“You Say You Want a Revolution” – Apple, Steve Jobs, the Beatles and Changing Times

The long battle between Apple and Abbey Road appears to be over. With 2 of the Fab Four now singing Penny Lane under some distant Strawberry Field, and Apple’s Steve Jobs having battled his own near death experience, the feud that has kept Beatle’s music off of iTunes appears to be over. Apple today is set to announce that they will now offer the Beatle’s anthology on their site that dominates 70% of the downloadable music sector.

Apple’s conquest suggests a final nail in the coffin of traditional music distribution. It’s just another sign of changing times and the inevitable centralization – and yet democratization – of all aspects of culture via the Worldwide Web. It may seem like a small thing in the scope of things, but this final holdout signals a sea change. We are now in a new world.

“God, the world is changing. The small shifts we experience taken together signal a kind of revolution. Our future looks convenient, yet monolithic. We have more individual choices than we can handle, yet we find ourselves herded into single file by corporate and governmental forces that dominate our lives. The changes are real but are not truly revolutionary – not as we need it! But you, Lord, never change even while you bring transformation in our lives. You secure our freedom and yet govern our lives with tenderness and compassion and hope. You lead us on this TRUE revolution of liberty and joy. And for that we are thankful. In Jesus we trust!”