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| Also known as | Hadrian (1969)[1] |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Website | rush |
Rush is a Canadianrock band formed inToronto in 1968.[3] The band's original line-up included guitaristAlex Lifeson, drummerJohn Rutsey, and bassist and vocalistJeff Jones, whomGeddy Lee replaced shortly after its formation. Rush went through a few line-up changes over the next six years, before arriving at its classicpower trio line-up with the addition ofNeil Peart in July 1974, replacing Rutsey four months after the release of theirself-titled debut album. The line-up of Lifeson, Lee and Peart remained stable for the remainder of the band's initial run until 2015, after which Peart retired from music. Lifeson later confirmed in 2018 that the band had disbanded, citing Peart's health as a contributing factor. Lifeson and Lee continued to occasionally work together in the years following Peart's death in 2020. In October 2025, Lifeson and Lee announced a 2026reunion tour as Rush, withAnika Nilles filling in for Peart.[4]
Rush is known for their virtuosic musicianship, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs, which drew primarily onscience fiction,fantasy andphilosophy. The band's style changed over the years, from ablues-inspiredhard rock beginning, later moving intoprogressive rock, then a period in the 1980s marked by heavy use ofsynthesizers, before returning to guitar-driven rock in the remainder of their career. The members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls in various years.
As of 2024, Rush ranks 90th in the US with sales of 26 million albums[5] and industry sources estimate their total worldwide album sales at over 42 million. They have been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US[6] and 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush was nominated for sevenGrammy Awards,[7] won tenJuno Awards,[8] and won an International Achievement Award at the 2009SOCAN Awards. The band was inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame in1994 and theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Critics consider Rush to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time.[9][10][11]
The band was formed in the neighbourhood ofWillowdale in Toronto by guitaristAlex Lifeson, bassist and frontmanJeff Jones, and drummerJohn Rutsey, in August 1968.[1] Lifeson and Rutsey had been friends since a young age and played together in a short-lived band, The Projection (formerly known as The Lost Cause).[12][13][14] Afterward the two stuck together and brought in Jones to form a new group; their first gig was in September at the Coff-Inn, a youth centre in the basement of St. Theodore of Canterbury Anglican Church in Willowdale; they were paidCA$25.[1][15] They had not named themselves at the time of the booking; Rutsey's brother, Bill thought they needed a name that was short and to the point. He suggested Rush, and the group went with it.[16]
Due to increasing difficulties in getting to Lifeson's house for practice, Jones suggested that Lifeson get his schoolmate Gary "Geddy" Weinrib to step in on lead vocals and bass.[17] Weinrib replaced Jones as Rush's frontman, adopting the stage nameGeddy Lee. Rush rehearsed a set mainly formed of covers by various rock artists, includingCream,Jimi Hendrix, andJohn Mayall. The band underwent several configurations to the line-up that included Lindy Young (who was recruited in early 1969) on keyboards and various instruments, and Mitch Bossi on second guitar (later on, in 1971).[1] Shortly after becoming a four-piece band of Lee, Lifeson, Young and Rutsey,Ray Danniels was hired to be their manager. As Lee recounted years later,
Ray came along. He had no real reputation yet as a manager or anything. He was just kind of an agent working in Toronto. So he started directing the band and he just thought I wasn't suitable, for whatever reasons he had. I don't know whether it was the way I looked, or my religious background–who the f--- knew? Anyway, he influenced them and they went along with it, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey, and I was out.[18]
With Lee kicked out of the band in spring 1969, Rutsey recruited new bassist and vocalist Joe Perna, and the group of Lifeson, Rutsey, Young and Perna named themselves Hadrian.[19] But after a disastrous gig with Perna, Rutsey invited Lee back in September 1969 and the group resumed as Rush.[15] Lee said, "I started a blues band (named Ogilvie, then Judd, and joined by Lindy Young[20]) and I was, frankly speaking, doing better than they were. Then I got a call from John and he said, 'Can we get together?' Basically, 'Can you come back? We're sorry.'"[18] Second guitarist Mitch Bossi joined during the first half of 1971[21] but after that, the band stabilized as a trio of Lifeson, Rutsey and Lee.[22] They kept Danniels as their manager, with his business partner and agent Vic Wilson sharing duties.[1]
Rush honed their skills with regular gigs, initially touring the Ontario high school circuit. In 1971, the legal drinking age was decreased from 21 to 18, allowing the band to play bars and clubs. Lee said it was at this point that Rush turned "from a basement garage band that played the occasional high school gig to a regular working band playing six days a week."[15][23] A demo tape was shipped to various record labels, but Rush were unable to secure a deal, leading to Danniels and them forming their own label,Moon Records.[24] Rush recorded their first single in 1973; their cover of "Not Fade Away" byBuddy Holly was chosen as it had become a crowd favourite. "You Can't Fight It", an original song, was put on theB-side. Released in September, it went to No. 88 on the CanadianRPM Top Singles chart. Also in September 1973, Rush performed their first major gig, opening for theNew York Dolls in Toronto and finished putting down tracks for their first album. The initial sessions produced undesirable results over the sound quality, so tracks were recut and remixed with a new engineer,Terry Brown.[25] Danniels sold his management company to help raise funds to make the record.[26] Rutsey wrote the lyrics, but tore them up on the day Lee was to record them and would not produce a new set. Lee quickly wrote a fresh set based on earlier versions, which was used on the final take.[27]
The debut album,Rush, was released in March 1974; the initial pressing of 3,500 copies quickly sold out.[28] It went on to peak at No. 86 on theRPM Top Albums chart. Most critics considered the album to be highly derivative ofLed Zeppelin.[29] It had a limited release until it was picked up byDonna Halper, a music director and DJ at rock stationWMMS inCleveland, Ohio. She added "Working Man" to the station's regular playlist, and the song's blue-collar theme resonated with hard rock fans in the predominantly working class city.[30] In June 1974, Danniels signed Rush to American Talent International (ATI), an American booking agency, and ATI executive Ira Blacker sent a copy ofRush toMercury Records. The record caught the attention ofCliff Burnstein inA&R, who signed Rush with a $75,000 advance as part of a $200,000 deal.[31][25][26]
After a series of Canadian dates, Rutsey played his last gig with the band on July 25. His preference for more straightforward rock was incompatible with the more complex music that Lifeson and Lee had written, and Lee recalled that Rutsey had a general distaste for life as a touring musician.[23] HisType 1 diabetes caused further complications, as he required frequent hospital visits to have tests and receive insulin.[15][32] Since October 1973, Rutsey had often been unable to perform due to his health; in the months prior to his departure, Rush temporarily replaced him with drummer, Gerry Fielding.[33][16]
