About Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is The Beatles' sixth album, released on December 3, 1965, in the United Kingdom, and three days later in the United States. Produced by George Martin on the Parlophone label, the album was released less than three months after the release of Help!. Recorded in just four weeks between October 12 and November 11, 1965, at EMI Studios in London, the album was nonetheless the result of significant songwriting and composing work by the Lennon/McCartney duo. Indeed, as Beatlemania was in full swing, the group planned three U.S. tours over two years and made pivotal encounters during those tours. The Beatles met Bob Dylan in the summer of 1964, who introduced them to cannabis, as well as Elvis Presley and the band The Byrds, who significantly influenced their work. George Harrison also showed a growing interest in Indian culture and the music of Ravi Shankar.The British version of Rubber Soul consists of fourteen previously unreleased songs. It is thus the second Beatles album to contain no cover songs, following A Hard Day's Night. Two additional songs, “We Can Work It Out” and “Day Tripper,” were released as a “double A-side” single on the same day the album was released. Released in the U.S. by Capitol Records, Rubber Soul was split across two records: one bearing the same name, but with twelve songs—two of which were from the album Help!—and the other titled Yesterday and Today, released six months later, featuring the hit “Yesterday” and several songs from the follow-up album, Revolver.
Rubber Soul is characterized by a significant evolution in the Beatles’ music, with the introduction of new instruments such as the sitar and the harmonium. The lyrics written by the group also show significant progress, as the three songwriters—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison—wrote more mature and personal songs compared to their previous records. The Beatles tackle various themes such as love, friendship, death, adultery, and psychedelic drugs in a roundabout way. Lennon’s “Nowhere Man,” the fourth track on the A-side of the original LP, is also the band’s first song not to address the themes of girls and love.
Upon its release, Rubber Soul was unanimously praised by music critics. The album reached number one on the music charts in several countries, including the UK Albums Chart in the United Kingdom and the Billboard 200 in the United States, and was a massive hit with the public. The album also features in numerous music rankings, notably holding the fifth spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Several songs stand out, such as the ballad “Michelle,” which won a Grammy Award, “Girl,” “In My Life,” and “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” as well as the rock-oriented opening track, “Drive My Car.” Considered a transitional album in the Beatles’ musical career, Rubber Soul left a profound mark on rock history, influenced numerous artists, and foreshadowed the rise of the hippie movement and psychedelic rock.
Browse all Songs and Lyrics published on Rubber Soul