Rubber Soul

This is tough. There are Beatles albums I like more than Rubber Soul so tempted to give this a 4. But it is still right up there and has some songs who's influence can't be overlooked that I feel this should be rated higher than some of the albums I've already given a 4 to. Oh for a .5 system! Fuck it...a low 5 from me.

The turning point in The Beatles' discography. Great album that heralded even better ones.

2 Supposedly this album marks when The Beatles started getting into drugs, and while it’s noticeably less bubblegum-y than their prior work, I still didn’t find anything here to be overly interesting - even with some new flourishes like the sitar on Norwegian Wood, a song which is apparently John Lennon’s attempt at putting a fun spin on him cheating his wife. F that guy. Paul’s songs are definitely the better ones here (surprise, surprise), but even then I wouldn’t call them great. Really, I don’t think there’s anything here I would call outright enjoyable, but I can point to the opener Drive My Car is probably the worst thing on the album. The only thing worse than the lyrics are the Beatles fans trying to build upon them on Genius. For example, the annotation for “Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!” reads: “This iconic transition utilizes onomatopoeia for the sound of a car’s horn. It serves to illustrate how much fun The Beatles are having with their newfound fame and success.” End me. As if to bring the album full-circle, the group decided to end on another low point with a song threatening to murder a partner if she were ever to take another man. I know it’s based on a song by Elvis and isn’t totally out of place in that era of music, but I don’t think that makes it any better. Everything in the middle is kind of meh, but with there being a song titled What Goes On, I will give a shoutout to my Dad’s guy Lou Reed and his group The Velvet Underground, who have a song with the same name that, despite having half as many Spotify plays, is like 1000x better. Considering that’s the Ringo song on this album though, maybe that’s a given (sorry Ringo). Man, despite usually keeping it in the 30-minute range, I swear these guys always seem to find a way to make their albums drag. That being said, I think some of the art rock/experimental stuff we’ve heard has really redefined for me what true 1 means, so I’m going to go with a 2 here, but either way I won’t be listening again anytime soon.

After tearing Paul to shreds as a vocalist in the preceding years, this is the one where John shows himself equally superior as a songwriter. Norweigian Wood, Girl and In My Life are a magnificent triumvirate that work through John's complex feelings towards women: confusion, anger, bitterness, devotion. When he brings the muscular second guitar in to punctuate the third verse of Girl, it's because he knows that's the one the tips it into masterpiece. Something similar happens with the sped-up piano on In My Life. So, those three are untouchable genius. What Goes On is... not. Pretty abominable really. George's mumbo jumbo is passable, though Think For Yourself, while the better of the two, is more grating lyrically. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that John wrote The Word as a George parody, especially given its sequencing. Drive My Care and Michelle are two of Paul's more nuanced and therefore best songs. Overall, it's great but not without mediocre moments. Verdict: I could not die without having heard this album.

ehh its a beatles song. makes me want to beat my wife

196 albums in and finally The Beatles. They sound like an overweight pig on a skateboard, wheezing in the Autumn sun...in a good way.

I think Brian Wilson was right when he said this was the first album where "Every Track is a Gas". But it flows, despite there being 3 different writers experimenting beyond what pop was. It's fair to say this is when the beatles became important. All meat, no bones. Every song here is a guaranteed hit. They last as long as they need to. Right to the point.