After auditioning five drummers, Lifeson and Lee pickedNeil Peart, who joined on July 29, 1974, which was two weeks before the group's first US tour.[16][34] They performed their first concert together on August 14 at theCivic Arena inPittsburgh, opening forUriah Heep andManfred Mann's Earth Band to more than 11,000 people.[23] Peart assumed the role of lyricist; Lifeson and Lee had little interest in the job and recognized Peart's wider vocabulary range from reading regularly.[31] Lifeson and Lee focused primarily on the music, with the new material displaying their influences from progressive rock bandsYes andPink Floyd.[15] When the U.S. tour concluded in December 1974,[35]Rush had reached its peak of No. 105 on the U.S.Billboard 200 chart.[36]
Fly by Night (1975), Rush's first album with Peart, saw the inclusion of the story song "By-Tor & the Snow Dog", replete with complex arrangements and a multi-section format. Lyrical themes also underwent dramatic changes because of Peart's love for fantasy and science-fiction literature.[37] Despite the new styles, some other songs on the album mirrored the simplistic blues style found on Rush's debut.[1][37] "Fly by Night" was released as a single that reached No. 45 in Canada.[38] The album reached No. 9 in Canada,[38] where it was certified platinum by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CAN) for selling 100,000 copies[39] and in the U.S. by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1 million copies there.[40]
Caress of Steel (1975) followedFly by Night, the latter is a five-track album featuring two extended multi-chapter songs, "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth". Some critics saidCaress of Steel was unfocused and an audacious move for the band because of the placement of two back-to-back protracted songs, as well as a heavier reliance on atmospherics and storytelling, a large deviation fromFly by Night.[41] Intended to be the band's breakthrough album,Caress of Steel sold below expectations. The tour consisted of smaller venues and declining box office receipts, which led to it being nicknamed the Down the Tubes Tour.[42][43]
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In light of these events, Rush's record label tried to pressure the members into moulding their next album in a more commercially friendly and accessible fashion; the band ignored the requests and developed their next album2112 (1976) with a 20-minute title track divided into seven sections. Despite that, the album was the band's first taste of significant commercial success as it reached No. 5 in Canada,[38] becoming their first to reach double platinum certification.[39]
Rush toured in support of2112 between February 1976 and June 1977 with concerts in Canada, the US, and for the first time Europe, with dates in the UK, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands.[23][44] The three sold-out shows atMassey Hall in Toronto in June 1976 were recorded for Rush's debut live album,All the World's a Stage. Released in September of that year, the double album reached No. 6 in Canada and became Rush's first to crack the US top 40.[45]Record World wrote: "Building its American reputation slowly but steadily Rush stands poised for breaking through all the way via this two record live set [...] All the highly charged electricity is here in an explosive setting."[26] The liner notes include the statement, "This album to us, signifies the end of the beginning, a milestone to mark the close of chapter one, in the annals of Rush."[46]
After the conclusion of the2112 tour, Rush recordedA Farewell to Kings (1977) andHemispheres (1978) atRockfield Studios inMonmouthshire, Wales. The albums had the band members expanding the progressive elements in their music. "As our tastes got more obscure", Lee said in an interview, "we discovered more progressive rock-based bands likeYes,Van der Graaf Generator, andKing Crimson, and we were very inspired by those bands. They made us want to make our music more interesting and more complex, and we tried to blend that with our own personalities to see what we could come up with that was indisputably us."[47] Increased synthesizer use, lengthy songs, and highly dynamic playing featuring complextime signature changes became a staple of Rush's compositions. To achieve a broader, more progressive sound, Lifeson began to experiment withclassical andtwelve-string guitars, and Lee addedbass-pedal synthesizers andMinimoog.
Likewise, Peart's percussion became diversified in the form oftriangles,glockenspiel, wood blocks,cowbells,timpani,gong, andchimes. Beyond instrument additions, the band kept in stride with progressive rock trends by continuing to compose long, conceptual songs with science fiction and fantasy overtones. As the new decade approached, Rush gradually began to dispose of their older styles of music in favour of shorter and sometimes softer arrangements, due in part to the band's exhaustion from recordingHemispheres. The lyrics up to this point were heavily influenced by classical poetry, fantasy literature, science fiction, and the writings of novelistAyn Rand, as exhibited most prominently by their 1975 song "Anthem" fromFly By Night and a specifically acknowledged derivation in2112 (1976).[48] The first single fromA Farewell to Kings, "Closer to the Heart", was the band's first successful song in the UK, peaking at No. 36,[49] while reaching No. 76 in the US and No. 45 in Canada.A Farewell to Kings did not sell as well as2112, but still went platinum in both Canada[39] and the United States.[40] By this time, Rush's record deal allowed them a CA$250,000 advance on each album and a 16% royalty rate.[50]
Permanent Waves (1980) shifted Rush's style of music with the introduction ofreggae andnew wave elements.[51] Although a hard rock style was still evident, more synthesizers were introduced. Because of the limited airplay Rush's previous extended-length songs received,Permanent Waves contained shorter, more radio-friendly songs, such as "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill", which helped the album become Rush's highest-charting album to date.[52][53] "The Spirit of Radio" became the group's biggest hit single to date, peaking at No. 22 in Canada, No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[53] and No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart.[49] Peart's lyrics onPermanent Waves shifted toward an expository tone with subject matter that dwelled less on fantastical orallegorical storytelling and more heavily on topics that explored humanistic, social, and emotional elements. Rush touredPermanent Waves for six months through 1980 to more than 650,000 people across 96 shows, becoming their first tour to make a profit.[54] After the tour, Rush joined rock bandMax Webster from Toronto and recorded "Battle Scar" for their 1980 album,Universal Juveniles.[55] Webster's lyricist,Pye Dubois, offered the band lyrics to a song he had written. The band accepted, and after reworking by Peart the song became "Tom Sawyer".[55]
