3 Creativity Lessons From the Beatles' 'Rubber Soul' Album
Thanks to the Beatles, you're about to witness a rare thing in the world of popular music: The celebration of an album's 50th anniversary. Specifically, the Beatles' landmark record Rubber Soul turns 50 on December 3.
If you're wondering why this has seldom happened, it's because the concept of rock or pop albums as self-contained art forms is relatively young. Rubber Soul was one of the first records to present itself as a holistic entity, rather than a partly or completely arbitrary compilation of songs. That, in and of itself, is a big reason its anniversary should be revered. Rubber Soul is a big reason music lovers now enjoy endlessly discussing their favorite albums and debating which are the best.
Over the next several years, you can bet you'll read about the 50th anniversary of many other albums--thematic volumes composed by bands or songwriters in the tradition Rubber Soul established. All of which is to say: Rubber Soul, the Beatles' sixth studio album, was the record that launched a thousand ships. Here are three creativity lessons you can cull from its success and longevity:
1. Practice and focus can make tight deadlines seem generous.
The Beatles recorded the entire album in four weeks. That may not sound like much time. But for the band, it was a generous period of dedicated composition and recording. They were accustomed to making records during short breaks between tours or movies. This time, the only thing on their creative plates for four weeks was making Rubber Soul.
By: Ilan Mochari
Source: Inc.
