New York Times is reporting “Mad Men” paid $250 thou for the use of The Beatles last night

Per Dave Itzkoff of the New York Times, Mad Men probably had to pay upwards of $250,000 for their use of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” at the end of last night’s episode. In the linked article, Itzkoff and co-writer Ben Sisario, spoke to Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner who said he’s been trying to get the Beatles on the show “for a few years” and that he considers it a “flaw” they’ve never been on “…because they are the band, probably, of the 20^th century.”

The article is just the latest great scoop from the New York Times Arts blog and this post makes the reader consider something, the Beatles are rarely featured on TV or in movies. Sure, their songs are covered by other artists (most prominently in Across the Universe) but it’s rare to hear the Fab Four themselves. One could speculate that Paul, Ringo, and the other controllers of the Beatles’ estate are Mad Men fans since they’re so choosey about where their songs are used. Not that $250,000 would be an easy amount to turn down.

One more quick note, the New York Times article also quoted Weiner as saying that if he was rebuffed by Apple Corp. (the people who determine if Beatles songs are used) he would’ve changed the story altogether. It would’ve been a shame if we weren’t able to see that beautiful montage while Don blasted Revolver.