Rush's popularity reached its pinnacle with the release ofMoving Pictures in February 1981. Essentially,Moving Pictures continued wherePermanent Waves left off, extending the trend of accessible and commercially friendly progressive rock which helped thrust them into the spotlight. The lead track, "Tom Sawyer", is probably the band's best-known song.[56] When it was released, it reached No. 24 on the Canadian Top 40 Singles Chart, No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 8 on the new US Album Rock Tracks chart. The second single, "Limelight", also received a strong response from listeners and radio stations, going to No. 18 in Canada, No. 54 on the Hot 100, and No. 4 on the US Album Rock Tracks Chart.Moving Pictures was Rush's last album to feature an extended song, the 11-minute "The Camera Eye". The song contained the band's heaviest usage of synthesizers yet, hinting that Rush's music was shifting direction once more.Moving Pictures became the band's first album to reach No. 1 on theCanadian Albums Chart,[57] and also reached No. 3 on the USBillboard 200[36] and UK album charts; it has been certified quintuple platinum by both theRecording Industry Association of America[58] and Music Canada.[59] After the success ofMoving Pictures, Rush released their second live recording,Exit... Stage Left, in 1981.[60]
The band had another stylistic change with the recording ofSignals in 1982.[61] While Lee's synthesizers had been featured instruments since the late 1970s, keyboards were shifted from the background to the melodic front-lines[62] in songs like "Countdown" and the opening track, "Subdivisions". Both feature prominent lead synthesizer lines with minimalistic guitar chords and solos. Other previously unused instrument additions were seen in the song "Losing It", featuring collaboratorBen Mink onelectric violin.[61]
Signals also represented a drastic stylistic transformation apart from instrumental changes. The album contained Rush's biggest hit single, "New World Man", while other more experimental songs such as "Digital Man", "The Weapon", and "Chemistry" expanded the band's use ofska, reggae, andfunk.[53][63][64] The second single, "Subdivisions" reached No. 36 in Canada and No. 5 on the US Album Rock Tracks Chart. Both singles reached the Top 50 in the UK.[49]Signals became the group's second No. 1 album in Canada, their third straight No. 3 album in the UK, and peaked at No. 10 in the US,[36] while continuing their moderate success in the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, making the Top 30 in each country. Although the band members consciously decided to move in this overall direction, creative differences between the band and longtime producer Terry Brown began to emerge. The band felt dissatisfied with Brown's studio treatment ofSignals, while Brown was becoming more uncomfortable with the increased use of synthesizers.[65] Ultimately, Rush and Brown parted ways in 1983, and the experimentation with new electronic instruments and varying musical styles would come into further play on their next studio album.[66]
The style and production ofSignals were augmented and taken to new heights onGrace Under Pressure (1984). Peart named the album, as he borrowed the words ofErnest Hemingway ("Courage is grace under pressure"[67]) to describe what the band had to go through after making the decision to leave Brown. ProducerSteve Lillywhite, who gained fame with successful productions ofSimple Minds andU2, producedGrace Under Pressure. He backed out at the last moment, however, much to the ire of Lee, Lifeson and Peart. Lee said, "Steve Lillywhite is really not a man of his word... after agreeing to do our record, he got an offer from Simple Minds, changed his mind, blew us off... so it put us in a horrible position." Rush eventually hiredPeter Henderson to co-produce and engineer the album instead. Henderson was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work onSupertramp'sBreakfast in America.[68]
Musically, although Lee's use of sequencers and synthesizers remained the band's cornerstone, his focus on new technology was complemented by Peart's adaptation ofSimmons electronic drums and percussion. Lifeson's contributions on the album were decidedly enhanced, in response to the minimalist role he played onSignals.[69] Still, many of his trademark guitar textures remained intact in the form of open reggae chords and funk and new-wave rhythms.[70]Grace Under Pressure reached the Top 5 in Canada and the UK and the Top 10 in the US It became the highest charter to that date in Sweden (No. 18), while becoming their first album to chart in Germany (No. 43) and Finland (No. 14). While "Distant Early Warning" was not a success on Top 40 radio, it peaked at No. 5 on theUS Album Rock Tracks chart.[71]
With new producerPeter Collins, the band releasedPower Windows (1985) andHold Your Fire (1987). The music on the two albums gives far more emphasis and prominence to Lee's multi-layered synthesizer work, and he switched to an English-madeWal MK1 bass. While fans and critics took notice of Lifeson's diminished guitar work, his presence was still palpable. Lifeson, like many guitarists in the mid to late 1980s, experimented with processors that reduced his instrument to echoey chord bursts and thin leads.Power Windows went to No. 2 in Canada while peaking at No. 9 and 10 in the UK and US, respectively. The lead track, "The Big Money" made the Top 50 in Canada, the UK and US, plus No. 4 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.Hold Your Fire represents both an extension of the guitar style found onPower Windows, and, according to AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia, the culmination of this era of Rush.[72]Hold Your Fire only went gold in the US, whereas the previous five Rush albums had gone platinum, although it managed to peak at No. 13 on theBillboard 200.[73] and made the Top 10 in Canada, the UK and Finland. Two tracks fromHold Your Fire, "Force Ten" and "Time Stand Still", both peaked at No. 3 on the USMainstream Rock Tracks chart.[71]
A third live album and video,A Show of Hands (1989), was released by Anthem and Mercury following thePower Windows andHold Your Fire tours, demonstrating the aspects of Rush in the 1980s.A Show of Hands met with strong fan approval, butRolling Stone criticMichael Azerrad dismissed it as "musical muscle" with 1.5 stars, claiming Rush fans viewed their favourite power trio as "the holy trinity".[74] Nevertheless,A Show of Hands reached the gold album mark in the US and the platinum level in Canada.[75] At that point, the group decided to change international record labels from Mercury toAtlantic. After Rush's departure in 1989, Mercury released a double platinum two-volume compilation of their Rush catalogue,Chronicles (1990).[76]
Rush started to deviate from its 1980s style with the albumsPresto (1989) andRoll the Bones (1991). Produced by record engineer and musicianRupert Hine, these two albums saw Rush shedding much of its keyboard-saturated sound. Beginning withPresto, the band opted for arrangements notably more guitar-centric than the previous two studio albums. Although synthesizers were still used, they were no longer featured as the centre-piece of Rush's compositions.[77] Continuing this trend,Roll the Bones extended the use of the standard three-instrument approach with even less focus on synthesizers than its predecessor. While musically these albums do not deviate significantly from a general pop-rock sound, Rush incorporated other musical styles such asfunk andhip hop in "Roll the Bones" and jazz in the instrumental track "Where's My Thing?".[78] "Show Don't Tell" fromPresto was a No. 1 hit on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and while the album reached the Top 10 in Canada, it was less successful in the US (No. 16) and the UK (No. 27). FromRoll the Bones, "Dreamline" (No. 1) and "Ghost of a Chance" (No. 2) were successful on US Mainstream Rock Radio stations, marking a resurgence of Rush's album sales in the US (No. 3 and platinum), the UK (No. 10) and some other parts of northern Europe.
