Music News

The Beatles move to iTunes amidst a storm

By Andrew Flanagan Wed., Nov. 17 2010 at 5:00 PM
Categories: Music News, Pop Culture
TheBeatles_Apple.jpeg
​Monday morning Apple posted a typically cryptic teaser on their homepage, the message reading "blah blah you'll never forget blah" and hinting at what everyone wants: cloud-based iTunes. Well that didn't happen, as you've probably heard. The Beatles were finally made available on iTunes, and the world went " ". 

You would assume that anyone who wants to own any song by The Beatles already owns that song, and probably owns or has owned multiple versions of it, and is probably all good on The Beatles thank you very much Steve. Well apparently you'd be wrong.

For some reason, perhaps an unimaginable fascination with die neue, people just can't wait to get their cursors all overlappy on some legally acquired Beatles kilobauds. But while the mop tops dominate the iTunes Top 200, the $149.00 Box Set - all of their profoundly available records plus previously unavailable footage of their first concert - doesn't seem to be ranking too high on the popularity list.

The backroom talks that brought the Fab Four to iTunes were covered today by the Wall Street Journal, who reported: 

The deal was outlined by Jeff Jones, chief executive of the Beatles' corporate entity, Apple Corps Ltd., and Roger Faxon, CEO of EMI Group Ltd., which owns and distributes the band's recordings. The meeting took place at EMI's London headquarters this past July 14, less than a month after Mr. Faxon took the reins at EMI. 

Under the terms, Apple Inc.'s digital media store is the Beatles' exclusive online retailer at least until January, Mr. Faxon said in an interview Tuesday, after the much-awaited deal was announced. It marks the first time that Beatles songs have been available for digital-download sales. 

The deal comes on the heels of an unfavorable decision in the suit brought against Citigroup by Terra Firma, EMI's parent company. Terra Firma alleged that Citigroup had been less than forthcoming when selling EMI and sought $8B in recovery, but last week a jury ended that (lofty) dream. Getting The Beatles into the world's largest record store is one of EMI's many last-ditch gambits to squeeze cash out of the highly indebted label and publishing group. While the longevity of the sales spurt is doubtable, it seems to be paying off in the short run. 

Here, in order, are the 62 singles currently charting on iTunes. 

#17. "Here Comes the Sun" Abbey Road

#23. "Let It Be" Let It Be

#24. "In My Life" Rubber Soul

#32. "Blackbird" White Album

#35 "Come Together" Abbey Road

#53 "With A Little Help From My Friends" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#59 "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" White Album

#62 "Let It Be" Let It Be

#64 "Twist And Shout" Please Please Me

#67 "A Day In the Life" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#71 "Eleanor Rigby" Revolver

#75 "Yesterday" Help!

#76 "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" White Album

#77 "Yesterday" Help!

#79 "Something" Abbey Road

#81 "Twist and Shout" Please Please Me

#82 "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#87 "Help!" Help!

#92 "Can't Buy Me Love" A Hard Day's Night

#92 "A Hard Day's Nigth" A Hard Day's Night

#97 "Hey Jude" Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2

#102 "Dear Prudence" White Album

#103 "I Saw Her Standing There" Please Please Me

#106 "Strawberry Fields Forever" Magical Mystery Tour

#107 "Here Comes the Sun" Abbey Road

#109"When I'm Sixty-Four" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#110 "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" Help!

#115 "I Am the Walrus" Magical Mystery Tour

#117 "All My Loving" With The Beatles

#118 "Revolution" Blue Album

#121 "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" Rubber Soul

#126 "I Should Have Known Better" A Hard Day's Night

#131 "Penny Lane" Magical Mystery Tour

#132 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#135 "The Long and Winding Road" Let It Be

#138 "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" White Album

#139 "I'll Follow the Sun" Beatles For Sale

#140 "Back In the U.S.S.R." White Album

#141 "Do You Want to Know a Secret" Please Please Me

#142 "Across the Universe" Let It Be

#143 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" Red Album

#144 "Rocky Racoon" White Album

#146 "Hello, Goodbye" Magical Mystery Tour

#149 "If I Fell" A Hard Day's Night

#150 "Come Together" Abbey Road

#152 "Get Back" Let It Be

#154 "All You Need Is Love" Magical Mystery Tour

#158 "Ticket to Ride" Help!

#160 "Yellow Submarine" Yellow Submarine

#161 "Nowhere Man" Rubber Soul

#163 "Hey Jude" Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2

#164 "All My Loving" With The Beatles

#167 "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" White Album

#170 "All You Need Is Love" Magical Mystery Tour

#172 "And I Love Her" A Hard Day's Night

#179 "Love Me Do" Please Please Me

#186 "Hey Bulldog" Yellow Submarine

#190 "Revolution" Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2

#191 "Drive My Car" Rubber Soul



The Beatles, "Carry That Weight"

Tags:

Apple, EMI, Terra Firma, The Beatles
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