It took almost four decades for critics to come around to Rush. But their fans figured it out a long time ago: The Canadian trio is all kinds of awesome. It did take a few years for the band to find its footing. But on 1976’s ‘2112’ they achieved a well-honed balance of sci-fi storytelling, complicated song structures and massive heaviness. This didn’t always sit well with critics, who found their music and, especially, lyrics pretentious and heavy-handed. Rush lightened up a bit on 1980’s ‘Permanent Waves’ and the 1981 milestone ‘Moving Pictures’ (which includes the band’s best-ever set of songs) and spent the next 20 years recording and touring for a dedicated and seemingly never-subsiding fan base. By the 2010s, thanks to a well-earned documentary, Rush won over even the harshest critics and earned a spot in the Rock and Roll of Fame.
- Selected Discography: ‘2112’ (1976), ‘Permanent Waves’ (1980), ‘Moving Pictures’ (1981)
- Related Artists: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart
- Further Reading: Top 10 Rush Songs, Top 10 Rush Albums, ‘Tom Sawyer’ – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs