TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Taylor Swift has once again proven her relevance and cultural importance in the American music landscape. This year, her revered pop-forward album “1989” will be immortalized in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Announced on May 14, 2026, Taylor Swift is joined by 25 other songs, albums, and sounds deemed to be the “defining sounds of history and culture.”
Citing USA Today, among the artists and music inducted in the list alongside Taylor Swift are Beyoncé’s hit song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” released in 2008; Weezer’s 1994 self-titled debut album (dubbed “The Blue Album“); Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” released in 1959; and the recording of the original Broadway cast of “Chicago,” an album released in 1975.
While Taylor Swift’s album is the youngest, the oldest music registered by the Library of Congress this year is a 1944 single by Spike Jones and His City Slickers, “Cocktails for Two.”
Spanning 70 years of recorded sounds and music, Robbin Ahrold, the chair of the National Recording Preservation Board—the body responsible for selecting sounds for preservation in the registry—said this year’s selection “beautifully captures the scope of the American experience” as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.
“From icons of R&B to a holiday favorite en Español, from a legendary sports broadcast to this generation’s superstars, it is a thrilling reflection of America at its best,” added Ahrold, as quoted in a statement.
The registry was created by an act of Congress in 2000, with the purpose of preserving “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” recordings that are at least 10 years old, as quoted from The New York Times.
With this new class of selections, the registry now includes 700 titles. But beyond the National Recording Registry, the library has a recorded sound collection of nearly four million items.
Before making a final decision to choose 25 new entries, each year the library takes nominations from the public—with over 3,000 nominated inductees this year—and heeds suggestions from the National Preservation Board. For next year’s entries, the public may nominate recordings to the library’s website until October 1, 2026.
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