The transition from synthesizers to more guitar-oriented and organic instrumentation continued withCounterparts (1993)[79] and its follow-up,Test for Echo (1996), both produced in collaboration with Peter Collins. Up to this point,Counterparts[79] andTest for Echo were two of Rush's most guitar-driven albums. The latter album also includes elements of jazz and swing-style drumming by Peart, which he had learned from drum coachFreddie Gruber during the interim betweenCounterparts andTest for Echo.[80] "Stick It Out" fromCounterparts reached the summit of the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, with the album peaking at No. 2 in the US and No. 6 in Canada.Test for Echo reached the Top 5 in both countries, with the title track again topping the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. In October 1996, in support ofTest For Echo, the band embarked on a North American tour, the band's first without an opening act and dubbed "An Evening with Rush". The tour was broken into two segments, spanning October through December 1996 and May through July 1997.[81]
After the conclusion of theTest for Echo tour in 1997, the band entered a five-year hiatus primarily due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. Peart's daughter Selena died in a car crash in August 1997,[82] and his wife Jacqueline died of cancer in June 1998. Peart went on hiatus to mourn and reflect. During that time, he travelled extensively throughout North America on his BMW motorcycle, covering 88,000 km (55,000 mi). In his bookGhost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, Peart writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired."[83] This left the band's future uncertain, and Lee and Lifeson prepared an archival album,Different Stages, for release during the hiatus. Mixed by producerPaul Northfield and engineered by Terry Brown, it is a three-disc live album featuring recorded performances from the band'sCounterparts,Test For Echo, andA Farewell to Kings tours, dedicated to the memory of Selena and Jacqueline.[84] After a time of grief and recovery, and while visiting longtime Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughton inLos Angeles, Peart was introduced to his future wife, photographerCarrie Nuttall, and they married on September 9, 2000. In 2001, Peart decided to return to Rush.
In January 2001, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart came together to attempt to reassemble the band. According to Peart, "We laid out no parameters, no goals, no limitations, only that we would take a relaxed, civilized approach to the project." With the help of producerPaul Northfield, the band produced seventy-four minutes of music for their new albumVapor Trails, which was written and recorded in Toronto.[85]Vapor Trails marked the first Rush studio recording to not include any keyboards or synthesizers sinceCaress of Steel. According to the band, the album's developmental process was extremely taxing and took approximately 14 months to finish, the longest they had ever spent writing and recording a studio album.[86]Vapor Trails was released on May 14, 2002; to herald the band's comeback, the single and lead track from the album, "One Little Victory", was designed to grab the attention of listeners with its rapid guitar and drum tempos.[86] The album was supported by the band's first tour in six years, including first-ever concerts in Brazil and Mexico City, where they played to some of the largest crowds of their career. The largest was a capacity crowd of 60,000 inSão Paulo.[87]Vapor Trails peaked at No. 3 in Canada and No. 6 in the US, while selling disappointingly in the UK, where it peaked at No. 38.
A live album and DVD,Rush in Rio, was released in October 2003, featuring the last performance of the band's Vapor Trails Tour on November 23, 2002, atMaracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, June 2004 saw the release ofFeedback, anextended play work recorded in suburban Toronto featuring eightcovers of artists including Cream, The Who andThe Yardbirds, bands the members of Rush cite as being their inspiration around the time of their inception.[88] Helping to supportFeedback and continue celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band, Rush launched the 30th Anniversary Tour in the summer of 2004, playing dates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. On September 24, 2004, the concert at TheFesthalle inFrankfurt, Germany was filmed for a DVD titledR30: 30th Anniversary World Tour, which was released on November 22, 2005. The release omitted eight songs also included onRush in Rio; the complete concert was released onBlu-ray on December 8, 2009.[89]
During promotional interviews for theR30 DVD, the band members revealed their intention to begin writing new material in early 2006. While in Toronto, Lifeson and Lee began writing songs in January 2006. During that time, Peart assumed the role of lyric writing while living inSouthern California. In September 2007, Rush hired American producerNick Raskulinecz to co-produce the album. The band went toAllaire Studios inShokan, New York in November 2006 to record the bulk of the material. Taking five weeks to record, the sessions ended in December. On February 14, 2007, an announcement was made on the official Rush website that the title of the new album would beSnakes & Arrows. The first single, "Far Cry", was released to North American radio stations on March 12, 2007, and reached No. 2 on theMediabase Mainstream and Radio and Records Charts.[90]
The Rush website, newly redesigned on March 12, 2007, to support the new album, also announced that the band would embark on a tour to begin in the summer.Snakes & Arrows was released on May 1, 2007, in North America, where it debuted at No. 3 on theBillboard 200 with approximately 93,000 units sold in its first week.[91] It peaked at No. 3 in Canada and No. 13 in the UK, selling an estimated 611,000 copies worldwide. Coinciding with the beginning of Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, "Spindrift" was released as the official second radio single on June 1, 2007, while "The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)" came out as a single on June 25, 2007. "The Larger Bowl" peaked within the top 20 of both theBillboard Mainstream Rock and Mediabase Mainstream charts, but "Spindrift" failed to appear on any commercial chart.[92] The planned intercontinentaltour in support ofSnakes & Arrows began on June 13, 2007, inAtlanta, coming to a close on October 29, 2007, atHartwall Arena inHelsinki, Finland.[93]
The 2008 portion of theSnakes & Arrows tour began on April 11, 2008, inSan Juan, Puerto Rico, atJosé Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, and concluded on July 24, 2008, inNoblesville, Indiana at the Verizon Wireless Music Center.[90] On April 15, 2008, the band releasedSnakes & Arrows Live, a double live album documenting the first leg of the tour, recorded at theAhoy arena inRotterdam, Netherlands on October 16 and 17, 2007.[92] A DVD and Blu-ray recording of the same concerts was released on November 24, 2008.[94][95][96] As Rush neared the conclusion of theSnakes & Arrows tour, they announced their first appearance on American television in over 30 years. They appeared onThe Colbert Report on July 16, 2008 and were interviewed byStephen Colbert; they performed "Tom Sawyer".[97] Riding what film criticManohla Dargis called a "pop cultural wave", the band appeared as themselves in the 2009 comedy filmI Love You, Man.[98]