Unquestionably one of the Beatles' albums of all time

I'd argue there are three tranches of Beatles albums (English releases only): the first five are the mania records (PP Me/With The/ A Hard/Sale and Help), the next three are the post mania records (Soul/Revolver/Pepper) and the last three are the post Maharishi adult records (White/Abbey/Let it Be). Please note MM Tour was an EP (American album) and Yellow cobbled together for the film. Context is important here; in 1965 they release Help the film, Help the album, Help the single, Ticket to Ride, Daytripper and We Can Work It Out (as a double A side single..) and Rubber Soul. And they toured the US, the UK and Europe. All in 1965. Now a mere three years earlier they were heading off to their second last stint in Hamburg (still with Pete Best) and arrived at the airport to be met by Astrid with the news that Stu was dead. By 1965 this is important as Lennon is seriously contemplating what has happened to him and to them, we are post Stu but pre Yoko and the nowhere man is stuck in his Surrey mansion musing on how he became a lead player in this global phenomenon. The warning signs were there from Beatles for Sale; I'm a Loser and No Reply, Baby's in Black and I Don't Want to Spoil the Party. In Help we see the same themes, hide your love away, help me if you can, I think I'm going to be sad. For Lennon and Rubber Soul, Stu looms large over this record. Meanwhile McCartney and Harrison are on the move. Paul's 1965 includes dropping Yesterday on Help, and Harrison for the first time has two original songs on that album in I Need You and You Like Me too Much. In amongst all this Lennon and Harrison (but not McCartney....yet) have dropped acid and are now looking at the whole thing through a different prism, with McCartney not joining them in frying his brain until after Rubber Soul. As with all their perfect records the ensemble is working as one unstoppable force. Ringo is tasked with some challenging songs for a 1965 rock drummer, and as always he produces work that is still influencing rock and roll today. His drumming on In My Life is superb, there's no one in that era, not even those jazz cats, coming up with that arrangement. With Michelle and Girl he gives those tunes that distinctive Euro beat, it is so subtle and yet crucial to their feel. Harrison is all over this record, and playing a Strat too for a good part of it, it's George who suggested tracking the guitar and bass lines on Drive My Car, giving it that Otis/Stax feel. George was spending a lot of time listening to Otis and it shows. And of course it's George who brings in the sitar which makes Norwegian Wood what it is. And he has well and truly found his writing feet with his two contributions, especially If I Needed Someone, which has the same chord sequence as Here Comes the Sun (and it is the only George original they played live). And Lennon and McCartney? What can we say other than they are at a very particular creative peak, there are many other incredible heights to be scaled, but here they are lockstep with each other. It could be argued this is their last 50/50 song writing album, their fingerprints are all over each others songs. Back to Stu. The one and only fifth Beatle is a key element in their story, without Stu we simply don't get The Beatles, period. He showed Lennon how to look at the world, how to challenge it, how to interpret it. That then influenced Paul and George. Yoko says that there was hardly a day they were together that John didn't mention Stu. With Michelle, Paul had written it as a French parody song back in the Gambier Terrace days, the flat John shared with Stu. In 65 John, thinking about Stu, suddenly reminds Paul about "that French song", prompting Paul to do that thing he does with a melody, and of course John providing the bridge "I love you, I love you" etc. And in that superb little tune, Paul revolutionises bass playing with the most sublime counterpoint, it is its own melody, stunning. Lennon's contributions are all about loss and sadness, Nowhere Man and Girl and In My Life in particular go to his terrible sense of loves and people lost. In Nowhere he exhorts himself to enjoy having the world at his command, the girl promises the earth to him and he believes her, but after all this time doesn't know why. In My Life is Song for Stu, "and of all these friends and lovers, there is no one who compares with you". Drive My Car, a great 50/50 John and Paul composition, with Paul getting his vocal chops ready for when he rips out Lady Madonna in about 18 months time. McCartney is clearly looking for someone new and different to Jane Asher, she just doesn't know it yet. His two sublime Jane songs, I'm Looking Through You and You Won't See Me are classic Paul, with the latter being a track he could have dropped at anytime in his later career. Lennon's What Goes On gives Ringo his C and W moment, and Wait (recorded for Help but a perfect fit) and The Word are John and Paul doing that thing they do as songwriters and performers. And the vocal work by the Fab Voice Trio is up there with their finest on just about every track. I do find it odd that Run For Your Life is on there, it sounds like a throwback from the Mania albums. Strangely it was the first song recorded, it is surprising that it survived and made the final cut. And yes Lennon was guilty of violence towards women (see Getting Better) but that first line was actually lifted from the old Baby Let's Play House 50's rocker, just in case the cancel culture fascists are out there somewhere thinking of taking it out.. They make this album and then the hard core acid taking takes off. With Revolver Lennon is somewhere else, the themes are darker, his drug dealing doctor, someone (Fonda) telling him what it's like to be dead while tripping, a meditation on sleeping and thinking about turning off your mind. And, as we now know (see the Revolver Super Deluxe reissue), Yellow Submarine was his, "in the town where I was born, no one cared, no one cared". McCartney meanwhile starts his takeover, dominating both Revolver and Pepper. Johnny doesn't get his mojo going again until the arrival of the ocean child Yoko, who finally allows him to move on from Stu. As such Rubber Soul is close to their greatest work of all bar the White Album. As I said earlier, what makes it different from the WB is that that Rubber Soul is the final true Lennon-McCartney collaborative song writing album, while it can be argued that the WB has their finest individual song writing, backed by their finest ensemble performance. This wonderful record is their Girl with a Mandolin, their David Copperfield...their Hamlet. The White Album is my favourite Fab album, but this is a very, very close second.

Full disclosure: I was named after one of the songs on this album. When I was a little kid, adults would randomly sing my name at me and I didn’t really know what that was all about until some years later when I heard it on the radio. And oh, what a lovely, lovely song it is. I was already on the path to loving the Beatles at that point, but that song pretty much sealed the deal. I’m a total Beatles nerd. I listen to all of their music, but Rubber Soul is just one of a few of their albums I listen to regularly in full, beginning to end. This is such a marvelous album. It's a real turning point from the Beatles' early sound into what they would become as a band. It's also probably their first album that functions as more than just a collection of songs, with its own mood and flow, a cohesive work as a whole. The quality is probably slightly uneven when you consider the songs individually, but as a whole, the quality and the beauty is undeniable. This album has some of the best songs the Beatles ever made on it. You know them really well, some of them by heart. I don’t have to tell you this album is great. It’s in our cultural DNA. Fave Songs (All songs, in order from most to least favorite): Norwegian Wood, In My Life, Drive My Car, Michelle, Wait, Girl, The Word, You Won't See Me, Nowhere Man, I'm Looking Through You, Think for Yourself, What Goes On, If I Needed Someone, Run for Your Life

Amazing what a massive leap their sound and songwriting took between Help and this album

Starts with Drive my Car Norwegian Wood!! Sitar!! Nowhere Man...lalala Meeeshell my belle sunday tre bien on son French French.... “In My Life” is maybe the most beautiful song ever What a fucking album! Perfect mix of poppy and psychedelic, catchy diddies and meloncholy anthems...Feels like the transition album from “early” Beatles to “later” Beatles

Nearly every song is unique and memorable, plus it represents a big shift in the Beatles music and pop music as a whole. To those upset about “Run for your life”, you realize this is intentionally written to demonstrate the extreme emotional depths of jealousy right? The song sheds light on an ugly archetype, but one that nevertheless exists, and one that the Beatles clearly struggled with. Paul McCartney also found it worthwhile to write about monkeys fucking in a road. Another extreme human(and animal) instinct the Beatles wrote without necessarily being monkey fuckers themselves. This is how art works, you don’t have to like it, maybe the point is that you don’t like it.

