The Beatles now available on Apple’s iTunes Store:
“The Beatles have remained one of the most reliable franchises in the business. In 2009, 39 years after breaking up, they sold the third-highest number of albums of any act in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, with 3.3 million copies sold. In the past decade, the Beatles sold the second-highest number of albums of any artist (trailing Eminem by 2 million units), and the second-highest number of albums since SoundScan launched in 1991 (Garth Brooks has sold more), according to SoundScan,” Ethan Smith reported yesterday for The Wall Street Journal.
UPDATE: 10am EDT: Apple.com’s home page now shows:
Photo by Bruce McBroom/© Apple Corps Ltd.
Apple’s press release, verbatim:
Apple Corps, EMI and Apple today announced that the Beatles, the most influential and beloved rock band in music history, are now available for the first time on the iTunes Store. Starting today, the group’s 13 legendary remastered studio albums with iTunes LPs, the two-volume “Past Masters” compilation and the classic “Red” and “Blue” collections are available for purchase and download on iTunes worldwide as either albums or individual songs. Fans can also get a special digital “Beatles Box Set” featuring the “Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964” concert film, a worldwide iTunes exclusive which captures the Beatles’ very first US concert.
“We’re really excited to bring the Beatles’ music to iTunes,” said Sir Paul McCartney. “It’s fantastic to see the songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the digital world as they did the first time around.”
“I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes,” said Ringo Starr. “At last, if you want it—you can get it now—The Beatles from Liverpool to now! Peace and Love, Ringo.”
“We love the Beatles and are honored and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we’ve had since we launched iTunes ten years ago.”
“In the joyful spirit of Give Peace A Chance, I think it is so appropriate that we are doing this on John’s 70th birthday year,” said Yoko Ono Lennon.
“The Beatles on iTunes—Bravo!” said Olivia Harrison.
“The Beatles and iTunes have both been true innovators in their fields,” said EMI Group CEO Roger Faxon. “It’s a privilege for everybody at EMI to work with Steve Jobs and with Apple Corps’ Jeff Jones and their teams in marking a great milestone in the development of digital music.”
Each of the Beatles’ 13 legendary remastered studio albums, including “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Revolver,” “The Beatles [The White Album]” and “Abbey Road” include iTunes LPs, which create an immersive album experience with a beautiful design and expanded visual features including a unique mini-documentary about the creation of each album. The two-volume “Past Masters” compilation and the classic “Red” and “Blue” collections are also available.
Single albums are available for purchase and download for $12.99 each, double albums for $19.99 each and individual songs for $1.29 each.
The special digital “Beatles Box Set” ($149) contains the 13 remastered studio albums with iTunes LPs and all mini-documentaries, “Past Masters,” and the “Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964” concert film, a worldwide iTunes exclusive which captures the Beatles’ very first US concert in its entirety. In addition, Beatles fans can stream and view the “Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964” concert film from iTunes for free for the remainder of this calendar year.
Find The Beatles on Apple’s iTunes Store here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Life is very short and there’s no time, for fussing and fighting my friend. I have always thought that it’s a crime, so I will ask you once again: try to see it my way, only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong. While you see it your way, there’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long. We can work it out. We can work it out.” – Lennon/McCartney
Now all you that have been crying about the lack of Beatles on iTunes open your wallets and make my stock go up!
Where’s the Butcher album?
OK, where is the “One More Thing”, thing? Come On Steve, say it!
It can not be just the Beatles!! Please, who does not have that music? If this is all it takes to get worldwide press for Apple than I expect to hear the next time Steve takes a solid dump. Nope not today, Runny……
Wow, I don’t care about this, so that must mean nobody else does either. I’ve long since ripped my Beatles cds to my itunes, so that must mean everybody else in the world has too.
Who, or what, is/are the Beatles?
I checked it out and downloaded three songs from the box set that I haven’t previously had on my iPod. Thanks Apple!
Guys, there is a very clear reason why this is pretty big. You may believe everyone who’s a Beatles fan already has their collection. Explain to me, then, how can Beatles catalogue be the 3rd best selling act of 2010? The band that has disbanded almost 40 years ago??? Yet, they sell better than virtually ALL current artists? Without even being offered on iTunes, the largest music store in the world???
Making Beatles available on iTunes will likely vault them to the top selling artist spot. Many of us here were their fans when they were playing (meaning, we’re at least 45 years old), and most of us simply cannot imagine WHO (the h€ll) is still buying their music. But apparently buying they are. Go figure…
Michael Jackson wanted Beatles to appear on iTunes, but he, while being the owner of most of Beatles’ songs, gave exclusive copyrights to EMI according to multi-year deal.
Jackson was killed last year by his doctor, never seeing his favourite group on iTunes.
I was over The Beatles by 1969.
Yes, and I remember when Ike was President.
Great, now both people who want Beatles music and don’t have it can buy it on iTunes.
if only we could have that MDN take on the politically-tinged articles.
This took too long. I don’t care anymore. Yoko is not getting another dime from me.
And WHO the F cares???
Their music is totally overrated and every one that wanted to download this music has already pirates it.
People just like them because it’s popular to like them. They have done a few good song but over all they are EXTREMELY OVERRATED.
@Predrag
Thank you for bringing a little bit of contextual info to the navel gazers posting here.
So I guess I should buy one of their albums, for the apple spirit of it.
Ok, whatever.
Fine.
@MDN: Jobs better”work it out”.
@Derek in Milan: Ciao Derek,come va a Milano? Vostre commento e molto buffo, complimenti!
Theme song for all Apple competitors:
I. Believe. In. Yesterday.
@Karlv
Your age is showing.
And maybe that’s all there was to it, but someone hit the switch too soon.
And as far as importance goes, let’s just wait and see what happens to the best sellers lists on iTunes, shall we?
I don’t see the big deal to anyone who has iTunes and a CD drive. I have had about 15 Beatles albums in my iTunes library for years now. I guess if you are Apple ($$$), or have a MacBook Air or iPhone for primary computing, then you have a reason to be excited.
What the hell people!
What hype?
They posted an image about iTunes news and the press went nuts. It isn’t like Apple teased this for a week and made a huge stink.
Yay, we can get the Beatles. I am glad since I never bothered buying all the CDs and ripping them but for god’s sake get a life!
@Karlv:
You are totally CLUELESS!!!!!!
A band that broke up 40 years ago outsells all the crap your generation can produce today. That’s why this is an important addition to iTunes. How does it feel to have your opinion be worthless?
Whether or not you like/love the Beatles, the reality is that this will have a vanishingly small effect on iTunes sales in the long run. Maybe a noticeable spike this week, but that is about it. The beauty of the iTunes model is that it is much less about the stars than about getting equal access to all kinds of music. I know, they still put the big acts on front to attract the pop music lovers that are all about the charts, but that marketing does not affect the fact that everything is there and available all the time – the fact that makes iTunes and similar distribution services great for the consumer.
“I Should Have Known Better”
What a disappointing day. I for one won’t forget this! Ugh
I’m overwhelmed with meh… This is nothing but a personal victory for Steve, I mean congratulations, but seriously let’s move on.
…and I’m a big Apple/Steve J fan.