Doom Soundtrack Joins National Recording Registry: A Historic Recognition for Video Game Music

The soundtrack to the 1993 video game Doom, composed by Bobby Prince, has been added to the National Recording Registry, a prestigious list of sound recordings deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant to the United States.

Established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the registry is curated annually by the National Recording Preservation Board, whose members are appointed by the Librarian of Congress. Recordings selected for preservation are housed in the Library of Congress.

Why This Recognition Matters

This induction is a historic achievement for Bobby Prince and the video game industry. It marks only the third time video game music has been included in the registry, following the theme from Super Mario Bros. and the soundtrack album for Minecraft.

However, the Doom soundtrack stands out as the first American game and the first American games composer to be honored. Its inclusion underscores the growing cultural relevance of video game music and composition.

Doom’s Induction Among Legendary Works

To fully grasp the significance of this addition, consider the company it now keeps. The 2024 inductees span decades of music, from the 1940s to the 2010s, featuring timeless classics and groundbreaking recordings:

• “Cocktails for Two” – Spike Jones and His City Slickers (1944)
• “Mambo No. 5” – Pérez Prado and His Orchestra (1950)
• “Teardrops from My Eyes” – Ruth Brown (1950)
• “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” – Kaye Ballard (1954)
• “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” – Paul Anka (1959)
• “The Blues and the Abstract Truth” – Oliver Nelson (1961)
• “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” – Ray Charles (1962)
• “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” – The Byrds (1965)
• “Amen, Brother” – The Winstons (1969)
• “Feliz Navidad” – José Feliciano (1970)
• “The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier” (March 8, 1971)
• “Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973)
• “Chicago” Original Cast Album (1975)
• “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – The Charlie Daniels Band (1979)
• “Beauty and the Beat” – The Go-Go’s (1981)
• “Texas Flood” – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1983)
• “I Feel For You” – Chaka Khan (1984)
• “Your Love” – Jamie Principle (1986) / Jamie Principle/Frankie Knuckles (1987)
• “Rumor Has It” – Reba McEntire (1990)
• “The Wheel” – Rosanne Cash (1993)
• “Doom” Soundtrack – Bobby Prince, composer (1993)
• “Go Rest High On That Mountain” – Vince Gill (1994)
• “Weezer (The Blue Album)” – Weezer (1994)
• “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” – Beyoncé (2008)
• “1989” – Taylor Swift (2014)

This diverse collection highlights the breadth of American musical heritage, now including the Doom soundtrack as a landmark in video game history.