On February 16, 2009, Lifeson remarked that the band might begin working on a new album in the fall of 2009, with Nick Raskulinecz again producing.[99] In November 2009, Lee, Lifeson and Peart were awarded the International Achievement Award at the annualSOCAN Awards in Toronto.[100] On March 19, 2010, the CBC posted a video interview with Lee and Lifeson in which they discussed Rush's induction into theCanadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010, at theToronto Centre for the Arts' George Weston Recital Hall. The band was recognized for the songs "Limelight", "Closer to the Heart", "The Spirit of Radio", "Tom Sawyer" and "Subdivisions". In addition to discussing their induction, Lee and Lifeson touched on future material, with Lee saying, "Just about a month and a half ago we had no songs. And now we've been writing, and now we've got about 6 songs that we just love..."[101] On March 26, 2010, in an interview withThe Globe and Mail, Lifeson remarked that there was even the potential for two supporting tours.[102] Soon afterwards, Peart confirmed that Raskulinecz had returned as co-producer.[103]
In April 2010, Rush recorded "Caravan" and "BU2B", two new songs to be featured on the band's then-upcoming studio albumClockwork Angels, at Blackbird Studios inNashville with Raskulinecz. "Caravan" and "BU2B" were released together on June 1, 2010, and made available for digital download.[104] TheTime Machine Tour's first leg began on June 29 inAlbuquerque, New Mexico and finished on October 17 inSantiago, Chile, at theNational Stadium. It featured the albumMoving Pictures played in its entirety, as well as "Caravan" and "BU2B".[105] It was suggested that Rush would return to the studio after the completion of the Time Machine Tour with plans to releaseClockwork Angels in 2011.[106]
However, Rush announced on November 19, 2010, that they would be extending the Time Machine Tour. The second leg began on March 30, 2011, inFort Lauderdale, Florida and ended on July 2, 2011, inSeattle.[105] On November 8, 2011, the band releasedTime Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland, a concert DVD, Blu-ray and double CD documenting the April 15, 2011, concert at theQuicken Loans Arena inCleveland, Ohio. After the tour's second leg was finished, Rush entered Revolution Recording studios in Toronto finishing the recording ofClockwork Angels.[107] The second single, "Headlong Flight", was released on April 19, 2012. Peart and authorKevin J. Anderson collaborated on a novelization ofClockwork Angels which was released in September 2012.[108]
Clockwork Angels was released in the U.S. and Canada on June 12, 2012,[109] reaching No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 in the US, No. 21 in the UK and entering the Top 10 in most of Rush's traditional northern European markets. The supportingClockwork Angels Tour began on September 7, 2012, with performances on November 25 inPhoenix and November 28 inDallas, recorded to make a live CD/DVD/Blu-ray which was released on November 19, 2013.[110] During Rush's European leg of theClockwork Angels Tour, the June 8, 2013, show at theSweden Rock Festival was the group's first festival appearance in 30 years.[111] On August 31, 2011, Rush switched their American distribution fromAtlantic Records to theWarner Brothers majority-owned metal labelRoadrunner Records. Roadrunner handled American distribution ofTime Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland andClockwork Angels. Anthem/Universal Music would continue to release their music in Canada.[112] On April 18, 2013, Rush were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.[113]
On November 18, 2013, Lifeson said that the band would take a year off after the completion of the world tour, in support ofClockwork Angels. "We've committed to taking about a year off", Lifeson said. "We all agreed when we finished this [Clockwork Angels] tour [in early August], we were going to take this time off and we weren't going to talk about band stuff or make any plans. We committed to a year, so that's going to take us through to the end of next summer, for sure. That's the minimum. We haven't stopped or quit. Right now we're just relaxing. We're taking it easy and just enjoying our current employment."[114]
In September 2014, theRush R40 box set was announced to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album. It included five previously released live video albums, and various previously unreleased footage from across the band's career.[115] On January 22, 2015, the band announced the RushR40 Tour, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Peart's membership in the band. The tour started on May 8 inTulsa, Oklahoma,[116] and wrapped up on August 1 in Los Angeles.[117]
On April 29, 2015, Lifeson said in an interview that R40 might be the final large-scale Rush tour due to hispsoriatic arthritis and Peart's chronictendinitis.[118] He noted that it did not necessarily mean an end to the band, suggesting the possibility of smaller tours and limited performances. He said that he wanted to work on soundtracks with Lee.[119] On December 7, 2015, Peart stated in an interview that he was retiring. The following day, Lee insisted that Peart's remarks had been taken out of context, and suggested he was "simply taking a break".[120][121] Lifeson confirmed in 2016 that the R40 tour was the band's last large-scale tour.[122] The band's latest documentary,Time Stand Still, was announced in November 2016.[123]
On January 16, 2018, Lifeson toldThe Globe and Mail that it was unlikely that Rush would play any more shows or record new material. He said, "We have no plans to tour or record anymore. We're basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough."[124][125] In October 2018,Rolling Stone published an interview with Lee, who said,
I'd say I can't really tell you much other than that there are zero plans to tour again. As I said earlier, we're very close and talk all the time, but we don't talk about work. We're friends, and we talk about life as friends. I can't really tell you more than that, I'm afraid. I would say there's no chance of seeing Rush on tour again as Alex, Geddy, Neil. But would you see one of us or two of us or three of us? That's possible.[126]
On January 7, 2020, Peart died at the age of 67 after a 3½-year battle withglioblastoma, a type ofbrain cancer.[127][128][129] In 2021, Lee confirmed toRolling Stone that Rush was "over" and expressed the impossibility of the band continuing without Peart: "That's finished, right? That's over. I still am very proud of what we did. I don't know what I will do again in music... I'm sure Al doesn't, whether its together, apart, or whatever. But the music of Rush is always part of us... I would never hesitate to play one of those songs in the right context. But at the same time, you have to give respect to what the three of us with Neil did together."[130]
In a January 2021 interview with Make Weird Music, Lifeson revealed that he and Lee were talking of working together on new music, "We're both eager to get back together and kind of get back into that thing that we've done since we were 14 years old that we love to do... we work really, really well together. So we'll see what happens with that."[131][132] Lifeson reiterated the status of Rush and the possibility of continuing to work with Lee in a June 2021 interview withEddie Trunk:
