The Beatles Aren't Yesterday, After All: Two Million Songs, 450,000 Albums in a Week

November 23, 2010 at 11:53 am PT

Question every Internet wisenheimer had last week: “Doesn’t every Beatles fan already have every Beatles song?“

Answer: Nope. Consumers had room for two million Fab Four songs, and another 450,000 albums in their digital catalogs, it turns out. That’s from EMI, via Billboard.

Top album: “Abbey Road.” Top song: “Here Comes the Sun.” Both excellent choices.

Probably didn’t hurt that the George Harrison song is one of the ones Apple is using in its new campaign. Also, it’s a great freaking song:

The really important point to make about the Beatles on iTunes, at least from Apple’s perspective: It will be be nice for the company if it sells a lot of Beatles songs. But it’s really great for them that they get to advertise iTunes using Beatles songs.

And remember, once people get to iTunes, it doesn’t matter to Apple if they buy Beatles songs, Angry Birds or episodes of “House.”

You can put a price on that kind of marketing campaign. But whatever Apple paid (I have a hunch it was a big sum, at least part of which was up front), it will end up getting its money’s worth.

Tagged with: Abbey Road, advertising, albums, Angry Birds, Apple, Beatles, campaign, catalogs, consumers, entertainment, George Harrison, Here Comes the Sun, Holiday Product Roundup, House, Internet, iTunes, marketing, MediaMemo, music, Peter Kafka, price, song, video

comments so far. Add yours.

Anonymous

i think its great and shows that people are willing to pay for media. the time has come to revamp the name of itunes itself. it is no longer just for music. maybe something like iMedia
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PWWU57VCZM27QJPLTHFTC7D6ZA Chris

That commercial looks like it was made on an iPhone.
http://www.sitereviewboard.com/ Elton John

Great music never dies. Beatles had proven over time that their music is beyond generations. It is best for Apple to include Beatles at their app store. I just wonder what band will be featured next.
http://twitter.com/toodifficultcom Daniel

This stuff makes me very, very angry. How many people who purchased the original albums on vinyl bought them again in digital format? And why did they have to, if they already own a “license” for the original content?

This system makes no sense. I’m positive that between my parents and my inlaws, they owned 2 copies of every Beatles album. For me to spend money on that is simply digusting.