[2] While available also in vinyl LP and cassette formats, the box set was the first complete collection of original Beatles material to be released by EMI and Capitol Records on compact disc.

The latter had been issued in the UK in November 1976, at which point the LP version superseded the original British EP of the same name.

Although all these albums had been previously available in stereo on both LP and cassette, the versions of the first four albums included in The Beatles Box Set were the digitally remastered mono mixes issued on CD over 1987–88,[2] which caused a considerable furor among Beatles fans and audiophiles.

The collection was encased in a black oak roll-top box and included a soft-cover book with commentary on the songs by Beatles recording historian Mark Lewisohn.

[citation needed] Although The Beatles Box Set failed to chart in either the UK or the US, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.