Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles. Released in December 1965, and produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul was recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market. Showcasing a sound influenced by the folk rock of The Byrds and Bob Dylan, the album was seen as a major artistic achievement for the band, attaining widespread critical and commercial success, with reviewers taking note of The Beatles’ developing musical vision. In 2003, the album was ranked number 5 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

UK Tracklist

Side One

1. “Drive My Car” – 2:30
2. “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” – 2:05
3. “You Won’t See Me” – 3:22
4. “Nowhere Man” – 2:44
5. “Think for Yourself” – 2:19
6. “The Word” – 2:43
7. “Michelle” – 2:42

Side two

1. “What Goes On” – 2:50
2. “Girl” – 2:33
3. “I’m Looking Through You” – 2:27
4. “In My Life” – 2:27
5. “Wait” – 2:16
6. “If I Needed Someone” – 2:23
7. “Run for Your Life” – 2:18



History

Musically, the Beatles broadened their sound, most notably with influences drawn from the contemporary folk-rock of the Byrds and Bob Dylan. The album also saw the Beatles broadening rock n’ roll’s instrumental resources, most notably on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). Although both The Yardbirds and The Kinks had used indian influences in their music, this track is generally credited as being the first pop recording to use an actual sitar, an Indian stringed instrument, and Norwegian Wood sparked a musical craze for the sound of the novel instrument in the mid-Sixties.