Taylor Swift, Beyoncé Releases Added to National Recording Registry

The Library of Congress has announced its 2026 inductions into the National Recording Registry, with releases by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé among those being included.

Why it matters:

• Only 25 “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” recordings are inducted into the National Recording Registry each year, and each must be at least 10 years old.

• The choices are made to showcase the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage.

• The public submits nominations, with more than 3,000 entered this year.

2026 inductions:

• Taylor Swift’s 1989 and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” have been inducted, with Variety noting that it’s rare for recordings made as recently as the 21st century to be included.

• The oldest inductee is 1944’s “Cocktails for Two,” by Spike Jones and His City Slickers.

• Other inductees include Weezer’s self-titled Blue Album (which reportedly received the most public nominations), The Go-Go’s’ debut album Beauty and the Beat, Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You,” and the soundtrack to the video game Doom.

• The full list of inductees is here.

What they said:

• Jane Wiedlin, The Go-Go’s: “I don’t know that there is a better feeling than knowing that women are raising their daughters and playing them The Go-Go’s. As far as The Go-Go’s’ legacy, the biggest accomplishment is that we broke the glass ceiling. I get in a lot of arguments over this, but 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. That becomes more and more important as time goes on. The idea that it continues on through generations is just astounding.”