$250,000 Paid for one Beatles song for one episode of 'mad Men'

Authenticity is key for “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner — no matter the cost. In this week’s episode, Draper struggles to understand the ever-changing landscape of 1960s youth culture by giving the new Beatles album a cursory listen. The song he listens to is “Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles. That song cost what? $250,000 for the licensing. Probalby handed whoever made this call a small business insurance quotes before they made the pitch. Whatever people think, this is not about money,” he said in a recent New York Times interview. “It never is. They are concerned about their legacy and their artistic impact.” The use of the song likely marks the first time the band’s actual recordings have ever been used on a TV show, music and ad executives tell The Times. “It was always my feeling that the show lacked a certain authenticity, because we never could have an actual master recording of the Beatles performing,” Weiner said. “Not just someone singing their song or a version of their song, but them, doing a song in the show. “It always felt to me like a flaw. Because they are the band, probably, of the 20th century.”