Maybe the Beatles catalogue is coming to iTunes after all, if “American Idol” is any indication.

Last Friday, reports surfaced in the UK press that the Beatles catalogue is about to be made available on iTunes. Reports suggested that unnamed sources “close to Sir Paul McCartney” had confirmed that the Beatles music would be available through iTunes and other legal online services “within months.”

But this week, Apple downplayed the Beatles-coming-to-iTunes as “unsubstantiated speculation” and issued a bunch of “no comments.”

We hear the Beatles are coming to iTunes every few months, the last being in November when McCartney told Billboard.com that “It’s down to fine-tuning, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be happening next year, 2008.”

McCartney’s solo catalogue is already available on the Web, and Olivia Harrison, widow of Beatles guitarist George Harrison, said last June that McCartney, Ringo Starr, and representatives of the late John Lennon were in agreement that the music should be available online.

Tuesday the 12 remaining “American Idol” wannabes performed songs from the Beatles catalogue, which “American Idol” producers have been trying to land for seven seasons. They finally secure the rights . . . at the same time Apple launches a huge promotion of “American Idol” performances in iTunes.

Coincidence?

By the way, David Cook’s cover of “Eleanor Rigby” is pretty darn good. Or so I’m told.