Yeah, yeah, yeah! The Beatles hit iTunes

Apple Corps, EMI and Apple have announced that The Beatles are now available for the first time on the iTunes.

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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 iTune 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.

A joint press statement from a three companies contained barrage of comments from luminaries associated with the project.

Sir Paul McCartney said, “We’re really excited to bring the Beatles’ music to iTunes. 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,” Ringo Starr said. “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 honoured and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes,” Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, said. “It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realising a dream we’ve had since we launched iTunes 10 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,” Yoko Ono Lennon said.

“The Beatles on iTunes—Bravo!” Olivia Harrison said.

“The Beatles and iTunes have both been true innovators in their fields,” EMI Group CEO, Roger Faxon, said. “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.

Single albums are available for purchase and download for $20.99, double albums for $35.99 and individual songs for $2.19 inc.

The special digital Beatles Box Set ($259) 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.

The arrival of Beatles songs on iTunes, and for legal Internet downloading in general, has been delayed for years.

Apple has settled more than one trademark dispute with Apple Corps, the band's record company. In addition, members of the Beatles and their estates have had many battles over royalties with EMI, the company that owns the band's recordings.

Recordings of Beatles songs by other artists are already available.