What if The Beatles had recorded Rubber Soul as a Motown album? Thanks to AI, you don’t have to wonder what that might have sounded like, because an AI creator has reimagined the band’s 1965 classic with a full Motown-style makeover — and, if you’re a hardcore fan of the group like me, I’m sure you’ll agree that the results are nothing short of stunning.
The project, which you can check out below, uses AI-generated instrumental arrangements and vocal processing to transform Rubber Soul into something that sounds like it came straight out of Hitsville, U.S.A. The jangly folk-rock of the original album is replaced with groovy bass lines, punchy horn sections, and tight drum rhythms reminiscent of The Temptations, The Supremes, and Marvin Gaye. Even the vocals have been altered to sound like they were recorded by a vintage Motown group, complete with harmonies and soulful inflections.
Music is increasingly a fertile ground for AI experimentation, where technology can reimagine classics, blur genre boundaries, and create stunning “what-if” scenarios that feel almost as real as the originals. In the case of this Motown-flavored recreation of a classic Beatles album, you really feel it from the opening seconds. Tracks like Drive My Car and You Won’t See Me now groove with the energy of a classic Motown hit, while Michelle takes on a dreamy, horn-filled, doo-wop-inspired quality.
It’s as if an alternate timeline exists where The Beatles collaborated with Berry Gordy instead of George Martin.
This AI-driven reinvention raises fascinating questions about the future of music and creativity. While AI is often criticized for its potential to disrupt artistic industries, projects like this highlight how it can also be used as a tool for reimagining music history in creative and unexpected ways. The Beatles, of course, just won a Grammy a few days ago for the song Now and Then, released at the end of 2023 — the first instance of a Grammy awarded to a song that was explicitly finished with the help of AI.
If you’re a fan of The Beatles, Motown, or just curious about the power of AI in music, check out the AI Motown version of the entire Rubber Soul album below. The line between past and future is blurring — and it sounds amazing.
