American music titans Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are set to receive one of the highest cultural honors in the United States, as their era-defining works are officially inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. The announcement, made on Thursday, May 14, places the two icons among a prestigious group of artists whose contributions are deemed “audio treasures” essential to the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
The Library of Congress selected Taylor Swift’s seminal 2014 album, 1989, and Beyoncé’s 2008 global anthem, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” as two of the 25 recordings chosen for preservation this year. These selections are based on their immense cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. Swift’s 1989, named after her birth year, marked her definitive transition into the pop genre and secured her second Grammy for Album of the Year. Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” from the I Am… Sasha Fierce era remains a pop culture phenomenon, famously earning the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2010.
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The 2026 induction class also features an eclectic mix of legendary recordings, including Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” Chaka Khan’s 1984 smash “I Feel For You,” and José Feliciano’s timeless 1970 holiday classic “Feliz Navidad.” By entering the National Recording Registry, these works—and the legacy of the women behind them—are now permanently archived as foundational pillars of American musical history.