The Library of Congress added 25 recordings to the National Recording Registry in 2026, bringing the preservation list to 700 entries.
This year’s class spans 70 years of music, news, sports broadcasts and other recorded sound, from Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two” to works released in the 2010s.
Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Taylor Swift’s album “1989” became the first registry selections for each artist. Weezer’s self-titled debut and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” also joined the list.
The Go-Go’s album “Beauty and the Beat,” Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” and the original Broadway cast recording of “Chicago” are among the other selections.
Congress created the registry to recognize sound recordings that are culturally, historically or aesthetically significant and at least 10 years old. Selection supports preservation planning; it is not a ranking of artistic merit.
The Library said it received more than 3,000 public nominations. Public input informs the process, while the Librarian of Congress makes selections after consulting the National Recording Preservation Board.
The registry’s 700 entries represent about 0.01% of the Library’s collection of four million recordings, according to the Library’s announcement.
A registry entry does not necessarily mean the physical recording is stored in Washington or Culpeper. The Library says the national list includes works held in collections around the country and it does not currently possess every selection.
Preservation work can involve locating the best surviving source, stabilizing fragile media, making preservation copies and documenting the recording so it remains accessible as formats and playback equipment change.