Rush

Essential Albums

  • Moving Pictures (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
    Moving Pictures (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
    Moving Pictures (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe)

    1981

  • Permanent Waves (Remastered)
    Permanent Waves (Remastered)
    Permanent Waves (Remastered)

    This album is Mastered for iTunes. At the onset of the 1980s, Rush were poised as one of hard rock’s most successful groups. Their album epics established them as cult favorites with a rapidly expanding cult. Their overtly serious lyrics, written by the group’s drummer Neil Peart, led to obsessive discussion among fans and were a point of derision for critics. But what could not be argued was their larger than life sound — other power trios might be as loud, but none were as complex. Alex Lifeson’s guitar was simply massive, essaying classic guitar riffs soon emulated by aspiring actual and air guitarists everywhere, while Peart’s unrestrained drum fills challenged all rock drummers with their liberal use of unusual time signatures. Permanent Waves features several of the group’s essential tunes. “The Spirit of Radio” has become a classic rock staple with its climactic chorus delivering the necessary catharsis. “Freewill” stands as the band’s self-empowerment anthem (Peart is a diehard Ayn Rand disciple) and the expanded tracks — “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Natural Science” — trip out into extended instrumental passages that are among the most nuanced in rock. Rush managed to be progressive without losing their core appeal.

  • Hemispheres (Remastered)
    Hemispheres (Remastered)
    Hemispheres (Remastered)

    This album is Mastered for iTunes. While the pop success of 1980's Permanent Waves made Rush a fixture on the hard rock scene, 1978's Hemispheres did much to establish its credentials among the prog-rock crowd. Featuring just four songs of great conceptual thrust and virtuoso musicianship, Hemispheres is not an album to be taken casually or lightly. It demands serious concentration. The eighteen-minute opening track, "Cygnus X-1 Book 2 Hemispheres," cut into five concrete sections (six, if Apollo and Dionysus are taken separately), delves heavily into the tug of war between reason and emotion, and musically tugs at various dissonant factors, as Geddy Lee's familiar shriek must overcome the torrent of guitar riffs and chords from Alex Lifeson and the never-let-up percussion of drummer Neil Peart. "Circumstances" and "The Trees" are closer to conventional rockers, yet with much more serious philosophical concerns than your average hard rock. "La Villa Strangiato" is a multi-parted instrumental overture that never shies from attempting an extra flourish in the effort to out-duel whatever its perceived instrumental competition might be.

  • A Farewell to Kings (Remastered)
    A Farewell to Kings (Remastered)
    A Farewell to Kings (Remastered)

    This album is Mastered for iTunes. With 1977's A Farewell to Kings, Rush continued its pursuit of sonically and compositionally complex hard and progressive rock, setting the performance standard for all hard rock bands to emulate, on the way becoming one of the most distinctive groups of the ‘70s. The title track begins with a gentle acoustic guitar and synthesizer overture before breaking out into one of the band's trademark explosions. Drummer Neil Peart never met a time signature he couldn't twist to his own desires and with his heavy rhythmic hand the band erupts into epic splendor. "Closer to the Heart" is the closest the band had come to a conventional pop song in a few years and nicely counterbalances the conceptual ambitions of the ten-minute album closer "Cygnus X-1" and the eleven-minute tour-de-force "Xanadu." "Madrigal" spotlights the band's lesser-explored softer side, whereas "Cinderella Man" pushes forth the band's aggression. The Canadian trio managed to be both obscure and accessible, pulling in an ardent following despite its unusual and unconventional approach.

  • 2112 (Remastered)
    2112 (Remastered)
    2112 (Remastered)

    The 1970s proved to be an era for hard rock bands to explore the further reaches of their ambitions. Canada’s Rush were among the groups who locked into a successful new formula that eschewed the conventions of the hit single for instrumental diversions and lyrical adventures that helped them stand out within the burgeoning scene. 2112 is Rush’s fourth album and the first to consistently capture their emerging vision. All accomplished musicians, the trio emphasized dynamics and thrilling trills to accentuate their epic musical vision. Arena rock was only beginning to find its place and Rush’s blend of progressive rock’s slow-building moods and their own anthemic powerchords proved to be an enlightening mixture. The title track is a seven-part, 20 minute epic where drummer Neil Peart’s Ayn Rand inspired lyrics are passionately expressed by bassist Geddy Lee’s shrieking delivery. The shorter selections that made up side two of the original album – “A Passage to Bangkok,” in particular – pointed up the band’s strengths as succinct writers as well. Rush became the exemplary power trio, every member finding their distinctive niche without sacrificing the collective power of the group sound.

  • Fly By Night (Remastered)
    Fly By Night (Remastered)
    Fly By Night (Remastered)

    This album is Mastered for iTunes. This Canadian trio's self-titled debut proved the band was adept at the heavy blues-rock of the era, but it was with its second album, 1975's Fly By Night, that Rush established its signature sound: a mix of studio wizardry and athletic musicianship coupled with a desire to break past conventional songforms. Mostly, this was the result of new drummer Neil Peart, whose inquisitive lyrics and extra polyrhythmic emphasis would make them arena-rock superstars before decade's end. Peart's unusual sensibility can be heard in the nearly nine-minute epic "By-Tor and the Snow Dog," the extra flicker driving "Anthem" and the graceful, jazzy touches of "Making Memories." Singer Geddy Lee pushes his voice to the upper reaches of his range. "Beneath, Between and Behind" sounds like a drag race between drummer, guitarist and singer to see who can twist and turn with greater dexterity. One part hard rock, two parts progressive ambition, and the band was off in a prolific and singular direction.

Artist Playlists

Singles & EPs

Compilations

More To Hear

About Rush

Although rightfully considered prog icons, Rush were a testament to what happened when bands refused to rest on their laurels. In a career that spanned over four decades, the Toronto trio pushed hard rock into new and futuristic territory via an embrace of cutting-edge musical trends (think the zooming keyboards propelling “Tom Sawyer”) and elaborate concert staging. Guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee started playing together as Rush in the late ’60s, initially favoring a sound heavily indebted to Led Zeppelin. However, after drummer Neil Peart joined the band in summer 1974, weeks before Rush were scheduled to tour the U.S., the group began to explore more sophisticated arrangements and complex songwriting. An acolyte of the jazz great Buddy Rich, Peart took a methodical approach to drumming; in fact, his flashy live solos exhibited masterful rhythmic artistry. As a lyricist, Peart was equally meticulous and unafraid to challenge the status quo, whether he was crafting fantasy epics (“By-Tor and the Snow Dog”), critiquing suburban homogeneity (“Subdivisions”), or encouraging people to live in the moment (“Time Stand Still”). Accordingly, Rush also kept their sound updated, adding New Wave-friendly synthesizers during the ’80s, dabbling in hulking grunge grooves and funk rock in the ’90s, and concluding their studio recording career with 2012’s eclectic opus Clockwork Angels. The band retired from the road in 2015 after a successful R40 Live tour, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut LP, and disbanded in 2018. Peart’s 2020 death from brain cancer effectively ended any hope of a reunion, but Rush remain the world’s biggest cult band, their music a source of solace for those who carve out a unique life path.

ORIGIN
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
FORMED
August 1968
GENRE
Hard Rock

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada