The iconic soundtrack of the original 1993 Doom game has been added to the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, holds an extensive collection of books, films, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts. Established over two centuries ago, it serves as the primary research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
The 2026 inductees, 25 in total, are described as “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” Bobby Prince’s “adrenaline-fueled” score for Doom is the third video game soundtrack to receive this honour.
“The adrenaline-fueled soundtrack created by Prince was key to Doom’s popularity,” a Registry spokesperson said. “Prince, a lifelong musician and practising lawyer, was fascinated by the MIDI technology that rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as a means for instrument control and composition, an interest that led to his earliest work composing video games.”
“Taking advantage of his knowledge of MIDI, Prince worked to ensure that the sound effects he created could cut through the music by assigning them to different MIDI frequencies. The Doom soundtrack would go on to inspire countless remixes and lay the foundation for future generations of game composers.”
“From icons of R&B to a holiday favourite en Español, from a legendary sports broadcast to this generation’s superstars, it is a thrilling reflection of America at its best,” said Robbin Ahrold, chair of the National Recording Preservation Board.
Doom is the third video game score to be included in the registry. The first was the Super Mario Bros. theme, inducted in 2023, followed by Daniel Rosengeld’s soundtrack for Minecraft in 2025.
This year’s list of inductees also includes Taylor Swift’s 1989, Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), The Go-Go’s debut album Beauty and the Beat, Vince Gill’s Go Rest High On That Mountain, Weezer’s self-titled debut Weezer (The Blue Album), Chaka Khan’s hit I Feel for You, and Broadway’s original cast album of Chicago.
