The original DOOM soundtrack, composed by Bobby Prince for id Software's landmark 1993 first-person shooter, has been added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
Released for MS-DOS on December 10, 1993, DOOM helped define the modern first-person shooter and its music—designed to pump adrenaline into fast-paced play—has now been recognized as culturally and historically significant alongside other notable game recordings.
The Library of Congress selection places the DOOM OST in a small group of video game music preserved by the National Recording Registry.
Prior videogame entries include the Super Mario Bros.
Ground Theme and the full Minecraft soundtrack.
According to Library of Congress materials, Prince’s compositions were chosen from thousands of nominations and cited for their influence on both gaming and audio design.
Bobby Prince’s approach combined rock and metal influences with the era’s MIDI technology.
The Library of Congress notes that Prince, a lifelong musician who also practiced law, was drawn to MIDI as a compositional tool and began composing for games in the late 1980s.
For DOOM, Prince worked from references supplied by id Software designer John Romero—collections that included artists such as Alice in Chains, Pantera and Metallica—and translated that heavy, aggressive feel into a MIDI-based score that matched DOOM’s relentless gameplay.
Despite technical constraints of early 1990s PC audio, Prince produced a soundtrack that many players still cite as central to the game’s identity.
DOOM’s release on PC (MS-DOS) spawned ports to numerous platforms in subsequent years and established id Software as a leader in the FPS space; the franchise has continued with modern entries and ports to current hardware, including Nintendo Switch releases of later Doom titles.
Industry observers and fans have welcomed the Library of Congress announcement as formal recognition of video game music’s cultural importance.
The Registry’s inclusion underlines how soundtracks like Prince’s DOOM score are now seen not only as functional game assets but as works worthy of preservation.
This honor acknowledges Bobby Prince and the id Software team for a soundtrack that helped shape a genre and remain influential more than two decades after the game's 1993 debut.
Released for MS-DOS on December 10, 1993, DOOM helped define the modern first-person shooter and its music—designed to pump adrenaline into fast-paced play—has now been recognized as culturally and historically significant alongside other notable game recordings.
The Library of Congress selection places the DOOM OST in a small group of video game music preserved by the National Recording Registry.
Prior videogame entries include the Super Mario Bros.
Ground Theme and the full Minecraft soundtrack.
According to Library of Congress materials, Prince’s compositions were chosen from thousands of nominations and cited for their influence on both gaming and audio design.
Bobby Prince’s approach combined rock and metal influences with the era’s MIDI technology.
The Library of Congress notes that Prince, a lifelong musician who also practiced law, was drawn to MIDI as a compositional tool and began composing for games in the late 1980s.
For DOOM, Prince worked from references supplied by id Software designer John Romero—collections that included artists such as Alice in Chains, Pantera and Metallica—and translated that heavy, aggressive feel into a MIDI-based score that matched DOOM’s relentless gameplay.
Despite technical constraints of early 1990s PC audio, Prince produced a soundtrack that many players still cite as central to the game’s identity.
DOOM’s release on PC (MS-DOS) spawned ports to numerous platforms in subsequent years and established id Software as a leader in the FPS space; the franchise has continued with modern entries and ports to current hardware, including Nintendo Switch releases of later Doom titles.
Industry observers and fans have welcomed the Library of Congress announcement as formal recognition of video game music’s cultural importance.
The Registry’s inclusion underlines how soundtracks like Prince’s DOOM score are now seen not only as functional game assets but as works worthy of preservation.
This honor acknowledges Bobby Prince and the id Software team for a soundtrack that helped shape a genre and remain influential more than two decades after the game's 1993 debut.
