Rubber Soul Songs Ranked

Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI’s Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out”. The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band’s Help! album. Rubber Soul met with a highly favorable critical response and topped sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks. Rubber Soul was highly influential on the Beatles’ peers, leading to a widespread focus away from singles and onto creating albums of consistently high-quality songs. It has been recognized by music critics as an album that opened up the possibilities of pop music in terms of lyrical and musical scope, and as a key work in the creation of styles such as psychedelia and progressive rock. Among its many appearances on critics’ best album lists, Rolling Stone ranked it fifth on the magazine’s 2012 list “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2000, it was voted at number 34 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s book All-Time Top 1000 Albums. The album was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA in 1997, indicating shipments of at least six million copies in the US. In 2013, Rubber Soul was certified platinum by the BPI for UK sales since 1994. Here are all of Rubber Soul’s songs ranked.

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10. Think for Yourself

“Think For Yourself” is a George Harrison penned piece, and it’s great. Harrison was beginning to blossom on this album, and this song is a great example of that. This track has a very memorable Fuzz bass leading the song. “The Word” is a great Beatles song, and the most memorable thing about it was the bass line in the song. All the Beatles were growing as musicians, and while Paul is renowned for many things, I feel his bass playing is often overlooked. It shines on this album, and most albums to come after”

9. You Won’t See Me

“You Won’t See Me shows greater melodicism then before. McCartney also redefined the role of his bass guitar to more melodic lines, inspired by Brian Wilson. The more baroque and artistic ambitions of this album in turn would inspire Wilson to work on Pet Sounds”

8. If I Needed Someone

“If I Needed Someone” is another Harrison piece, and it’s just as good as “Think for Yourself”. The most memorable thing about this song is the great 12-string guitar lead riff.”

7. Michelle

“I don’t know if it is the best Beatles song, but “Michelle” has always been my personal favorite song by the group. I never understood why, it is a very beautiful ballad, in the style of a French song, and there is even a French line in the song. That mellow guitar part played in the middle and at the end is nice as well. “Girl” is another great track, which come from the Rubber Soul album along with “Michelle”.”

See more: The Beatles Albums Ranked

6. Girl

“Not my absolute favorites by the band, but still an excellent two-sided single. “Girl” being one of the exotic pop flavorings John and Paul were contributing at the time, oddly cushioning one of John’s bitter rantings”

5. Drive My Car

“Side A opens with “Drive My Car”, and it’s a great way to start. If the album cover’s distorted image of the Beatles’ looking at the listener didn’t let you know what you’re in for, then the distorted guitar opening the song will. It’s got a particularly groovy beat with some great harmony throughout”

See more: The Beatles Songs Ranked

4. I’m Looking Through You

“I’m Looking Through You” feels like a true folk experience. The rawness of the song makes it especially memorable, and its easily one of my favorites. Makes me tear up every damn time, one of the most lyrically sincere songs Paul ever wrote”

3. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

“”Norwegian Wood” is one of those songs that seems to be perfectly balanced. It’s light, almost airy. The lyrics are whimsical, the type of thing John was so good at. Really, he was probably the only person capable of writing lyrics like these. So much innuendo, so much intellectual silliness, and yet there’s also this feeling that this song is about something very important. There’s an underlying loneliness to the whole thing, a loneliness the encounter in the song only accents and feeds.”

2. Nowhere Man

“A very touching song that you can go back and listen to in dim times. It is a song that you can lie down and just listen to. Artistic, amazing, a masterpiece, the Beatles are truly in their own league. Nowhere Man is the most beautiful song of this album and in general one of the most beautiful Beatles songs! It’s so touching and poignant.”

1. In My Life

“The song has a lovely, memorable melody and represents Lennon at his most wistful and reflective. It represents the emotional core of an album that holds up as the Beatles’ deepest, simply because all the songs pack in so much feeling.”