There is no such thing as a person that doesn't like The Beatles. You're either a casual listener, tuning in and turning up the volume with a smile when you hear "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on the radio, or you're among the hardcore group of Beatles fan that won't listen to just one song, instead opting to experience their entire discography in chronological order, all in one sitting. Casual or hardcore, those are the only options when describing everyone on our planet. And if you ever do come across someone that hears a Beatles song on the radio and turns the station is disgust, you need to kick them in the jaw, eject them from the moving vehicle (if you happen to be in one), and forget you ever knew them. That's why The Beatles are the perfect band for a music video game, there is something here for everyone.
If you aren't familiar with the process it took to make The Beatles: Rock Band a reality I'll give you the nice short version. Basically, the genesis of this entire game can be pegged on one person, George Harrison's son, Dhani Harrison. During a lunch-in with MTV president Van Toffler, Dhani pitched the idea due to MTV's recent purchase of Harmonix, the makers of Rock Band. The two joked and agreed that the idea was amazing but very unluckily to happen. But Dhani took it a step further, arranging meetings with the Vice President of Harmonix and the Apple Corps key shareholders, Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Yoko Ono (which, if your interested in The Beatles: Rock Band, you should know who these people are). Dhani became the mediator of the whole ordeal and that's how The Beatles: Rock Band was born.
So thank you Dhani, you've made a lot of Beatles fans very happy.
If it isn't apparent, The Beatles: Rock Band is a fusion of brilliant minds from MTV, Harmonix and Apple Corps, all pouring their blood, sweat and tears into this game to give gamers a chance to live as The Beatles, even if it's only in their living room as opposed to performing in front of 55,600 people at Shea Stadium (though you're given a chance to live that too). The pressure on Harmonix's shoulders must have been astronomical when developing this game. I mean, this is The Beatles for Christ sake, you don't take that burden lightly. If this game was crap or a cash-in, there would be a lot of pissed off people, and while it's impossible to say, could have led to the downfall of the company had they screwed it up.
But they didn't. Not by a long shot.
The Beatles: Rock Band comes with 45 famous tracks spanning the entire career of the band and Harmonix did a great job choosing which tracks to include in order to effectively represent each of the band's defining eras. But that isn't to say there will be some songs you frantically search for on this track list that you just don't find. 45 songs doesn't even come close to the actual number of tracks The Beatles pumped out in seven years. I know I was a little disappointed to not see "Help!" on this setlist, and I'm sure you'll run into the same feeling about some other song you have an attachment to. But overall, bravo to Harmonix for selecting the tracks that best show who The Beatles were and what they stood for over the years.
