Oh good, it turns out that all that time everyone spent reporting on false claims that Abbey Road Studios was up for sale last week wasn't a total waste of time. After English Heritage spoke up to remind the government that they'd recommended that the legendary recording studio should be Grade II listed way back in 2003, it seems the threat that the building could be turned into something more commercially viable, like a block of flats or a kebab shop, has shaken those political types into action and they've done just that.

Announcing the move, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said yesterday: "Music - of whichever genre - is the thread that follows us through all our lives and Abbey Road Studios have produced some of the very best music in the world. It is a testament to both the importance of music in people's lives as well as the passion this kind of issue stirs up, that so much interest has been generated by the perceived threat to the future of Abbey Road".

She added: ''Whether your tastes are for classical, hard rock or pop music, one of your favourites is more than likely to have been recorded at Abbey Road. My favourite song of all time, 'If I Fell' by The Beatles, was recorded there in 1964, and to have played a part in preserving this world famous venue is as exciting for me as hearing that song for the first time. Well, almost".

In a separate, less desperately-trying-to-get-in-with-the-cool-kids-style statement, The Department For Culture Media And Sport said the Grade II status had been granted to acknowledge ''outstanding cultural interest and to ensure that recording artists for generations to come can continue to make and record music in the same rooms as musical icons of years gone by''.

As previously reported, EMI issued a statement at the weekend in response to speculation over Abbey Road's future, in which the company admitted that it was in talks with various investors about revitalising the loss-making studio, but said that selling it was not on the cards. The company added that an offer of £30 million to buy Abbey Road had been made in 2009, but it had been turned down "since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI's ownership".