"There's no way Rush will ever exist again because Neil's not here to be a part of it... that's not to say that we can't do other things and we can't do things that benefit our communities and all of that. I have lots of plans for that sort of thing that don't necessarily include Geddy. I get asked this all the time—are we gonna do this, or are we gonna do that? Who knows? All I know is we still love each other and we're still very, very good friends, and we always will be."[133]
In August 2022, Lee and Lifeson returned to the stage at theSouth Park 25th anniversary concert atRed Rocks Amphitheatre, withSouth Park's co-creatorMatt Stone on drums to perform "Closer to the Heart" alongside the members ofPrimus, their first performance since the death of Peart. In September 2022, Lee and Lifeson performed at the LondonTaylor Hawkins tribute concert withDave Grohl andOmar Hakim on drums. They performed "2112: Overture", "Working Man", and "YYZ", the latter of which was Hawkins' favourite Rush song.[134] Later in September 2022, Lee and Lifeson played the same set at the second Taylor Hawkins Tribute show in Los Angeles. Grohl was the drummer again on "2112",Chad Smith of theRed Hot Chili Peppers joined them for "Working Man", andDanny Carey fromTool played drums for "YYZ".[135] Those appearances fuelled speculation over a possible Rush reunion, withPaul McCartney (who attended the Hawkins tribute shows) urging Lee and Lifeson to tour again,[136] and Smith commenting, "Those guys are so happy to be playing again... They were part of the show. They loved it and enjoyed the hell out of it. Those guys miss playing. They couldn't play anymore, Neil couldn't do it anymore, but they still want to play."[137]
Lee toldThe Washington Post in November 2023 that he would not rule out performing with Lifeson again as Rush, saying, "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now."[136] When asked in December 2023 byCBS News Sunday Morning if he and Lifeson had talked about continuing as Rush with a new drummer, Lee said, "Have we talked about it? Yeah. It's not impossible, but at this point, I can't guarantee it." Lifeson then expressed optimism about the band's future, stating that, "It's just not in our DNA to stop."[138] Lifeson later said in a January 2024 interview that he was no longer interested in touring, citing arthritis and expressing doubt that he could perform as he did years ago.[139] In May 2024, Lifeson said that he and Lee were playing songs together, but continued to rule out the possibility of ever going back on tour.[140] He declared that he was "proud of the fact" that Rush "was over when it was over."[141] Also in May 2024, Lee and Lifeson appeared together onstage at aGordon Lightfoot tribute concert atMassey Hall in Toronto, where they joinedBlue Rodeo performing Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel".[142]
An anthology box set, titledRush 50 was released on March 21, 2025. In addition to tracks from all of their studio albums, the box set contains live tracks dating back to 1974 through the band's final show in 2015, and also marked the first time that their 1973 debut single "Not Fade Away" and its B-side "You Can't Fight It" were made available on any other format.[143] Upon the release ofRush 50, concerns emerged over the authenticity and artistic value of the artwork, as Rush fans widely speculated art directorHugh Syme may have created theRush 50 artwork usinggenerative artificial intelligence tools.[144][145][146]
On October 6, 2025, Lee and Lifeson announced that they were reforming Rush for a tour calledFifty Something which is scheduled from June to December 2026, withAnika Nilles on drums. Lee suggested that the tour will include up to two more musicians, including a backing keyboardist. Lee and Lifeson also stated that 35 songs will be performed on the tour, with the intention of varying their set list at each show.[4][147] When asked in an interview withThe Globe and Mail if the tour will include dates outside of North America, Lee said, "We're wrestling with extending the tour into 2027. I really don't know. We'll see how that all shakes down."[148]
Rush's music has been described asprogressive rock,[149][150][151]hard rock,[152][153][151] andheavy metal.[154][152] The band's musical style changed substantially over the years. Its debut album was strongly influenced by Britishblues-based hard rock and heavy metal: an amalgam of sounds and styles from such rock bands includingthe Beatles,Black Sabbath,the Who,Cream, andLed Zeppelin.[29][155][156] Rush became increasingly influenced by bands of the British progressive rock movement of the mid-1970s, especiallyPink Floyd,Genesis,Yes, andJethro Tull.[157][158] In the tradition of progressive rock, Rush wrote extended songs with irregular and shifting mood,timbre, andmetre, combined with lyrics influenced byAyn Rand.[159] In the 1980s, Rush merged their sound withtrends of this period experimenting withnew wave,reggae, andpop rock.[61] The era included the band's most extensive use of instruments such as synthesizers,sequencers, andelectronic percussion. In the early 1990s, the band transformed their style once again, returning to a more grounded hard rock style, and simultaneouslyharmonize with thealternative rock movement.[79] The songs released during this period have been described as "hooky and radio-friendly." The band continued to experiment with fusing heavy metal and progressive rock in "new ways" during its latter years.[160]
More than 40 years of activity provided Rush with the opportunity for musical diversity across their discography. As with many bands known for experimentation, changes inevitably resulted in dissent among critics and fans. The bulk of the band's music included synthetic instruments and this has been a source of contention among fans and critics, especially the band's heavy usage of synthesizers and keyboards during the 1980s, particularly onGrace Under Pressure,Power Windows, andHold Your Fire.[161][72]
The members of Rush have noted that people "either love Rush or hate Rush",[162] resulting in strong detractors and an intensely loyal fan base. In 1979,The Rolling Stone Record Guide called them "the power boogie band for the16 magazine graduating class".[163] A July 2008Rolling Stone article said, "Rush fans are theTrekkies/trekkers of rock".[164] Rush have been cited as an influence by artists includingAlice in Chains,[165]Anthrax,[166]Dream Theater,[167][168][169]Exciter,[170]Fates Warning,[171]Fishbone,[172]Foo Fighters,[173]Iron Maiden,[174]Jane's Addiction,[175]Living Colour,[176]Manic Street Preachers,[177]Megadeth,[178][179][180]Meshuggah,[181][182]Metallica,[169][183]No Doubt,[184]Pearl Jam,[185] thePixies,[186]Primus,[187]Queensrÿche,[188]Rage Against the Machine,[189] theRed Hot Chili Peppers,[190]Sepultura,[191]the Smashing Pumpkins,[187]Elliott Smith,[192]Soundgarden,[193]Stone Temple Pilots,[194]System of a Down,[195]Testament,[196][197]Tool,[198][199] andSteven Wilson.[200]Trent Reznor ofNine Inch Nails said in the 2010 documentaryRush: Beyond the Lighted Stage that Rush is one of his favourite bands, and he has also cited the band's early 1980s period in particular as a major influence on him in regard to incorporating keyboards and synthesizers into hard rock.[201]
