’, was among the most nominated recordings from the public, with fans submitting more than 3,000 nominations total this year.
Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen made the final selections from a list compiled by the National Recording Preservation Board, describing the chosen recordings as “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time.” NPRB chair Robbin Ahrold noted the class “beautifully captures the scope of the American experience” as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.
The Go-Go’s 1981 debut ‘Beauty and the Beat’ earned its place alongside a roster of genre-defining records. Belinda Carlisle called the induction a gift to music history. Bandmate Jane Wiedlin put it more directly: “There is literally no other all-female band that went No. 1 on the charts, play their own instruments and write their own songs. None.”
Chaka Khan reflected on the convergence that made her 1984 recording of “I Feel for You” something beyond a hit. “Prince’s genius, Stevie’s harmonica, Grandmaster Melle Mel’s rap, and whatever God put in me that day,” she said. “For the Library of Congress to say this recording belongs in the permanent collection of American sound heritage, that means it wasn’t just a hit, it was history.”
Vince Gill’s 1994 single “Go Rest High on That Mountain” also joins the registry, a song he wrote about the loss of his brother. “I’ve been writing songs for over 50 years, and if you asked me straight up what’s the one song you’d want to be remembered for, I would pick this one, hands down,” he said. The induction also marks a historic first: Johnny Cash’s ‘At Folsom Prison’ entered the registry in 2003, making this the first time a father and daughter have both been included.
The full class covers country, pop, jazz, Latin, folk, funk, R&B, classical crossover, video game composition, and a landmark sports broadcast. The sole non-musical selection is the 1971 radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden.
The National Recording Registry now holds 700 entries, representing roughly 0.01% of the Library’s 4 million collected recordings. Nominations for the 2027 class close October 1, 2026.
2026 National Recording Registry Inductees:
“Cocktails for Two” – Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944)
“Mambo No. 5” – Pérez Prado (1950)
“Teardrops from My Eyes” – Ruth Brown (1950)
“Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” – Kaye Ballard (1954)
“Put Your Head On My Shoulder” – Paul Anka (1959)
‘The Blues and the Abstract Truth’ – Oliver Nelson (1961)
‘Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music’ – Ray Charles (1962)
“Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” – The Byrds (1965)
“Amen, Brother” – The Winstons (1969)
“Feliz Navidad” – José Feliciano (1970)
“The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier” (March 8, 1971)
“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973)
‘Chicago’ Original Cast Album (1975)
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – The Charlie Daniels Band (1979)
‘Beauty and the Beat’ – The Go-Go’s (1981)
‘Texas Flood’ – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983)
“I Feel For You” – Chaka Khan (1984)
“Your Love” – Jamie Principle (1986) / Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles (1987)
‘Rumor Has It’ – Reba McEntire (1990)
‘The Wheel’ – Rosanne Cash (1993)
‘Doom’ Soundtrack – Bobby Prince, composer (1993)
“Go Rest High on That Mountain” – Vince Gill (1994)
‘Weezer (The Blue Album)’ – Weezer (1994)
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” – Beyoncé (2008)
‘1989’ – Taylor Swift (2014)