The Legendary Beatles Are In iTunes!
After about 30 years of lawsuits between Apple Corps. and Apple Computer were settled in 2007, it seemed like only a matter of time before The Beatles music was finally available on Apple’s iTunes Store and on November 16, 2010 that time did indeed come. The Beatles are in the iTunes Music Store!
Before I tell you about exactly what Beatles stuff is available in iTunes, I think I should flesh out the back story a bit of why it has taken 10 years for The Beatles to join the 21st century.
In 1968 The Beatles started up a company named Apple Corps (pronounced “Apple Core”) which is still a going concern today. Apple Corps began as a big idea but today it exists almost entirely for just The Beatles recordings. In 1976 Apple Computer started up and in 1978 Apple Corps sued Apple Computer over the Apple name. There were two further lawsuits before the issue was settled for good just three years ago.
So what Beatles material is available to buy at the iTunes music store? Their entire remastered stereo catalog! It can be purchased all at once (like The Beatles in Stereo Box Set) or album by album or song by song (this is the 1st time that every Beatles song has been available to purchase individually.)
But what is not not available to purchase at the iTunes Store? The remastered mono mixes. Those are only available to be bought as a part of The Beatles Remastered Mono Box Set. I believe the thinking is that most casual fans will prefer the stereo mixes so it is better not to confuse these folks by having the mono mixes available too.
As a bonus iTunes is also streaming their first American concert (held in Washington DC on February 11, 1964) in its entirety. Even as a huge Beatles fan I hadn’t yet seen this, and of course the really cool thing is that it is absolutely free.
Read this music blog featuring classic rock for more on The Beatles.
