Although Mr. Hubbard never counted himself as a professional musician in the strictest sense, his musical accomplishments are by no means insignificant. A radio balladeer in the 1930s, he once held a slot that Arthur Godfrey would later fill and continued to compose and perform through the remainder of his life.

In the 1970s, he organized, trained and orchestrated several performing groups and from this work came a number of key observations, including his analysis of country western, flamenco, traditional Oriental and even rock music (which he correctly remarked was growing increasingly primitive). Notable among his own compositions through the period are his innovative blends of modern jazz, reggae and calypso, as well as his modern use of traditional Spanish and Oriental forms. Also highly innovative is his delineation of what he termed “the laws of proportionate sound,” wherein similar instruments of slightly different timbre were employed to overcome the long troublesome problem of instrumental cancellation, i.e., the sound of one instrument “wiping out” another regardless of volume. Although professionals have devised various remedies, Mr. Hubbard was factually the first to both dissect the problem and define its solution. 

The net effects of his musical breakthroughs were most impressive. Indeed, wrote a critic of the day, L. Ron Hubbard solves “a problem which musicians the likes of Buddy Rich and even Woody Herman have failed to do. That is, focus the energy of a combo in a big band, a feat which is like harnessing the atom.”

The next L. Ron Hubbard musical offering was again both imaginative and unique: a soundtrack for his bestselling novel, Battlefield Earth. Appropriately described as computer jazz, the album was the first to fully utilize the capabilities of the Computer Musical Instrument (CMI). Battlefield Earth, the album, features thirteen L. Ron Hubbard compositions inspired by characters and significant events from his novel. The album additionally features performances by jazz great Chick Corea, and former Rolling Stones pianist Nicky Hopkins.

Given the highly satirical nature of the book, Mr. Hubbard’s next work, Mission Earth, the album, is an appropriately hard rock soundtrack. The featured artist was no less than rock legend Edgar Winter. The album’s single, “Cry Out,” was later adopted by environmentalists as a marching song to halt unchecked pollution.

The final L. Ron Hubbard album, The Road to Freedom, reflects Mr. Hubbard’s belief that music is a wonderful universal language. In this case, he uses it to communicate something of the fundamental truths contained in Scientology, and thus the work may be seen as religious music in Scientology style. The lyrics, in turn, have been translated into seven languages. Again, the album features performances by Scientologists from the entertainment industry, including Chick Corea, John Travolta and Julia Migenes. The Road to Freedom also features a vocal performance by Mr. Hubbard himself on a final song, very appropriately entitled, “Thank You for Listening.”