Listened to it a few weeks back, okay. It has Sympathy for the Devil which is a top 5 stones song for me, so I can't rate it less than 3/4

It might not be the best of their albums but "Rubber Soul" is my personal favorite Beatles album. The lyrics are clever and funny and deep and the musicianship is of course top notch. Great record.

The Beatles are that one band that people just won't let you dislike. "It's influential! It's influential!" they scream at you...uh ok? I thought we were judging how good the music sounds, not what other people thought of it. Was a bit disheartened when I found this site to see that the top albums are littered with the usual bunch of Beatles albums that everywhere else is. I just can't for the life of me understand what the big deal is. And honestly, around their time there were other incredible artists that I think were both more important and influential, and their music has stood the test of time. Bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges or The Doors. They definitely have a couple better albums than this, but nothing to write home about.

It is not hyperbole to say that this album offers what is possibly the most influential musical ensemble of the 20th century at the peak of their powers. The lyrics to "Run For Your Life" have sadly not aged well but damn the rest of this is lights out in every way. I can't pick a favorite Beatles album but would be a fine choice. It's funny this album should arrive today, because somewhat randomly I recently became obsessed with Paul McCartney's badass bass playing on "The Word." It used to be hip to give these guys shit for not being better players but eventually hipsters realized that there is more to life than wanking on your axe. Or at least eventually this hipster realized that. But the wanker in my heart still gets off on his aggressively groovy bassline here. Give it a listen, preferably at a suitably high volume. Finally, I always recommend the mono versions of early-mid 60s pop records like this. That's what these artists actually produced - the stereo version was done later by studio hacks who were waaay too enamored with the concept of stereo separation, which accidentally fucked my skull as an early 80s tween when I got the "red" Beatles compilation from the library and taped it by putting my sister's boom box next to one of the speakers, not understanding the implications of recording only one channel of a stereo mix. My parents had just gotten a beater of a Peugeot but it had a tape deck in it and I didn't often get to use my sister's boom box so that car was my main place to listen to a cassette and I will never forget how seriously it fucked with my head when I got my Dad to play my tape for me and all I could hear were like horns, snare drum and backing vocals. And then the next tune would be just like lead vocal, harmonica and bass. Every time we played it! For months! My Dad was not really in to music and never appeared to notice, which made it all the more surreal. I thought maybe something was wrong with the car, an unfortunately highly plausible explanation, given our family's history with cars. It really twisted my melon. It was only years later - probably more years than I should admit - that I figured out what was going on. 🤣

Run for Your Life is a disturbing note to close out on, but dang, the album is so good. I'm tempted to dock a point for it, but in 30 years of listening to the album it's the first time the lyrics have sunk in.

So many reasons that this album is important; it's the first album that the Beatles made as an album. Although the recording period is ridiculously short (113 hours to record, plus extra days for mixing), it was a generous period of not begin (too) distracted by other commitments. Although embellished with some exotic overdubbing and studio technique, the core performances are still tight band performances as per their early output. Heavily influenced by American rock (soul, Motown/Stax, country rock, folk, Dylan, Byrds) and their first psychedelic drug experiences, the songs have started be more lyrically and emotionally sophisticated. And, because it is the Beatles, it is massively influential and changes the way that rock and pop musicians thought about the album format. Prior to this, even BEatles albums were often really filler, kind of an alternative product secondary to the all-important singles. While not quite at the point where singles are included on UK releases routinely, this is an album that was intended to be of high quality and listened to all the way through. There are no covers or throw-aways. The content is more challenging, philosophical and introspective, and it's got crackin' tunes. Personally, I could do without 'Michelle' (one of Paul's 'granny tunes'), but it's popularity paid the bills. This is one of the albums that changed everything in popular music, and totally deserves to be on this list.

A transitional album for the Beatles - initially conceived by McCartney as a bunch of comedy songs (Rubber Soul is a spoof of the term Plastic Soul, Drive My Car is about a woman hiring a chauffeur despite not having a car), they couldn't help but expand their musical and lyrical pallets beyond anything done before. George invents psychedelia by using the Sitar on Norwegian Wood (The Rolling Stones take notes), John decides he's going to be Bob Dylan on as well, and self flagellates on Nowhere Man. Girl and Michelle show their love of European music and Paul writes one for the grannies with In My Life. This and Revolver feel like 2 sides of the same coin, and it's the most valuable coin you've ever heard.

So great! I know lots of these songs, but hearing it all in a row made a big difference.

A bridge between the rock n roll of the early Beatles, and the psychedelia they would be dipping their toes into just one album later. Favorite tracks: "All My Life", "I'm Looking Through You", "Drive My Car"

I mean, all the Beatles albums are pretty good, aren't they?

