The Beatles recently announced a new anthology album, which will be released as an 8CD box set, 12LP 180-gram vinyl box set, and available for digital purchase and streaming on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
The first anthology album was released in 1995, with second and third anthologies released the following year. This is the first time in 29 years that The Beatles have announced a new anthology album. The anthology albums include unreleased demos, outtakes, interviews, and remastered songs. Anthology albums 1, 2, and 3 were a hit; they showed the band’s milestones even through their short time together.
“Anthology 4” is a compilation album featuring 31 previously unreleased demos and 17 songs from super deluxe versions of five classic albums. The album will include outtakes from The Beatles’ recording sessions dating from 1963 to 1969, and includes new 2025 mixes of “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love” by Jeff Lynne. Furthermore, “Anthology 4” presents 17 tracks that were previously unavailable on CD. In addition, it also incorporates machine-assisted audio restoration to extract and clarify John Lennon’s vocals, just as seen in the 2023 song “Now and Then.”
Shortly after the release of the album, on Nov. 26, Disney+ will release a restored and remastered nine-episode TV show originally aired in 1995, “The Beatles Anthology.” The first eight episodes of the documentary show their beginnings in Liverpool and highlight the rise of Beatlemania all the way to their breakup. On Wednesday, Nov. 26, a ninth episode, which has not been shown before, will be released, which shows behind-the-scenes footage of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr from 1994-1995 working on “The Anthology”.
“Some people believe that they invented rock n roll; I don’t necessarily think that,” said Ms. Janell Ostrander, the Administrative Secretary of Achievement. “It was actually Chuck Berry, but they could’ve been the first boy band. But it just seemed to be that the writing style between Paul and John together were just creating these hits after hits and this just rolls from generation to generation.”
Although “Anthology 4” sounds like an exciting release, many people have expressed their concerns with the album. Many fans feel the lack of technological updates to create modern remixes was a missed opportunity for a more significant and fulfilling release.
“I like it when they do that; I watched the documentary on Disney+ so when they did the last performance on the rooftop of Apple Records in London when they released Get Back there’s so many different versions of it because they kept playing it over and over again to try and get it right but they kept all of those so you can hear those versions,” Ostrander said. “You know it’s slowed down, sped up, this word is emphasized, they’re all just different. I like when you can hear alternative versions.”
According to Medium.com, the album is being called a “money grab” by many individuals because of the repetitive tracklist and lack of new material. Fans have expressed their desire for unreleased material, such as the 1995 recording session of “Now and Then” and “All for Love” and longer versions of songs. Due to the lack of new content, many people are calling “Anthology 4” an unnecessary and underwhelming release. Many listeners believe that the Beatles’ management missed a big opportunity to provide fans with a new and exciting album.
Nevertheless, the release of “Anthology 4” shows the ongoing influence The Beatles continue to have on music today.
“It’s amazing! It started with my mom and then to me, to my kids, and then to you guys, you know, they’re just continuing to live on,” Ostrander said.
