The soundtrack for the original 1993 video game Doom has been officially inducted into the National Recording Registry, making it only the third video game music selection ever to receive this honor. The announcement was made by the Library of Congress on May 14, 2026.
What Is the National Recording Registry?
The National Recording Registry is a program that preserves sound recordings deemed 'culturally, historically or aesthetically important' to the United States. Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings from over 3,000 nominations to be preserved for future generations.
Most of the 2026 inductees are traditional songs and albums from the 1940s to the 2010s, including Beyoncé's 2008 hit Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). However, video game fans were pleased to see Doom make the cut.
Doom Soundtrack Details
The soundtrack for the original Doom was composed by Bobby Prince, who also created music for Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D. The track At Doom's Gate remains one of the most iconic pieces of video game music ever composed.
While some modern fans might have preferred the heavy metal soundtrack from the 2016 Doom reboot, recordings must be at least 10 years old to be eligible. The 2016 game only became eligible on May 13, 2026, so it missed the current year's window but can be nominated in the future.
Previous Video Game Inductees
Only two other video game soundtracks have been added to the registry before Doom. The first was the Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme, inducted in 2023, though it is just a single track rather than the full soundtrack. The second was Minecraft – Volume Alpha by Daniel 'C418' Rosenfeld, inducted in 2025. Minecraft's ambient music is among the most streamed video game albums on Spotify.
The Library of Congress also maintains similar registries for movies and books, but there is no equivalent registry for video games themselves. The closest is the Video Game Hall of Fame, organized by the US National Museum of Play, which already includes Super Mario Bros., Doom, and Minecraft.