Rush were eligible for nomination into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame beginning in 1998. The band were nominated for entry in 2012,[202] and their induction was announced on December 11, 2012.[203][204] A reason for their previous exclusion may have been their genre.USA Today writer Edna Gundersen criticized the Hall of Fame for excluding some genres, including progressive rock.[205] Supporters cited the band's accomplishments, including longevity, proficiency, and influence, as well as commercial sales figures and RIAA certifications.[206] In the years before induction, Lifeson expressed his indifference toward the perceived slight, saying, "I couldn't care less. Look who's up for induction; it's a joke".[207]
On April 24, 2010, the documentaryRush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, directed byScot McFadyen andSam Dunn, premiered at theTribeca Film Festival. It received the Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award.[208] The film was nominated forBest Long Form Music Video at the53rd Grammy Awards, losing toWhen You're Strange, a documentary aboutThe Doors.[209] A limited theatrical run began on June 10, 2010, and the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. and Canada on June 29, 2010. The film explores the band's influence on popular music and the reasons why that influence has been underrepresented over the years. That is done via interviews with popular musicians, music industry professionals, and the band members themselves.[210]
On June 25, 2010, Rush received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6752Hollywood Boulevard. Critical acclaim continued to mount for Rush in 2010 when, on September 28,Classic Rock announced that Rush would receive 2010's Living Legends award at the MarshallClassic Rock Roll of Honour Awards in the UK.[211] The award was presented on November 10, 2010. On September 29, Billboard.com announced that Rush would also receive the 2010 Legends of Live award for significant and lasting contributions to live music and the art of performing live and reaching fans through the concert experience. The award was presented at theBillboard Live Music Awards on November 4, 2010.[212] In 2013, the Canadian government honoured Rush with a first class "permanent" postage stamp, the equivalent of a "Forever" stamp in the US, featuring the iconic "Starman" Rush logo.[213]
The band members were made Officers of theOrder of Canada in 1996.[214] In May 2012, the band received theGovernor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement at a ceremony atRideau Hall, followed the next by a gala at theNational Arts Centre celebrating the award recipients.[215][216][217] In 2017, the band members had three newmicrobe species named in their honour.[218]
Geddy Lee's high-register vocal style has always been a signature of the band–and sometimes a focal point for criticism, especially during the early years of Rush's career when his vocals were high-pitched, with a strong likeness to other singers likeRobert Plant ofLed Zeppelin.[163][219] A review inThe New York Times opined that Lee's voice "suggests a munchkin giving a sermon".[220] Although his voice has softened, it is often described as a "wail".[219][221] His instrumental abilities, on the other hand are rarely criticized. He has citedJeff Berlin,Jack Casady,John Entwistle,Jack Bruce andChris Squire as being the bassists who had the biggest impact on his playing style.[222] Lee's style, technique, and ability on the bass guitar have been influential to rock and heavy metal musicians, inspiring players includingSteve Harris,[223]John Myung,[224]Les Claypool,[225] andCliff Burton.[226] Lee is able to operate various pieces of instrumentation simultaneously during concerts, most evidently when he plays bass and keyboards, sings, and triggers foot pedals as in the song "Tom Sawyer".[158]
Lifeson as a guitarist is best known for his signature riffing, electronic effects and processing, unorthodox chord structures, and a copious arsenal of equipment used over the years.[227][228]
During his adolescent years, he was influenced byJimi Hendrix,Pete Townshend,Jeff Beck,Eric Clapton andJimmy Page.[229] Lifeson incorporated touches of Spanish and classical music into Rush's sound during the 1970s, reflecting his interest in progressive rock guitarists likeSteve Hackett andSteve Howe.[230] Adapting to Lee's expanding use of synthesizers in the 1980s, Lifeson took inspiration from guitarists likeAllan Holdsworth,[230]Andy Summers ofThe Police andThe Edge ofU2, who gave him models for rethinking the guitar's role in Rush's music.[231] Lifeson's guitar returned to the forefront in the 1990s, and especially onVapor Trails (2002). During live performances, he was responsible for cuing various guitar effects, the use of bass-pedal synthesizers and backing vocals.[232] He occasionally has played keyboard synthesizers live.[233][234][235]
Peart has been voted the greatest rock drummer by music fans, critics and fellow musicians, according toDrummerworld.[236] He was also regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the in-concert drum solo.[237] Initially inspired byKeith Moon, Peart absorbed the influence of other rock drummers from the 1960s and 1970s such asGinger Baker,Carmine Appice, andJohn Bonham.[238] Incorporation of unusual instruments (for rock drummers of the time) such as theglockenspiel andtubular bells, along with several standard kit elements, helped create a highly varied setup. Continually modified, Peart's drumkit offered an enormous array of percussion instruments for sonic diversity. For two decades Peart honed his technique; each new Rush album introduced an expanded percussive vocabulary. In the 1990s, he reinvented his style with the help of drum coachFreddie Gruber.[239]
Peart served as Rush's primary lyricist, attracting attention over the years for his eclectic style. During the band's early years, Peart's lyrics were largely fantasy/science fiction-focused,[240] though after 1980 he focused more on social, emotional, and humanitarian issues. In 2007, he was placed second onBlender magazine's list of the "40 Worst Lyricists In Rock".[241] In contrast, AllMusic has called Peart "one of rock's most accomplished lyricists", Gibson.com describes Rush's lyrics as "great", and others have called the lyrics "brilliant".[242][243][244]
Rush has released 24 gold records and 14 platinum records (including three multi-platinum), placing them fifth behindthe Beatles,the Rolling Stones,Kiss andAerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band in the United States.[245] As of 2005, Rush had sold about 25 million copies of their albums in the US (ranked 88th among recording acts[246]) and 40 million worldwide.[247][248][249][250] As of April 2021,Moving Pictures was the band's highest-selling album at over 5 million units, having been certified 5× platinum by the RIAA.[251]
Despite dropping out of the public eye for five years after the gold-sellingTest for Echo (which peaked at No. 5 on theBillboard 200 chart)[36] and the band being relegated almost solely to classic rock stations in the US,Vapor Trails reached No. 6 on theBillboard 200[36] in its first week of release in 2002, with 108,000 copies sold. It has sold about 343,000 units to date. The subsequentVapor Trails tour grossed over $24 million and included the largest audience ever to see a headlining Rush show: 60,000 fans inSão Paulo, Brazil.