One of the greatest albums of all time probably top 5. The beatles are the best band ever period and they have no bad albums even the earlier stuff is great. This album has variety and beautiful harmonies that no one will ever match. Buuuuuuuttttt..... the last song Run little girl is a chauvinistic patriarchal song that didnt go with the narrative of the album yet they added cause its a good song although horrible message. This one didnt age well. I still love the song and the album is perfect with the ups and downs including country. Simply an amazing perfect combination.

Strikes a perfect balance between simple, folksy pop, and the deep, innovative songwriting that The Beatles would develop in the years following this release. Not a single second of wasted runtime.

Hard for me to rate this objectively; it's been such a part of my life since I first got the album when I was 11 or 12. Loved it then, love it now, though I was a little confused listening to this on Amazon Music because I didn't recall Nowhere Man being on my version, so heads up--the North American version is considerably shorter. It's incredible how the Beatles sound developed over such a short time--they always sound interesting and a little different, even their pop, but this is so much richer musically and with a lot more variation. To me, this album is like a work by Shakespeare: somehow of the times and yet completely genius.

Songwriting at its finest!

The number is 210. As in, I was given 210 albums from the algorithm of this little project before I was finally awarded with a Beatles album. That's not a criticism at all, especially considering that Rubber Soul is possibly my favorite Beatles album. I even like the Ringo song. This is the sound of the greatest rock band in history taking a giant step forward. Or to be more precise, it's John Lennon letting everyone know how great drugs can be. His songs in particular standout here - not to state the obvious, but every track on here is great, it's just that Lennon's are on another level that Paul and George weren't at yet (again, probably because they hadn't full embraced the wonders of mind-altering chemicals as John had). Just take a look at two of the ballads in the middle of the album. It sounds like Paul considers singing some of the lyrics of "Michelle" in French as a giant leap forward (his likely inspiration came from when the band recorded a bunch of their previous hits in German). John insisted in keeping a hissing sound on "Girl" that was picked up on the mic, because he thought it sounded like him inhaling marijuana. And then there's George and Paul singing the word "tit-tit-tit" over and over again on the middle eights. Those cheeky devils! John's Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, and In My Life also stand out. George really came into his own here on two great album cuts. This is one of my Desert Island Albums. Some may hear it as a foretaste of the feast to come, and in many ways, it is. Whether it was the drugs, the Byrds or Dylan, the Fab Four was clearly influenced to take their magic in new and exciting directions. And it all starts here.

Certainly not an album that I need to listen to to rate, but I went ahead and listened anyway. Every single song is good. Run For Your Life is a bit of a strange song to end on, mostly given John's history of domestic abuse, but apart from the darkness of that moment the album is incredible. A huge step forward for a band trying to become something other than the simple pop stars they had mostly been up until that point 5/5

With a mindful listen, this replaced Hard Days Night as my favourite Beatles album. Wonder from end-to-end, melodically & lyrically.

Masterpiece. One of the greatest albums of all time. Second best Beatles album. 10/10 1. In My Life 2. Nowhere Man 3. Norwegian Wood

I think I may have enjoyed this one the most of what I've listened to so far. I didn't actually know most of the songs on this album, but I liked pretty much all of them.

Beatles. It's just that good.

yeah

A strong start to the 1001 Albums project. Nostalgic, bittersweet, uplifting all at once. Some music truly earns its reputation. Lyrically simple, but it speaks of experiences broadly shared — you could spend a lifetime memorising and singing along. The songs are often upbeat and easily danceable, even when the narrative is sombre, although the album seems to take a brief detour towards a more serious sound midway through. One thing I'll take away from this is that the vocalists (presumably John and Paul?) harmonise in a way that instantly rejuvenates the soul and may very well be unparalleled throughout music history. I'd like to revisit this when I am more knowledgeable about music in general, and see what other insights I can uncover. Favourites: Norwegian Wood, I'm Looking Through You, In My Life, If I Needed Someone (6th Jan '25, 0726h.)

The Beatles are the greatest group of musicians to ever exist. Their ability of making catchy, enjoyable music is so far above anyone else. All 4 are very talented on their own and they are able to bring their talents together in a way that transcends music.

I like the sitar in this better than in revolver. I think it’s a bit more subtle. All the songs are good, a few I really like. Norwegian wood is a current fav I really like that song have been listening to it alot.

A must

When beatles started to become The Beatles. Favorite track: Norwegian wood other picks: in my life, drive my car, michelle, nowhere man

I often forget that they got great just before Revolver.

Love this era of Beatles. This and Revolver is some of my favorite. Great album. 4.75/5

Best Beatles album

own

i love this, you can def tell they inspired cake

"Rubber Soul" is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Beatles. Ah, where to start? The album was their first time recording an album free of concert, radio or film commitments. It is referred to as a folk album but really incorporates a mix of pop, soul and folk elements. The album is cited as a very important artistic achievement where the album rather than the song became the basic unit of artistic production and also, the first time an album was acknowledged as an art form. The band members admitted to experimenting with marijuana and LSD which led to the some of the songs and album as being a key work in pyschedelia and progressive rock. It was also noted as a transitional album for them going from successful pop act to unparalleled masters of the studio. Whew!!! Commercially, it hit #1 in the US and UK. "Drive My Car" begins with dual lead guitars, the bass comes in and McCartney and Lennon harmonizing. Paul with more throttled vocals and John more subtle. It's about an actress' desire to become a film star and her promise to the narrator to be her chauffeur. An acoustic guitar highlighted with a sitar sets the wonderful melody in "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)." It's an extramarital affair where a mysterious girl goes to bed, leaves the narrator sleep in the bathtub and, well, he decides to set the house aflame. "Isn't it good, Norwegian wood."Harmonies start Lennon's "Nowhere Man." Great guitar accentuation. The famous Beatles' "la'la's." Lennon wrote this after taking some LSD and he expresses his existential concerns. It's apparently their first song to avoid the boy-girl relationship. Ringo gets a go as lead singer in "What Goes On." Bluesy with Harrison's guitar more rockabilly and Lennon's more R&B rhythm. It's about a lover's deceit. "I'm Looking Through You" contrasts a softer, strumming acoustic guitar with harsher organ sections and slashes. Great harmonies once again. It's the second song on the album about Paul's troubled relationship with actress Jane Ascher. We have to mention at least one George song and it's a good one in "If I Needed Someone." Harrison out-Byrds the Byrds with his high-pitched Rickenbacker. This time it's George's love song to actress Patty Boyd. I had as much fun researching this album as listening to it. And it's an incredible album. The glorious harmonies and melodies. The ambiguity and depth of the lyrics. The lyrics address more of the negative aspects in relationships - cheating, anxiety, deceit and lack of communication. Another very interesting and important result of this album is that it motivated bands such as the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others to up their game. And up their game they did to our pleasure.

1965 Beatles! Duh... 5 stars or A.

I mean come onnmnnn it’s rubber soul

Rubber Soul is the start of the second phase of the Beatles. They have been great a great band before, and many of the songs have been wonderful, but this is where the experimentation really begins. Within a year they will have quit touring and become a studio band and the soundscape will open even more but here we have sitars, and fuzz bass, and double-tracked vocals, more complicated arrangements, a touch of psychedelia. They would push things even further on Revolver and Sgt Pepper's but Rubber Soul deserves to be held in the same esteem.

The Beatles again. They are quite strongly represented in this list. And rightly so. After a clear rejection in my youth, I have been realizing for several years now, and even more so with this project, how good the guys' music is. And it's the same with this album. My favorites here are Drive my Car, Nowhere Man, Michelle and Girl. 5/5

Sans Rubber Soul, le 80% des albums de cette liste n'existeraient pas. Prefs: TOUT Moins pref: RIEN

Folk Rock

Please don’t tell my boyfriend I gave this a four, I want him to still think I hate the Beatles.

Very good. Fun to see this as a pivotal album between two more distinct periods.

Great album. In My Life is one of my favorite Beatles songs

One of the finest Beatles albums, but not their best. That's yet to come. Still, a big step up in their body of work. Bob Dylan was right to call it their first "grown up" album. There are some all-timers on here. Highlights: Norwegian Wood, Girl, Think For Yourself, I'm Looking Through You, In My Life

The Beatles were already the best known band in the world but their critical acclaim at that point came from similar reasons that Taylor Swift today is getting decent ratings from the music critcs. But as they worked on "Rubber Soul" they added more "experimental" ideas and played with their music more which then resulted in an album that was so cohesive that the Beach Boys created Pet Sound just to not fall behind the futuristic way that this album sounded. 'Drive My Car' opens the album already with a great one. The song really gets you into the typical Beatles Rock n' Roll and Pop Rock sound that we and the people back then knew and loved. The song has a driving piano and cowbell that both add to a sound that feels very Blues Rock similar to the Stones. It's really solid track but nothing that would've completely f-ed your mind back when it released. The weird stuff already gets present with the next song 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)' that not only isn't really Rock but more Folk Pop and it also features an instrument that back then, no one heard of but now is really connected to the Bealtes. This is the first Beatles song to feature a Sitar and Raga Rock, both being mainly inspired by Indian Classical Music. The song therefore has a certain "drone" to it. It's a great song but I personally don't love it as much as many others do although it is really well written both in a lyrical, songwriting and overall structure way. The again more Rock sounding 'You Won't See Me' has some nice influences from Soul and R&B with their typical Pop Rock style. It's a pretty nice track but I am not crazy for it as there isn't much crazy things happening except the harmonies and a few moments in the chorus. The Folk Pop returns on 'Nowhere Man' and in the same breath some great things return. This feels really reminiscent of the Byrds with the way it's structured and song and it pretty much has similar influences as it also has some moments you might already call "Jangle Pop". 'Think for Yourself' gets into more of the earlier terretory the Beatles worked in with a lot of Merseybeat and Pop influence. It's a pretty solid track but mainly shines with the chorus. Same story with 'The Word': pretty good song with a great chorus and nice Mod and Beat influence but without anything that would make it REALLY special. With the Folk Pop, the great songs return as 'Michelle' not only has a great chorus with cure French added but the whole song is beautifully written and cohesive with how its structured. The first song that I would call "incredible" as it aged very, very good. The albums second half starts with a RINGO SUNG SONG!!! 'What Goes On' wan't written by him but his voice fits the song so well. I know not many will agree but this is another incredible song and one of the best ones on the album. It's just so cute and the way Ringo keeps the shuffle steady while singing is really crazy. Lennon returns with lead vocals on 'Girl' which is another pretty solid song and the songwriting is really great as are the vocal harmonies in the chorus. It's a really well put together song that has some really nice moments all the way through but I'm not crazy about it. 'I'm Looking Through You' is a really underrated track. It is a great mix between most sounds and influences that were present thus far and the chorus is incredibly catchy and energetic which complements the rest of song very well. There isn't much to say about 'In My Life' except that it's without a doubt the best song on the album. Everything about it is perfect: the verses, the lyrics, the songwriting, the chorus, the instruments, build-up, and everything else in there. It's also the best Beatles song before Revolver. With 'Wait', I feel like they try to recreate something they already did over and over. It's a kind of annoying song although some parts are quite alright but that doesn't change the fact that it's the worst song on the album. While 'If I Needed Someone' is significantly better, I still think that it's a pretty weak song in comparison. It's written in a very solid way but lacks any kind of interesting part that might hook me apart from it being somewhat pleasant to listen to. The closing track 'Run for Your Life' gets a lot of hate and I get it. It is pretty... controversial in lyrical matter when looked at with todays standards but still, it is groovy as f*ck and it is detached enough from reality that I can enjoy the song regardless of what is sung about. And I have to say that I really like the song. It's really good. favourites: In My Life, What Goes On, I'm Looking Through You, Michelle least favourites: Wait, If I Needed Someone Rating: strong 7 to light 8

