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The 50 Greatest RUSH songs of all-time (featuring # 1 from the 1970's) (1 Viewer)

Ghost Rider

Footballguy
What the heck, here we go! I can't promise my initial write-ups will be long, as I am winging this a bit, but thought this would be fun.  Note that this list is by and large dictated by my personal tastes, so don't expect to see all of the biggies at the top, and expect to see a few deep cuts in here that you wouldn't expect.  How quickly I feature the next song will be dictated by how much interest/feedback there is and whatnot. 

Top 50 thus far:

01 2112
02 La Villa Strangiato
03 Xanadu
04 Red Barchetta
05 Jacob's Ladder
06 Marathon
07 Tom Sawyer
08 The Spirit of Radio
09 Leave That Thing Alone
10 Mission
11 The Trees
12 Freewill
13 Subdivisions
14 Territories
15 YYZ
16 Natural Science
17 By-Tor and the Snow Dog
18 Red Sector A
19 Dreamline
20 Limelight
21 The Pass
22 Distant Early Warning
23 Closer to the Heart
24 Manhattan Project
25 Cold Fire
26 Bravado
27 Between the Wheels
28 Witch Hunt
29 Double Agent
30 Cygnus X-1
31 Middletown Dreams
32 Headlong Flight
33 The Weapon
34 Prime Mover
35 The Camera Eye
36 Clockwork Angels
37 Ghost of a Chance
38 The Big Money
39 Anthem
40 Animate
41 Mystic Rhythms
42 The Analog Kid
43 Different Strings
44 Turn the Page
45 The Necromancer
46 Available Light
47 The Enemy Within
48 The Anarchist
49 Time Stand Still
50 Entre Nous

The list on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59GxPPAt0h7FjRNPtngM5u?si=zrmJxEdWR_iZA3pJTx9WQg

50. Entre Nous (from the 1980 album Permanent Waves)

Always loved this tune from one of my three favorite Rush studio albums, and it was so great to see them finally play it live on the Snakes & Arrows tour in 2007.  This would actually get played from time to time on our local hard rock radio station, KSHE-95, back in the day.  I will throw out a little foreshadowing and say this is my least favorite of the six songs from this record. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm6YIoaG4LE

 
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Great thread, and an excellent choice to begin with.

I love how the following reads like a complete sentence:

Just between us I think it’s time for us to realize the spaces in between leave room for you and I to grow.

The “instrumental” piece, for lack of a better term, is amazingly done, not overdone. Also, it’s placement in the album overall works really well. Excited for this to unfold.

 
Agreed that Entre Nous is my least favorite on PW, but it’s a damn high bar to compete with the rest.

ETA: thanks for doing this, GR 👍

 
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Very minor spoiler: 

In this top 50, 15 of the 19 (original) studio albums will be represented.  Feel free to guess which four albums will not be represented and then we will see who gets them right. ;)   

 
My post-Grace Under Pressure knowledge is limited, so I’ll guess two up until then:

Caress of Steel and GUP

ETA: never mind - Caress should be represented 

 
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Rush's catalog and fandom are so diverse, I'm wondering how many personal favorites/top -five types we'll see low on your list, and vice versa.

 
Here is another to chew on till I can post another new one tomorrow night. 

49. Time Stand Still (from the 1987 album Hold Your Fire) 

The somewhat tinny "crash bangy" sound of this album might be a bit oft-putting to the non or casual fans, but it's a very much a product of its time and part of the charm of this record.  And of course, Time Stand Still is one of the standouts from it, and features one of the best lyrics ever penned by the recently-departed Neil Peart.  

"Summer's going fast
Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older

Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger

Experience slips away
Experience slips away
The innocence slips away"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMSFqXGZ5TQ

 
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I will post more in here when I have more time, but I have to make my guess.

You will not represent from Vapor Trails, Fly by Night, Rush, and Snakes and Arrows.  Going sandwich fillings only (no bread), with Clockwork Angels being your desert.

 
The other question should be which album gets the most pieces included on the list?

My guess based on his mention of EN being GR's least favorite is going to be Permanent Waves. 

 
Here is another to chew on till I can post another new one tomorrow night. 

49. Time Stand Still (from the 1987 album Hold Your Fire) 

The somewhat tinny "crash bangy" sound of this album might be a bit oft-putting to the non or casual fans, but it's a very much a product of its time and part of the charm of this record.  And of course, Time Stand Still is one of the standouts from it, and features one of the best lyrics ever penned by the recently-departed Neil Peart.  

"Summer's going fast
Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older

Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger

Experience slips away
Experience slips away
The innocence slips away"
This has always been a favorite of mine, and you are spot on with this lyric (bridge?) I was a Aimee Mann fan at the time, 'Til Tuesday was big in Boston, was surprised to hear her on the record when it first came out.

 
Omitting those two in bold would be a huge oversight.
Maybe, but with 167 songs to choose from, I can see Working Man and Fly by Night not being in his top 50.  If he is around my age, then I can see those middle years being his favorites.  

Early Rush is not for everyone is all I'm saying.  COS has Lakeside Park, and everything after that has at least one great song, with the exception of Vapor Trails (most of the bottom of my Rush list would be that album) and Snakes and Arrows, while I loved it when it came out, I don't think it aged well.  

But this is all a fun, subjective list, and I am glad he is doing it.  Even if he is being too lazy to do all 167 songs.  😃

 
Here is another to chew on till I can post another new one tomorrow night. 

49. Time Stand Still (from the 1987 album Hold Your Fire) 

The somewhat tinny "crash bangy" sound of this album might be a bit oft-putting to the non or casual fans, but it's a very much a product of its time and part of the charm of this record.  And of course, Time Stand Still is one of the standouts from it, and features one of the best lyrics ever penned by the recently-departed Neil Peart.  

"Summer's going fast
Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older

Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger

Experience slips away
Experience slips away
The innocence slips away"
HYF was the first new Rush album to come out AFTER I had become a fan, so this one has a special place in my heart, and I also seem to remember it being longer than most cassette tapes of the day.

If I remember right, most cassettes were about 40 minutes long give or take, but HYF was about 50 minutes.  I remember loving the extra time, even if some would argue that 4:18 of that could have been chopped.  

 
Caesar said:
Early Rush is not for everyone is all I'm saying. 
Then they shouldn't be Rush fans IMO. :shrug:

As for Fly By Night, I was thinking of a different tune rather than the title track.

 
Very minor spoiler: 

In this top 50, 15 of the 19 (original) studio albums will be represented.  Feel free to guess which four albums will not be represented and then we will see who gets them right. ;)   
A few albums have one song that is likely to make the list. 
With the advantage of knowing your first 2 picks - Caress of steel, test for echo, vapor trails, snakes and arrows.

 
Very minor spoiler: 

In this top 50, 15 of the 19 (original) studio albums will be represented.  Feel free to guess which four albums will not be represented and then we will see who gets them right. ;)   
Vapor Trails

Snakes and Arrows

Test for Echo'

Counterparts

 
Very minor spoiler: 

In this top 50, 15 of the 19 (original) studio albums will be represented.  Feel free to guess which four albums will not be represented and then we will see who gets them right. ;)   
Counterparts

Test For Echo

Vapor Trails

Caress Of Steel

 
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Counterparts

Test For Echo

Vapor Trails

Caress Of Steel
Not their best effort for sure, but there are a few songs on there I really like.  Driven, Half the World, and Carve Away the Stone are good enough, but I am not sure if they make my top 50, so I can see this album being one not represented.  There are just so many damn good Rush songs.

 

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