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The 1964 song that made Rick Rubin fall in love with music: “Proof of the existence of God”
Rick Rubin said hearing The Beatles’ 1964 cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock and Roll Music’ as a small child made him fall in love with music. The producer described the experience as electrifying and said it helped inspire the lifelong musical sensibility behind his work across hip-hop, rock and other genres.
Rubin, who was about four when he first heard the track, recalled its rhythm making him dance uncontrollably. He has called The Beatles “proof of the existence of God”, arguing that their music transcends its origins as the work of four musicians from Liverpool.
In short
- The Beatles’ ‘Rock and Roll Music’ sparked Rubin’s early love of music.
- He first heard the 1964 recording at about four years old.
- Rubin regards The Beatles as uniquely transcendent.
Explained simply
Rick Rubin is a music producer known for his influential work across hip-hop, rock and other genres since the 1980s. The Beatles were a British rock band from Liverpool who became one of the most significant musical groups in history, celebrated for both their original compositions and their interpretations of earlier rock and roll standards. Among the songs they recorded were covers of American rock and roll classics, including Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music."
When Rubin was about four years old, he heard The Beatles perform "Rock and Roll Music" on a recording and was moved to dance by its rhythm and energy. He has credited this childhood moment with sparking his lifelong passion for music and influencing the artistic direction of his work as a producer. The profound impression left by that early encounter with the song would shape his career for decades to come.