Very good and possibly the best of the boy band Beatles. In My Life is one of the most heartfelt songs in their catalogue. You Won’t See Me and Wait are personal favorites I return to the most from this album

This is getting close to Peak Beatles. There are a lot of really solid songs on this album as Lennon really comes into his own as a master songwriter here with Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, and probably the most beautiful song he’s ever written with In My Life. Must be the effect of all that acid he reportedly took during this time. This would get a five but for a few clunkers, especially What Goes On, they really should keep Ringo away but I guess they had to throw him a bone.

Wasn’t going to bother rating this, but it seems like it won’t let me proceed if I don’t. Hmm… Anyway, not sure “Run For Your Life” has aged that well, but then neither have I. More interesting question: what’s the WORST Beatles tune? I gotta think on it some more critically, but my immediate response is “Get Back.” Never liked that one. Feels like it should be on a Bachman Turner Overdrive record instead.

Au début de cette folle aventure, j'avais en tête une très célèbre trinité, la trinité du surcotage, j'ai nommé Beatles - Pink Floyd - Rolling Stones. Si les Pink Floyd ont depuis confirmé leur statut de groupe le plus surcôté de l'histoire, les Beatles avaient su me faire douter grâce aux excellents Abbey Road et White Album. Seulement, depuis, force est de constater que les Beatles ont également des albums tout à fait banals, complétement adulés par le grand public qui n'y connait rien à la musique. En parlant de réglade, je tenais à revenir sur le cas d'un des décérébrés du générateur. Hier, alors que j'attribuais la note maximale à Bad de Michael Jackson, je vis la note globale de 3.76 s'inscrire sur mon écran. Je sursautais de stupeur, et me dirigeais en furie vers l'espace commentaire. Ici, en tant que deuxième commentaire, figure un petit malin ayant attribué la note minimale de 1/5 à ce bijou musical. Ce petit malin, dont l'album préféré est la daube auditive de Kraftwerk, a voulu faire son intéressant en descandant l'album de MJ. Le cliché typique de l'individu sans vie sociale, se pensant au dessus de tout le monde en detestant la musique commerciale. Son review est une calamité, que j'ai d'ailleurs demandé à Robert de supprimer du générateur. De plus, son amour pour Kraftwerk prouve les liens très étroits que cet individus entretient avec le nazisme, là aussi Robert est sur le coup, et une perquisition devrait être menée dans les prochains jours au domicile de ce jeune imbécile. Vous l'aurez compris, les Rolling Stones seront attendus au tournant.

This was obviously breaking new ground when it was released, but as a pure listening experience in 2025 all you're left with is safe, rudimentary, admittedly high energy rock music and absurd lyrics about motor transport and threatening to kill your girlfriend if she ever leaves you. No doubt Beatles fans will tell you that John Lennon imitating the sound of a car horn is groundbreaking stuff, but it doesn't make this album any less ridiculous as a mostly first time listener - especially if you already know what a phony shithead Lennon was. 2*, barely.

I really don't care about the beatles

it's fine.

The Beatles are the worst band in history. There is no reason for their popularity except for nostalgia for the first boy band to go international.

:(

The Beatles are no doubt iconic to many before me and likely influence some brilliant bands - I just don't get it. Up beat sounding music with a really dreary boring AF voice singing love songs that sound like he's trying to put you to sleep... Likely so he can do what he sings about in the final song. Won't listen again. Best part about this album - it only lasted for around half an hour!

