The soundtrack of the original 1993 Doom has been inducted into the National Recording Registry.
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, “with millions of books, films and video, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections.” Founded over two hundred years ago, it sits as the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
The latest inductees, of which there are 25, have been dubbed 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 is the third piece of video game history to be immortalized this way.
“Key to Doom’s popularity was the adrenaline-fueled soundtrack created by Prince,” a Registry spokesperson said (thanks, GI.biz). “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.”
“The sweep and diversity of the National Recording Registry class of 2026 beautifully captures the scope of the American experience as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Robbin Ahrold, chair of the National Recording Preservation Board. “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.”
Doom is the third such video game score to make it into the register. The first was the Super Mario Bros. theme, which joined the archive in 2023. Daniel Rosengeld’s soundtrack for Minecraft was added in 2025.
Other inductees this year include 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.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
