The selection of music that comes with Beatles Rock Band is odd. While there is no shopping channel for the game available from the console, users can download new music from an in-game store.
An Odd Selection of Songs
Beatles Rock Band introduced a new generation to Beatlemania. Beatles fans may find the selection of the band's music disappointing. The initial release includes lesser known hits and B-tracks and also includes I am the Walrus, a less than stellar song from the Beatles drug period. Help and Let it Be are strangely absent.
On October 9th, EMI, MTV and Apple Corps released new downloadable tracks for the Wii. The content can be bought as individual tracks playable in solo or group modes or as "albums" that reflect a certain period of Beatles music. (These "albums" add to the storyline content of Beatles Rock Band.)
Free Beatles Rock Band Songs for the Wii?
Guitar Fun, the Wii version of Frets on Fire, does not use the same file format that Rock Band uses, but you can download Beatles tracks and use Guitar Fun to play downloaded music.The download tracks for Guitar Fun method of obtaining new content may be popular with some individual players. The Recording Industry and Artist's Association may send some very rude letters and actual subpoenas to anyone who does this.
The Xbox Live and PS3 Internet connection options let players download tracks from their front end programs, but Rock Band music cannot be purchased from the Wii shopping channel.
New Songs Not Out for the Wii Yet
Although Harmonix promised the first tracks for the Wii would be available by October 9 of 2009, they are not available at the time of writing. A blogger on 1up.com states that cost prevents Harmonix from adding new content readily.
How many tracks are available will depend on cost. The statement seems odd because Harmonix can easily produce content for other Rock Band games. Copyright issues have little to do with this, however. The game maintains a very solid sixties theme throughout and tries to make the backgrounds match the appropriate period of Beatles music.