Rush Albums Ranked (All Albums) – Worst to Best
Rush music band needs no introduction. Since they started, they have released nineteen studio albums. With these albums, they became the most influential and most important progressive rock band of all time. Because of their different style, people might hate them. People do not use to this type of style in their music style.
They also reached a massive fanbase which continues to grow. Rush‘s fans wonder which Rush album is best. In this article, we made a list of Rush’s albums from worst to best.
Best Rush Albums
10- Snakes and Arrows
The “Snakes and Arrows” album published in 2007, has a special place in my heart. That is the first Rush album I have started listening to. That’s why while I created this list, I did not want to put this album at the end of the list. However, I need to be fair. This album includes a great collection of songs that stood out among its fellow post – 2000 releases. Those songs are “Far Cry,” “The Way the Wind Blows,” and “Working them Angels.” Despite including legendary songs, this album did not like the majority of the Rush fans.
9- Roll the Bones
The band released Roll the Bones as the fourteenth studio album. When they released this album, grunge metal became popular day by day. People had seen metal bands like Rush irrelevant with metal. That’s why The band has no hope for the album. However, they achieved massive success beyond their expectations. The album peaked at number three on the US chart. This achievement gave band members morale which they needed for a long time. They were desperate for a long time because they were lack of morals.
8-Clockwork Angels
Rush released its final ever album, ”Clockwork Angels” in 2012. With this album, the band received many positive critics. Even the fans defined this album as Rush’s best since the ’90s. When they started to write lyrics for this album, the band realized that they wanted to make a concept album set in sci-fi/steampunk. That’s why, for making this album, the band collaborated with author Kevin J Anderson. Their attempt was successful. It reached No 1 in Canada and No.2 on the Billboard 200. The album’s most successful tracks are “The Anarchist” and “BU2B“.
7-Grace Under Pressure
To make the Signals album, Rush turned into the synth-based direction. Yet, Fans did not like what they did for the Signals album. The fans wanted to see the band return to their metal roots. The band listened to the fans and made this album. When fans listen to it, they freaked out. Standout tracks: “Red Lenses,” “Afterimage,” and “Kid Gloves.”
6-Fly By Night
The band released ”Fly By Night” in 1975. Before the band has started recording this album, the band replaced the orginal drummer John Rutsey with Neil Peart. The change affects the band’s direction differently. They started producing more progressive sounds. The most important tracks are “In The End” and “Anthem“.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ0wHkkT-8
What is Rush’s heaviest album?
5-Signals
After the Moving Pictures, Rush pressured them to make a new follow-up. However, some critics believed while doing it, they failed. This album, Signals, was published in 1982 as the ninth album of Rush. It is very synth-heavy. ”Signals” includes ”New World Man,” reached number one in the United States, and ”Subdivisions,” reached number three on the Billboard rock charts. Also, this album includes other great Rush songs such as ”Digital Man” and ”Countdown”.
4-Rush
This self-titled album is the first album of the band. The band published this album in 1974. It is interesting to listen to Rush’s album without hearing Neil Peart. Peart is such a famous drummer. When he joined the band, he became the band’s primary lyricist. Even if Led Zeppelin affected hard rock, this album could be one of the bests with its prog masterpieces. The remarkable one is a classic of Rush, ‘Working Man.’
3-A Farewell to Kings
A Farewell to Kings is considered a progressive rock masterstroke. The band published this album published in 1977. There are various versions of the songs, and the length of these songs changes 2 to 11 minutes. With this album, we can see that the members of this band improved themselves. Also, this album is the first they used synthesizers and other forms of instrumentation. The single called ”Closer to the Heart,” showed the band’s ability to write traditional classic rock tracks. Furthermore, this album includes the 11- minute epic ”Xanadu”. This song presents us with how the band could be non-conventional.
2- Moving Pictures
”Moving Pictures” is eight studio album by Rush. The band released this album in 1981. Without a doubt, it has the best opening song called ”Tom Sawyer”. This album is radio-friendly. The tracks are shorter, and they have traditional essences. It was not only critically but also commercially successful. This album reached number three in Canada and the United Kingdom. Also in the album, two songs include alienation-themed, ”Limelight,” and ”YYZ.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1uA4O6g1G4
What is the best Rush album?
1-2112
2112, published in 1976, is the fourth album of Rush. Due to the negative feedback about the previous album, the record company did not want to continue with the progressive direction. That is the reason why this album includes blues-based hard rock essentials. However, Rush members didn’t listen to others, and they made an opening song which is 20 minutes long.
As you can realize, the band completely changed their writing, playing, and producing skills. This profound change made them number five on the Canadian album charts.
What makes this album great is being the first real classic Rush album. 2112 is the first album that demonstrates members are the prog masters.
The opening track covers the first side, and the second half includes some other legendary songs like ”The Twilight Zone,” and ”A passage to Bangkok.” These are real classic masterpieces.