The worst Beatles album so far, and kinda creepy in a bad way

track 1: A great opening, nothing too fancy but BEEP-BEEP, MBEEP-BEEP YEAHH track 2: OKAYY SITARRR, I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH ARGHH track 3: I'm in love every time it's Sir Paul singing, UGHHHHH track 4: A sweet track with dark meaning :') track 5: okay distorted guitarsss, and yeah f the politicians track 6: THE BASS THE DRUMS THE LAST BRIDGE OH LOVE LOVE LOVEEE track 7: ALL THE PEOPLE NAMED MICHELLE ARE SO LUCKYY, WHAT A LOVELY TRACK track 8: IDC WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THIS SONG, RINGO IS SO UNDERRATED. PEOPLE SHOULD APPRECIATE HIM MORE track 9: OKAYY MICHELLE TWIN TRACK!!! I love it when John slurps HAHAHA track 10: THIS TRACK IS SO SEXY MMMM BUT THE MEANING BEHIND IS NOT SO SEXY AT ALL track 11: ONE OF MY FAV FROM THE ALBUM AGHHHHH track 12: My least fav compared to the other tracks, but still this song is so GOOOOODDDD track 13: What a sweet love songg <3 track 14: A great closing track, though the meaning is so darkk (9/10) ONE OF MY FAV ALBUMS FROM THE BEATLES AND ALL TIME

No need to listen, it’s The Beatles and it’s in my soul

Kedvenc/Favourite: In My Life A Beatles mindig jó, ezt az albumot meg különösen szeretem. Minden számhoz kötődik egy-két nagyon jó emlékem, az egész album koherens, de elég változatos. Sokszor meghallgattam már, és még nagyon sokszor fogom is. The Beatles are always good, and I particularly like this album. Every song holds one or two very good memories for me, the whole album is coherent but quite varied. I've listened to it many times and I will listen to it many more.

listened to it before it was released here yesterday for michelle's 40th bday weekend

Really good (keep saying that ) good to listen to again.

Beatles is the pinnacle of pop/rocknroll so 5 stars!

Is this my favorite Beatles album? Insane production quality. So many bangers.

Ok

A friend of mine burned this for me in high school and I used to listen to it all the time. Michelle was my favorite from the album for a long time, but I think maybe now it’s Drive My Car?

If you look at the Beatles discography, this seems to be the inflection point before they put out their more classic albums (and also did a buttload of drugs). Other than What Goes On - a corny, poppy song that feels out of place - there are no down points in this album. It starts off strong with Drive My Car, then leads into the beautiful-sounding Norwegian Wood (is this the first time they break out the sitar?). Nowhere Man is another song that offers some dense lyricism on a catchy riff. Michelle and In My Life feel like the emotional heart of the album. They're great songs on their own and probably underrated in terms of the top songs the Beatles have put out. Run For Your Life is damn catchy. Great ending song. It is ironic this album is titled "Rubber Soul" but features a lot of songs that feel more authentic then stuff from their previous albums. I would say I've probably slept on this album when comparing to the other Beatles classics. I think this deserves to be in the 5-tier, albeit on the lower end.

Of the Beatles discography, Rubber Soul is the one I am drawn to the most frequently, and it's not even close. While I love Abbey Road, the "White Album," and Sgt. Pepper's, Rubber Soul has a sort of comfort food element to it that I can't explain. I love the songs front to back and find myself enjoying every listen. To kick things off Drive My Car is fantastic. Such a fun and catchy little jam that has aged marvelously. Blend over to Norwegian Wood -- a more somber / dark folk ballad about burning down a girls house for snubbing him. Love The Word so much. Simple, but delightful little jam that feels very 60s in content and tone. Following the theme of simple, but wonderful is In My Life. Love the simplicity and cleanliness of the guitar + drums. Following that up with Wait, which tonally reads as if it is a Cake song. Run For Your Life is probably the darkest upbeat song that I can think of immediately. Quite a creepy note to close on. I do sort of wish they had sequenced that a little differently. This is a low 5 for me. No skips and always a good ride.

Weird we played the vinyl of this the other day. I tend to think this is the most beautiful album the Beatles have ever put out. With the exception of What Goes On every track is great. In my opinion this was also the start to the psychedelic albums that were all to come. Not as psychedelic as Revolver but you can hear the transition. This album is perfect for a nice crisp fall day. In My Life is a top tier song of any band imo.

Super Dope

35 minutes, 14 songs. Every one of them a demonstration of how simple songwriting and recording can be if you happen to be these men at that time. "Nowhere Man" and "The Word" are my personal faves, but I knew the lyrics and the melodies like I wrote them myself.

i love this álbum!!!

A truly masterful album, Beatles in top form. The record is consistent and packed with great songs back to back and barely any weak spots. The songwriting is outstanding, I loved how innovative they were here, mixing genres and ideas while making some of the catchiest rock songs ever. The performances are excellent too: guitars, bass, drumming, it's all there. The vocals are superb too, I loved the backing vocals. It's very hard to pick favourite songs, but if I had to pick one, I'd say "In My Life", in my opinion it's one of the best songs of all time. Other great songs are "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "I'm Looking Through You", "Michelle", etc. In terms of weaker tracks, maybe "The Word" isn't as good. It's important to mention just how poorly "Run For Your Life"'s lyrics have aged. I wouldn't say that back then they were particularly noteworthy, but nowadays it's pretty crazy to hear a song so overtly toxic and misogynistic. It's a shame because the song in itself is pretty catchy, but message wise this is a fail. Overall, this record is a masterpiece and showcases the great songwriting the Beatles were capable of. I knew this record almost by heart before I had to listen to it here, so I was definitely biased, but giving it 4 or 5 more listens to rate it here reminded me how good it is and confirmed its legendary status.

