The Beatles: Rock Band is the second released game in the Rock Band series to focus on a specific band, following the AC/DC Live: Rock Band release.

The title borrows features from the Rock Band 2 game, but offers a revamped career mode, with the opportunity to play a story mode going through the different Beatles eras, with specific songs and venues, from The Cavern Club to their rooftop performance on top of Apple Corps' studio. Whilst the game attempts to capture the spirit of significant periods in the band's history some liberties were taken in the presentation; for example Ringo Starr is shown playing the drums on Back in the U.S.S.R. despite not appearing on the actual recording and the studio versions of songs are used in the Live at the Budokan section. Along with the now classic guitar, bass, drums, and vocals parts, the title adds the possibility to have three separate vocals parts, where each singer gets to sing in a different harmony.

The game features 45 remastered Beatles titles, and further albums will be released, available for purchase through DLCs and exclusive to The Beatles: Rock Band. This is the first time that Apple Corps allowed the Beatles’ music to feature in a video game.

Contrary to the AC/DC game which looked just like the original Rock Band, the entire game is skinned in a Beatles theme: characters, overall look and feel, sound effects. Skinned instruments were also released. Also still contrary to the AC/DC game, it is not possible to export the songs to play in Rock Band or Rock Band 2.