Congress and the Coolest Record Collection Ever Adds Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Among Others

Congress might not agree on much these days, but at least the Library of Congress has decent taste in music. The folks in charge of preserving American sound just added some genuine bangers to the National Recording Registry. Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” finally made the cut, alongside Taylor Swift’s 1989, Weezer’s so-called “Blue Album,” and the Go-Go’s classic Beauty and the Beat. Have you ever tried to do that one-handed dance move while reading federal legislation?

Beyoncé‘s Ring That Won’t Quit

Here is a wild thought: Beyoncé‘s blockbuster jam now lives forever next to Civil War field recordings and old radio dramas. The Library’s official write-up says her song got embraced by all generations and fans of nearly every musical style. That means your uncle, who only listens to classic rock, probably secretly nods along. Beyoncé‘s inclusion marks a first for the singer, which feels almost impossible given how massive her career has been. What took them so long?

Taylor Swift’s Heart on a Shelf

Swift’s 1989 also crashed this party, and the Library could not stop gushing about her way with matters of the heart. Seven singles came off that phenomenally successful album, including the annoyingly catchy “Shake It Off.” That song alone has forced countless family road trips to become dance parties against everyone’s will. Does the registry have a backup copy in case someone spills coffee on the master?

The Go-Go’s and That Glass Ceiling

Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go’s said there is no better feeling than knowing women are raising daughters and playing them her band’s music. She also noted that the group’s biggest accomplishment was breaking the glass ceiling, not just having hit singles. That statement alone makes “Beauty and the Beat” worth preserving forever. Who needs a ring when you have a whole library?

Weezer’s Nerdy Little Blue Album

That Weezer record, the one with the plain blue cover and four dudes looking awkward, was “among” the most nominated recordings this year. Ric Ocasek of The Cars produced it, and the album basically invented nerd-geek-rock charm before anyone had a name for it. Tracks like “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So” still make people in glasses feel seen. The Library called it an enduring classic of the alternative rock age. Could any other band make sweater songs sound this heroic?

Ray Charles and Other Heavy Hitters

The class of 2026 includes twenty-five recordings spread across seventy years, pulled from over three thousand public nominations. Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” sits right alongside the original 1975 cast recording of “Chicago.” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood” and Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” also made the grade. Singles range from Vince Gill’s tearjerker “Go Rest High on That Mountain” to the Charlie Daniels Band’s fiddle-fueled “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Have you ever tried to outplay a devil at a fiddle contest? Neither have they, but the song is safe now.

The Funky, Weird, and Downright Odd

Chaka Khan’s cover of Prince’s “I Feel for You” got preserved, and she called it a moment where everything converged—Prince’s genius, Stevie Wonder’s harmonica, a rap from Grandmaster Melle Mel, and whatever God put in her that day. Jamie Principle’s Chicago house staple “Your Love” got a nod to the late Frankie Knuckles as well. Then things get truly strange: the soundtrack for the video game “Doom” from 1993 is now a historical treasure. So is the March 8, 1971, radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier.” Does a demonic video game screech deserve a spot in American history? Apparently yes.

The Final Spin on a Vinyl Victory

Taylor Swift on stage during her Eras Tour — Image of Taylor Swift | Courtesy of © Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The National Recording Registry now holds seven hundred recordings, which sounds like a lot until you realize the Library has about four million total. Robert R. Newlen, the acting Librarian, got the job after President Trump fired the previous Librarian, Carla Hayden, in 2025.

Trump has voiced contempt for both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in the past, and he has not commented on these inductions yet. Public nominations for next year’s class will be collected through October first. So go ahead and suggest your favorite weird track—just know that Beyoncé‘s ring has already been stamped, sealed, and delivered to history.