The Library of Congress announced Thursday that 25 culturally significant audio recordings — ranging from pop blockbusters to jazz masterpieces and Broadway classics — are being inducted into the National Recording Registry to be preserved for future generations.
Topping this year’s list is Taylor Swift’s 2014 album 1989, the pop superstar’s fifth studio album that swept the Grammys with wins for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Also joining from the 21st century is Beyoncé’s 2008 smash hit “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
The selections span a wide array of American music and sound heritage, including jazz, rock, pop, country, R&B, Broadway, radio, and even video game soundtracks. They bring the total number of titles in the Registry to 700 — a small but vital fraction of the Library’s nearly 4 million recorded sound items.
Other Notable Inductees:
- Country and Americana: Works by The Charlie Daniels Band, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, and Rosanne Cash.
- R&B and Soul: Chaka Khan and earlier classics by Ray Charles and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
- Rock and Pop: The Go-Go’s groundbreaking ‘80s output, Weezer’s debut album, and The Byrds’ iconic “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season).”
- Holiday and Latin crossover: José Feliciano’s enduring “Feliz Navidad.”
- Jazz: Recordings by Oliver Nelson and Paul Anka.
- Broadway: The original cast album of the long-running musical Chicago.
- Gaming: The soundtrack to the influential demonic role-playing game Doom.
The National Recording Registry, established by Congress in 2000, selects recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Each year’s inductees reflect the rich diversity of the nation’s artistic output, ensuring that landmark works — from groundbreaking pop phenomena to foundational jazz and theatrical recordings — are preserved against the threats of time and technological obsolescence.