My 10 Favorite Songs by Rush

Rush has had a distinctive sound since it released its self-titled debut in 1974. The title of the first track on this album, Finding My Way, however, turned out to be extremely prophetic. Rush had not yet done so (and to this day, is still finding it).

John Rutsey was the drummer on this album, and while he was talented, he cannot, in my opinion, hold a candle to the talent that is Neil Peart. Rutsey left the band for health reasons and Peart signed on. Rutsey was a great drummer, Peart is an incredible percussionist. Rush has been comprised of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart ever since, and they have produced some phenomenal music along the way. My top ten can only scratch the surface of what is truly an amazing library of songs. These are not in order of release, but in order of my preference. In each case, I will try to support my choices.

#1. 2112, from the album 2112: Honestly, this 'song' tops my list for many reasons. First, the song tells a story (as many of Neil Peart's lyrics do) that pays homage to Ayn Rand's book, Anthem, and it is because of this song that I read that book! Second, while the album had been released 7 years earlier, I first heard it when I was in high school. Aside from some songs that made their way to the radio-waves, I had not truly listened to any Rush music prior to being exposed to this album-side song. I was absolutely blown away and set my sites on collecting every Rush album ever made. Call me obsessed, but this will always be my number one favorite song. As I write this article, I am listening to this very song!

#2. The Necromancer, from the album Caress of Steel: OK, I admit it...I played Dungeons and Dragons, a lot. The Necromancer appealed to me on so many levels. I loved the story behind this song. I could easily envision the travelers as they tried to escape from the evil necromancer only to have By-tor appear to save the day. Of course, By-tor first appears on their previous album, Fly By Night, in a song titled 'By-tor and the Snow Dog,' and I love the tie-in. We get to hear the sequel! Musically, it is beautiful. The slow, mournful sounds as we are led to believe that all is lost for our travelers and the energetic musical battle between By-tor and the necromancer...masterful!

#3. The Fountains of Lamneth, from the album Caress of Steel: Yet again, an amazing lyric story behind the music. Fountains was another one that allowed me to see the action - both the reality and the metaphor. 'Life is just a candle, and a dream must give it flame." A man, happy, yet somehow seeking more. Seeing that brass ring, and grasping for it. Rush obviously did not go for radio play with most of their stuff, they went for the art.

#4. Distant Early Warning, from the album Grace Under Pressure: WHAT? Not a concept song???? Well, this album came out during my Rush discovery years. 1984, sophomore in high school, just got a brand new Sony Walkman to listen to music while I walked my paper route delivering the Cape Cod Times. This cassette burned out more batteries than any other in my collection. Rush was 'finding their way' yet again. On this, their tenth studio album in as many years(two live albums having also been released to this point), Rush was adapting to the burgeoning MTV generation, yet holding to their classic style at the same time. For some reason that I am not truly aware of, Distant Early Warning leads the way for me on this album. Mind you, I am hard pressed to pick a 'best.'

#5. Limelight, from the album Moving Pictures: Once again, this song holds a special place for me. I am an actor, by nature. Living in the limelight was indeed my dream. "Living on a lighted stage, approaches the unreal." Lyrically, it grabbed me. Musically, it held me. This is just one of the best songs that Rush has ever done.

#6. Tom Sawyer, from the album Moving Pictures: What top ten list of Rush songs would be complete without Tom Sawyer? Driving guitar riffs, percussion perfection, and memorable lyrics. "He knows that changes aren't permanent, but change is." Such a great song that even people that are not Rush fans know this song and will likely sing or hum along!

#7. The Trees, from the album Hemispheres: Cerebral - this album is so well named! My only complaint with this song is that it is just too short. Once again, Rush is able to transition from hard-driving rock to a more serene, lilting tune within the confines of one song! The Trees is almost comical in its lyrics, but touches on a subject that is far from funny.

#8. Fly By Night, from the album Fly By Night: This one is just classic Rush. Geddy being Geddy. Yet again, what top ten Rush song list would be complete without this one. Neil Peart show just how good he really is. A solid performance by the trio in one of their earliest efforts.

#9. Closer to the Heart, from the album A Farewell to Kings: This song is another that is, sadly, just too short. Musically, it starts with just such a - for lack of a better word - pretty tune, then gets the expected Rush treatment with a nice segue into a more driving tune. Lyrically, it is thought-provoking. If we all did things that were closer to the heart, wouldn't it just be a better world?

#10. The Spirit of Radio, from the album Permanent Waves: This song has more to do with memories of earlier days for me than anything else. This is one of the few Rush songs that saw regular radio play (hmmm, I wonder why?!?), and it is in fact a great song. For me, though, I heard this song during a time in my life that was just fun! i had some great friends around me, growing up on Cape Cod (yes, I lived there year-round), hitting the beach, and just having the time of my life. My love for this song did not grow out of my love for Rush. When I first heard this song, I didn't even know that it WAS Rush! How I could mistake the vocals of Geddy Lee for anyone else can only be explained by my - at the time - young age.

Well, that rounds out my top ten Rush songs. As I stated earlier, this really doesn't even scratch the surface. I am sure that there will be Rush fans that read this and scream "What about (insert song title here)???? You didn't mention that one!!!" I admit that I did not even touch on songs that were released post-1984. Honorable mention has to go to songs such as Bastille Day and Show, Don't Tell. It is a daunting task, indeed, to select ten great songs from a band that could easily have a list of their top ten albums and still not truly include all their best!

My hope is that, as I did, this article will prompt you to dust off your favorite Rush albums and give them a listen. Better yet, it might inspire you to surf on over to your favorite music shop, on-line or otherwise, and give a listen to one of the greatest bands out there, Rush!