On this day March 7 1988 The Beatles released Past Masters a two-volume compilation album that collected non-album singles B-sides and rare tracks spanning their career. The release was part of the band’s transition to CD format ensuring that all of their songs were available in digital form.
Past Masters included iconic tracks like She Loves You I Want to Hold Your Hand and Hey Jude alongside deep cuts that had previously only been available on singles or international releases. While the album only reached number 149 on the Billboard charts it became an essential collection for Beatles fans filling in the gaps between their original studio albums.
80s insight: The title Past Masters was chosen to reflect the compilation’s role as a historical collection of The Beatles’ non-album work rather than a traditional greatest hits release.