The recently dormant Beatles-on-iTunes rumor mill is about to be resuscitated.

The Beatles coming to iTunes...eventually.

Apple said today that it has inked a deal with UK label giant EMI to add 16 solo albums from the catalog of John Lennon to its iTunes stores, a move that brings the vaunted digital media retailer closer to finally selling the Fab Four's music on iTunes.

The addition of Lennon gives iTunes users access to the solo catalogs of three of the four Beatles--only the work of the late George Harrison remains to be added. It also revives speculation that the longstanding turbulence in the relationship between Apple and the Apple Corps, the Beatles music management company, has ceased.

"John Lennon is one of the greatest artists of our time," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "We're thrilled to have his solo catalog available on the iTunes store for the first time."

The deal is the first time that Lennon's albums Legend and Acoustic have ever been available digitally. It also includes exclusive video content, for a limited, 30-day period, for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Sometime in New York City, Walls and Bridges, Milk and Honey, and the collections Anthology and Working Class Hero.

"John would have loved the fact that his music will now be available in a format suited to a new generation of listeners," Lennon's widow Yoko Ono said.

Just like all of EMI's catalog on iTunes, the music will be available with DRM restrictions for 99 cents per song or without DRM for $1.29.