'Idol' and...the Beatles?

Are American Idol and the Beatles headed for holy matrimony or a quick hookup followed by a messy breakup? Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning show Wednesday that Sony had agreed to allow the show's contestants to perform songs from the Lennon/McCartney songbook after six seasons of denying their requests. According to this EOnline article, there are plenty of tunes to choose from:

On the Sony/ATV website, there are more than 180 songs listed that are credited to either: Lennon-McCartney; McCartney, minus Lennon; Lennon-McCartney with Starkey (aka Ringo Starr); and Lennon-McCartney with Starkey and Harrison (as in George).

Following Wednesday's announcement, RealityTVWorld.com's Christopher Rocchio reported that the Top 12 week's theme will in fact be songs from the band's songbook. This could either be a worthwhile gamble or a major disappointment. But who can really picture Alaina Whitaker taking on Yellow "Submarine" or Danny Noriega attempting "Hey Jude"?

A side note: the IDOL LIVE blog will return Tuesday for the Top 8 guys' performances at 8:00 p.m. ET.