Rush's triple-CD live album,Rush in Rio (2003), was certified gold, marking the fourth decade in which a Rush album had been released and certified at least gold. In 2004,Feedback cracked the top 20 on theBillboard 200 and received radio airplay. The band's 2007 album,Snakes & Arrows, debuted at No. 3 (just one position shy of Rush's highest-peaking albums,Counterparts (1993) andClockwork Angels (2012), which both debuted at No. 2) on theBillboard 200, selling about 93,000 in its first week of release.[252] That marks the 13th Rush studio album to appear in the Top 20 and the band's 27th album to appear on the chart. The album also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, and, when the album was released on theMVI format a month later, peaked at No. 1 on the Top Internet Albums chart.[253]
The tours in support ofSnakes & Arrows in 2007 and 2008 accrued $21 million and $18.3 million respectively, earning Rush the No. 6 and 8 spots among the summers' rock concerts.[254][255]
The members of Rush shared a strong work ethic, desiring to accurately recreate songs from their albums when playing live performances. To achieve this goal, beginning in the late 1980s, Rush included a capacious rack ofdigital samplers in their concert equipment to recreate the sounds of non-traditional instruments, accompaniments, vocal harmonies, and other sound "events" in real time to match the sounds on the studio versions of the songs. In live performances, the band members shared duties throughout most songs. Each member had one or moreMIDI controllers, which were loaded with different sounds for each song, and they used available limbs to trigger the sounds while simultaneously playing their primary instrument(s).[256] With this technology the group was able to present their arrangements in a live setting with the level of complexity and fidelity fans had come to expect, and without the need to resort to the use ofbacking tracks or employing an additional band member during their initial run.[257] The members' coordinated use of pedal keyboards and other electronic triggers to "play" sampled instruments and audio events was subtly visible in their live performances, especially on the R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour, their 2005 concert DVD.[citation needed]
A staple of Rush's concerts was Neil Peart's drum solos, which included a basic framework of routines connected by sections of improvisation, making each performance unique. Each successive tour saw his solos become more advanced, with some routines dropped in favour of newer, more complex ones. Since the mid-1980s, Peart usedMIDItrigger pads to elicit sounds sampled from various pieces of acoustic percussion that would otherwise consume far too much stage area, such as amarimba,harp,temple blocks,triangles, glockenspiel,orchestra bells, tubular bells, andvibraslap, as well as other, more esoteric percussion.[citation needed]
One prominent feature of Rush's concerts were props on stage, at one point called "diversions". These props have included washing machines, vintage popcorn poppers, animations, and inflatable rabbits emerging from giant hats behind the band.[258] Starting in the mid-'90s, the props often took Lee's side of the stage (stage left) as a way to balance out the amp stacks on Lifeson's side (stage right) when Lee opted to use a venue's house system instead of amps.
Rush actively participated in philanthropic causes. The band were one of several hometown favourites to playMolson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, also dubbed SARStock, atDownsview Park in Toronto on July 30, 2003, with an attendance of over half a million people. The concert benefited the Toronto economy after theSARS outbreaks earlier in the year.[259] The band has continued to be interested in promoting human rights. They donated $100,000 to theCanadian Museum for Human Rights after a concert they held inWinnipeg, Manitoba on May 24, 2008.[260][261]
On July 24, 2013, Rush performed a benefit concert inRed Deer, Alberta at theENMAX Centrium, with all proceeds going to theCanadian Red Cross to help victims of the 2013 flooding that devastated many regions of southern Alberta. The original venue for the show, theScotiabank Saddledome inCalgary was heavily damaged from the flooding and was unavailable for the concert date as originally planned.[262]
Individual members of Rush have also been a part of philanthropic causes.Hughes & Kettner, zenTera,[263] and TriAmp[264] electronics have been endorsed and used by Lifeson for many years. A custom signature amplifier was engineered by Lifeson and released in April 2005 with the stipulation thatUNICEF receive a $50 donation for every Alex Lifeson Signature TriAmp sold.[265] Lee, a longtime fan of baseball, donated 200 baseballs signed by famousNegro league players includingWillie Mays,Hank Aaron, andJosh Gibson, to theNegro Leagues Baseball Museum inKansas City, Missouri in June 2008.[266] In late 2009, Lee and Lifeson launched an auction for their initiative "Grapes Under Pressure", in support of "Grapes for Humanity", a charity. The auction consisted of items from the band such as autographed guitars, cymbals and basses. There were autographs by band members fromDepeche Mode,Tool,the Fray,Judas Priest,Pearl Jam and other bands in addition to a rareEpiphone guitar with signatures fromRicky,Julian, andBubbles fromTrailer Park Boys.[267] The band is featured on the albumSongs for Tibet, appearing with other celebrities as an initiative to supportTibet andDalai LamaTenzin Gyatso. The album, made downloadable on August 5, 2008, viaiTunes, was released commercially on August 12, 2008.[268]
Rush have also been big supporters ofLittle Kids Rock, a nonprofit which works to restore and revitalize music education programs in disadvantaged US public schools.Musician's Friend,Sabian, and Rush teamed to help Little Kids Rock provide percussion to public schools nationwide. They donated $500 of the proceeds from each Neil Peart Paragon Cymbal Pack sold, each of which came with a freesplash cymbal personally autographed by Peart. The marketing initiative raised over $50,000 for Little Kids Rock.[269]
Studio albums
Sources: Rush.com[276] andRush: Wandering the Face of the Earth[277]
Rush mainly demonstrates 'Canadianness' by combining such British and American influences as progressive rock, hard rock, and individualism.
...Rush's hybrid of heavy metal, hard rock, and progressive rock.
...Rush's hard rock orientation... Rush's hard rock roots...
This Canadian power trio, which boasts a vocalist who sounds like a cross between Donald Duck and Robert Plant, reached its pinnacle of success the day it was discovered byCircus magazine and turned into fanzine wall-decoration material. Rush is to the late Seventies what Grand Funk was to the early Seventies – the power boogie band for the16 magazine graduating class."
Sources
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
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