The original Doom soundtrack, composed by Bobby Prince for the 1993 id Software classic, has been inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. The honor recognizes recordings that are 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' and reflect life in the United States. Doom’s inclusion marks a milestone for video game music, particularly American-made games, as it becomes the third game-related recording to be preserved—after Super Mario Bros. and Minecraft—yet the first composed for a U.S.-developed title.

The National Recording Registry, established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, selects 25 recordings each year for preservation. Doom’s aggressive, synth-driven score helped define the sound of early first-person shooters and influenced decades of game audio design. Its selection highlights the growing recognition of video games as a legitimate cultural art form.

The 2026 list includes iconic works like 'Amen, Brother' by The Winstons, Ray Charles’ 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music', and Taylor Swift’s '1989'. Doom shares its year with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 'Texas Flood' and Beyoncé’s 'Single Ladies', underscoring the eclectic mix of genres and media now considered foundational to American audio heritage.