adminThe Original Doom soundtrack, composed by Bobby Prince for the 1993 video game, will be inducted into the US National Recording Registry. Its selection recognizes the music’s place in video game history and its lasting influence on game composers and listeners.
Image credit: id Software
Why the Original Doom soundtrack was selected
The soundtrack was chosen from more than 3,000 public nominations and will join 25 other recordings spanning 70 years. The National Recording Registry highlighted the music as a key part of Doom’s appeal, noting how its energetic sound helped create the game’s intense atmosphere.
Prince was both a lifelong musician and a practicing lawyer. His interest in MIDI technology—a system used to control instruments and support musical composition—helped lead him into writing music for video games. That background gave him a way to shape the relationship between Doom’s music and its sound effects.
How MIDI influenced the game’s sound
Prince used his knowledge of MIDI to help the game’s sound effects remain audible alongside the music. He assigned the effects to different MIDI frequencies, giving them room to cut through the soundtrack during play. This practical approach helped maintain the impact of both the score and the game’s audio cues.
Listening tip: When revisiting the soundtrack, pay attention to how the music supports the game’s fast-paced mood while leaving space for sound effects. That balance is part of what made the score distinctive in an era when video game audio was still developing.
A milestone for video game music
Doom’s score is the third video game soundtrack to enter the registry. The year before, Daniel Rosenfeld’s Minecraft: Volume Alpha and the Microsoft reboot chime were also preserved. In 2023, the Super Mario Bros. theme became the first video game soundtrack selected for the registry.
The recognition also reflects how video game music can reach beyond its original setting. Doom’s soundtrack inspired numerous remixes and helped lay groundwork for later generations of game composers. Registry inclusion places it among recordings recognized for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
What the recognition means
For fans, the induction offers a reason to revisit the music as more than a memorable part of a classic game. It also marks the growing recognition of game soundtracks as an important part of recorded music history. The Original Doom soundtrack stands out for its distinctive sound, its inventive use of MIDI, and its continuing influence on video game music.