Fantastic Album

This is still peak Beatles. The perfect balance of early simplicity and the psychedelic experimentation to come.

What a wonderful album. It may not be my absolute favorite Beatles album (literally how do you top Abbey Road), but sometimes I think it's my secret favorite. There's nothing else in their discography like "Norwegian Wood" and "Nowhere Man." There's just such a freshness, a fun, playful approach, but tempered by serious and psychedelic and expansive concerns. "In My Life," "Michelle," "Drive My Car," "I'm Looking Through You," "If I Needed Someone," (I'll stop here before I list every song), they're all masterpieces. And this album's place in their oeuvre is fascinating too. At the beginning of the drug explorations, but not before they made things worse. Still writing as a unit but finding their individual voices. Staggering variety of different moods, tones, vibes, but in a way where the songs all complement one another; in that sense being one of the first "true albums." It's been almost three weeks since I had a good five-star album, so this was such a nice and refreshing listen. Must-listen #159.

Not the greatest album of all time by the Beatles, but still an amazing album. It just goes to show how good they are, that a great album like this isn't their no. 1

Rubber soul - one of the the Beatles most perfect albums, bridging the gap between their "boy band" early years and the more introspective psychedelic later years. Every track is listenable and memorable, with many songs becoming staples. My favorite - Nowhere Man.

9/10 Ooh, finally a Beatles album. I'm interested how i feel about these. This is a classic example of my issue. Loads of it is so, so good Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, In My Life - it is a 5 star album. But it also has at least one garbage track: here it is Michelle. And the horrible gasp bit on Girl. And lyrically, I'm sorry, but most of the time I feel they were so far behind not only Dylan and Cohen, but also Ray Davies, Jagger/Richards and the other members of the British Invasion. But then they were leading the Art of the Pop Song, so I can forgive them that. I often think I'm hyper-critical of the Beatles cos they are placed on such a high pedestal - there's some truth in that. They still get 5 stars, so they can't complain too much.

In the history of music, being one of the most important and influential albums of all time doesn't guarantee it is a good work of art. The Beatles, on the other hand, seem to contradict that, as their important albums are a sample of the best contemporary music humanity has produced. While Rubber Soul is not the best of The Beatles, since Abbey Road exists, it's here that we get a clearer glimpse of their genius in music making. There's still a lot of their early phase here, especially as seen in the opening track, and maybe that's what makes this album so interesting and special - it's not the full experimental Beatles, but it's starting to get boulder. As I analyse all art through a Christian perspective, of course Rubber Soul it's not going to score great in this parameter. Being a great album technically is not enough if it doesn't bring a good world-view with it. --- Na história da música, ser um dos álbuns mais importantes e influentes de todos os tempos não significa, necessariamente, que seja uma boa obra de arte. Mas os Beatles parecem contrariar essa lógica — seus discos mais impactantes também estão entre o que há de melhor na música contemporânea. Embora Rubber Soul não seja o melhor álbum dos Beatles (até porque Abbey Road existe), é aqui que começamos a enxergar com mais clareza a genialidade musical da banda. Ainda há bastante da fase inicial deles — algo bem perceptível já na faixa de abertura — e talvez seja justamente isso que torne o álbum tão interessante: ele não representa os Beatles totalmente experimentais ainda, mas já aponta pra um caminho mais ousado. Como avalio toda arte a partir de uma perspectiva cristã, é claro que Rubber Soul não vai atingir notas altíssimas nesse critério. Ser um álbum tecnicamente excelente não é o bastante se não vier acompanhado de uma boa cosmovisão. --- 8,5/10

Its the Beatles, its brilliant, Its probably the beginning of their zenith. There is nothing I can add that hasn't already been said.

Rubber Soul stands as one of the greatest albums of all time — and arguably the finest work by The Beatles. It's a masterful blend of styles, moods, and lyrical depth, showcasing the band's evolution and experimentation. From the reflective storytelling of Norwegian Wood and the introspective Nowhere Man to the romantic beauty of Michelle, every track offers something unique. At the heart of it all is In My Life — one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s a deeply personal track that has resonated with me for over 30 years, and it continues to hold a special place in my life. Favorite song: In My Life Least favorite: None — every track is perfect Album artwork: An iconic cover that perfectly matches the music’s timeless quality

Whilst not hitting the highs of some other Beatles albums, it also doesn't suffer the ignominy of having an absolute dud like a lot of Beatles albums have. Besides, Norwegian Wood and a few others are stone-cold classics.

имба.

Great album. Starting to hear the change into more sophisticated Beatles.

Probably the best album I've had so far. Even the 'lesser' songs are incredible, and it has about four the best songs ever written (Girl, Norwegian Wood, Michelle, In My Life imo).

It's the Beatles, what else needs to be said?

Obviously one of the best albums ever made. Bravo Beatles. She’s like fine wine

This is a good psychedelic album. There are some stand out tracks but the album is solid all the way through. The band did well on this one.

The Beatles at their best. Norwegian Wood, Michelle, and In My Life are personal favorites.