Lady Gaga outpoints Sinatra in ‘Idol’ ratings

Memo to “American Idol” producers: In 2010, Lady Gaga beats Frank Sinatra.

Ol’ Blue Eyes was another generation’s idol, certainly bigger than Gaga in his day. But last Tuesday’s “American Idol” devoted to his songs was seen by 17.5 million viewers, the least-watched regularly scheduled episode of the competition since 2003, the Nielsen Co. reported Tuesday.

The next night, when Lady Gaga was the featured performer, the audience size increased by 2.1 million people, Nielsen said.

Generally this season, Tuesday “Idol” shows have outdrawn Wednesday ones, so it seems a clear indication that Sinatra’s songs, even as arranged by Harry Connick Jr., didn’t appeal to the show’s younger audience. Sinatra died in 1998.

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” was the most popular prime-time show last week, narrowly beating the Wednesday “Idol.” The seven most-watched scripted shows were on CBS, which emerged as the most popular network, averaging 10.1 million viewers in prime time.