"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 and on 6 December 1965 in the United States. The album consists of fourteen tracks on the UK release and twelve on the US release.
"Rubber Soul" marked a significant development in the Beatles' musical style, demonstrating their incorporation of folk rock trends, particularly the incorporation of new instruments to do with contemporary influences. The title is derived from the colloquialism "plastic soul", which was a derogatory phrase for a white musician attempting to emulate the emotion and soul present in the music of black musicians.
It was during the making of "Rubber Soul" that the Beatles evolved from a traditional pop group toward an emphasis on creating studio albums, effectively signaling the start of the band's studio era. The album was widely recognized for its influence on the music industry. While the lyrics continued to showcase their typical themes of love and relationships, they also began to address darker and more introspective topics with this album.
Critically acclaimed, "Rubber Soul" is often cited as one of the greatest albums in popular music history. It was ranked 5th in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and it also achieved commercial success, topping numerous record charts and achieving multiplatinum certifications in several countries.
