Final answer:
The Beatles' album cover for 'Rubber Soul' came about when the projection of their photos on a piece of cardboard bent unexpectedly, creating a distorted effect that the band liked and chose for the album.
Step-by-step explanation:
The album cover for The Beatles' Rubber Soul was chosen in a rather serendipitous fashion. The cover photograph was taken by photographer Robert Freeman. The band members had seen some of Freeman's innovative slideshow presentations where images were projected onto an album-sized piece of cardboard to simulate how they would look on an actual record sleeve. During one of these sessions, the cardboard happened to bend, which distorted the photo and stretched the Beatles' faces. The band loved this effect and felt it matched the album's title, which played on the idea of soul music and being rubbery in sound, suggesting flexibility and a willingness to experiment. This stretched image, with its slight psychedelic edge, set the album apart visually and contributed to the evolving image of the band at a time when popular culture and music were rapidly changing.