>Joystiq published a story today confirming (from Paul McCartney, no less) that there will be 45 songs in the upcoming Beatles Rock Band game out later this year, spanning “early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic, and on from there.” As a huge fan of both Rock Band and the Beatles, I have a pretty vested interest in how this game turns out.
I should point out, though, that my intense love of the Beatles is really only focused on their post-Rubber Soul material. Paul, however, says that the setlist will run the gamut. I’m gonna say 15 of the 45 songs will be pre-Rubber Soul:
- She Loves You
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand
- Love Me Do
- Help!
- I Saw Her Standing There
- Please Please Me
- A Hard Day’s Night
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- Eight Days a Week
- Ticket To Ride
- Yesterday
- I Feel Fine
- Paperback Writer
- Rain
- We Can Work It Out
Those last few songs aren’t exactly pre-Rubber Soul, but I was having trouble being generous with the early stuff. In any event, that selection seems reasonable, and as far as I can tell there’s no need for keyboards. Which makes the remaining 30 songs a bit trickier to parse out; once they stopped touring and stayed in the studio, they started writing and recording songs that probably could not be performed by only the four of them – “Eleanor Rigby”, for example, is done entirely with strings, and “Tomorrow Never Knows” was recorded in outer space, in the future. And unless this game introduces a keyboard peripheral, there’s going to be quite a few classic songs that are going to be very difficult to play without one. (“Hey Jude” and “Let it Be” spring to mind.) But they can’t outright ignore those songs, either; they have as much to do with the Beatles’ enduring influence and legacy on popular music as their earlier, more conventional stuff. So they’re gonna have to split the difference somehow.
Here’s my best guesses as to the remaining 30 songs, which I’m picking based on a combination of historical importance, instrumental arrangement (with an emphasis on keyboard-less tracks and songs with riffs as opposed to chord strumming), Paul’s being alive and John’s being dead, and personal taste. I’m leaving out a lot of favorites (how can I possibly leave off “I Am The Walrus”?), but here goes:
- Revolution
- Get Back
- Drive My Car
- The Word
- In My Life
- Taxman
- She Said, She Said
- And Your Bird Can Sing
- Doctor Robert
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Getting Better
- Good Morning Good Morning
- A Day In the Life (I have no idea how, but it has to be in there)
- Hello Goodbye
- Strawberry Fields Forever
- All You Need Is Love (guitar plays the string parts?)
- Back in the U.S.S.R.
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Birthday
- Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey (not an obvious choice, but every instrument is doing something interesting, and there’s gotta be at least one unexpected song)
- Helter Skelter
- Come Together
- Something
- Octopus’s Garden
- Here Comes The Sun
- Mean Mr. Mustard -> Polythene Pam -> She Came In Through The Bathroom Window -> Golden Slumbers -> Carry That Weight -> The End
- Get Back
- Dig a Pony
- I’ve Got A Feeling
- The Ballad of John and Yoko
Obviously there are some major omissions; I opted to cut out anything piano-based, and I generally chose upbeat songs as opposed to softer acoustic songs, which leaves out quite a lot (including quite a few of my favorite Beatles songs). And my entry at #26 is assuming that Harmonix will be lumping the famous medley that closes out Abbey Road as one track; none of those songs really stand out on their own (except maybe “Bathroom Window”) but they would make for an epic “final boss”, with a long drum solo and those 3 rotating guitar solos.
That’s my guess. What’s yours?
Shouts From The Couch 
>Keep in mind that Harmonix isn’t shy about assigning the guitar to non-guitar parts. The most obvious example is Boston’s “Hitch A Ride,” which has the guitar playing the organ solo in the middle.
>Dude, you picked Get Back twice. You can put I am the Walrus in there after all.
>Amen. We need She Said and And Your Bird can sing in there. I’m worried they might leave them out…
>I think a few of your choices will be left out in the end. “Doctor Robert,” “Good Morning Good Morning,” and “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide …” are examples. “Nowhere Man” and “What You’re Doing” will probably be in the game. And the Abbey Road medley also includes “You Never Give Me Your Money” and “Sun King.” Other than that, your list is pretty solid.
>way to avoid keyboard parts, you put in my life in there and the entire song is piano
>There is no piano in “In My Life” except for the solo section, and that can certainly be switched over to guitar.
>Without a doubt Penny Lane will be included and converted into guitar parts.
>I Saw Her Standing ThereShe Loves YouTwist and ShoutEight Days A WeekA Hard Day’s NightIf I FellCan’t Buy Me LoveHelp!Ticket To RideDrive My CarNowhere ManIn My LifeI’m Looking Through YouTaxmanShe Said, She SaidAnd Your Bird Can SingTomorrow Never KnowsSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club BandWith A Little Help From My FriendsGetting BetterHello GoodbyePenny LaneDay TripperHey JudeRevolutionYellow SubmarinePaperback WriterBallad of John and YokoBack in the U.S.S.R.While My Guitar Gently WeepsRocky RaccoonHelter SkelterBirthdayCome TogetherSomethingHere Comes The SunOctopus’s GardenI’ve Got A FeelingOne After 909Get Back…I hope
>as long as helter skelter is on there i am happy.
>Alex: no Twist and Shout, ’cause they didn’t write it.You can bet they’ll start with the 54 tracks from the red and blue best-ofs and trim off the piano ballads; Long and Winding Road, Let It Be, etc.From here, they either include the songs with weird instrumentation (Rigby? sweet!) or they’ll have to dig deeper in the catalog.Five songs I hope they add, in order of likelihood:1. Rain – Best bass line ever.2. She Said, She Said – What the hell are those drums doing?3. And Your Bird Can Sing – Terrific, winding melody.4. Dig a Pony – Fun, slippery riff.5. Hey Bulldog – Their catchiest song no one knows.
>they have to have hey jude in there. it's one of their greatest songs
>i think they should have happy just to dance with you. that's a great song and everyone always forgets it.
>if they stick hey jude and let it be in there then i'll buy – if not i'm holding back to see what DLC they might release for iti know it might sound silly to hold off for 1 or 2 songs and/or buy the game based on 1 or 2 songs but without knowing a few other songs really well theres not a great temptation for me there yet
>No blackbird 😥
>is yellow submarine on there?
>Yellow Submarine was NOT on there when I made this list; I figured they'd pick either Yellow Sub or Octopus's Garden, but not both.
>People, You do know they are going to be releasing all the songs grouped into the albums, those are just to start.
>i don't care if i have to sing! just give me hey jude, although i feel like i'm singing to myself. na na nanana hey jude…