Favorite Rush "Sector"?

[The Letter M]

Plain and simple, and I didn't think I've seen this poll on here anywhere before, so I figured why not now.

As it stands, each "Sector" has four albums, although if you exclude the covers album, the sectors tend to have about the same amount of music (by minute) since their last three albums all exceed 60 minutes each. The breakdown:
Sector 1 ~ 161:30
Sector 2 ~ 149:09
Sector 3 ~ 177:40
Sector 4 ~ 207:58
Sector 5 ~ 196:04

Well, by "about the same amount", it's really a wide spread between 150 and 200 minutes, although this is prog - length isn't everything, but those stats are just there for comparison's sake. ANYWAYS, which grouping of albums is YOUR favorite? I'll have to sit and think upon my choice for a little while.

-Marc.

[Bolsters]

Sector 2. I could never get into their early albums or the 80's synth stuff, and only a couple of albums in the post-1990 appeal to me. On the other hand, I like all four albums in Sector 2. So, this is a no-brainer.

[Nick]

I'm voting for Sector 2, and don't really see any way that's not going to win. After that things get really tough.

[KevShmev]

Option 2 will obviously win in a rout, but I voted for the synth era simply because it's vastly underrated by a portion of the fanbase, it always needs more love, and it is probably the "sector" I've listened to the most over the last few years.

[Jaq]

Sector 2, though I have more love than most for the synth era, especially Power Windows. Sector 2 though, damn, look at those albums. 

[TheAtliator]

I like all the Rush stuff from what I've heard, but so far it seems 2112-MP is the best era. So that means sector two in this poll. I don't think I'll ever change my mind on this in the future, but I might.

[Anguyen92]

In all honesty, I really enjoy Sector 5 the most.  I don't have a distinct reason for it.  Maybe it's because everyone keeps saying that Sector 2 is the best Rush era (and rightfully so), which means that, as a result, I can't really connect well enough without looking a little sheepish.  Another reason I enjoy Sector 5 is because that is the age where I got into music around that time period.  Also, the live performances in the DVDs of those songs are really top-notch, especially the Snakes & Arrows songs where I had the most amount of enjoyment from it.  So yeah.

Edit: And that's 400 posts for me.  Awesome.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Sector 2 definitely. It's missing 2112, but just look at it. A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres by themselves would make the cut, but then there's also Moving Pictures.

[Cruithne]

I imagine that it's quite unusual that Grace Under Pressure is my favourite Rush album, but the run of albums it's listed in is more variable in quality than the AFTK->MP run. I can't, in all good conscience, vote for an era that produced Tai Shan 

Regardless, the run of Rush albums going from 2112 through to Vapor Trails (after the remix/remaster) is remarkable. To sustain that level of quality for that amount of time, for that many albums, with that amount of a drift in their writing style is impressive. Most impressive.

[Outcrier]

Sector 2, all their greatest albums.

[senecadawg2]

Really hard for me to choose between two and three. I've come to love the synth era

[YtseJamittaja]

Red sector A

No, really, as Sene above me said, hard decision between 2 and 3. I've come to love the synth era.

[wolfking]

Sector 3, by quite a lot actually.

[TAC]

A great question. Easily #2 for me. I would've gladly been a lifelong Number #1 fan of THAT band. Signals was the first studio album I bought after becoming a fan, and shocked at how different it was. That was it. Rush would fade into oblivion for a number of years after that.

That said, I find that I enjoy a lot of the synth era nowadays. Mostly because it has catchy well written choruses.

Sector 3, by quite a lot actually.

Really?? Wow.

[wolfking]

As time goes on, I just find myself being more and more of a fan of the synth stuff.  I love the older stuff, but the 80's albums just scratch me where I itch.

[Zydar]

Definitely the 2nd sector.

[TAC]

As time goes on, I just find myself being more and more of a fan of the synth stuff.  I love the older stuff, but the 80's albums just scratch me where I itch.

I actually completely understand.

[wolfking]

As time goes on, I just find myself being more and more of a fan of the synth stuff.  I love the older stuff, but the 80's albums just scratch me where I itch.

I actually completely understand.

 

[Nekov]

Sector 2. MP and PEW are in my top 3 so no contest there. Secontr 3 would have been my second choice.

[Polarbear]

Here is something controversial...

1. Sector 3
2. Sector 4
3. Sector 5
4. Sector 2




5. Sector 1

[Mister Gold]

Sector 3, by quite a lot actually.

[hefdaddy42]

length isn't everything

True.  Girth is also important.

[?]

I had a hard time deciding between sectors 2 and 4... 2 has some of their greatest albums, but I don't like AFTK that much (*puts flameshield on*). 4, on the other hand, includes my favorite album (Counterparts) and some other great albums too. In the end I went with the latter, because 2 is winning by a landslide anyway. I like the synth era albums a lot as well, but they aren't along my absolute favorites.

[Big Hath]

2
3
4
1
5

a bit of a gap between 2 and 3, mostly because 2 had three of my top 17 albums (all four albums would have been in my top 50 had I not limited it to three per band).  But they are all strong in their own way.

[Dublagent66]

Option 2 will obviously win in a rout, but I voted for the synth era simply because it's vastly underrated by a portion of the fanbase, it always needs more love, and it is probably the "sector" I've listened to the most over the last few years.

Sector 3 vastly underrated, so true.  I'm torn between 2 and 3.  Became a fan during 3 (PW), but the musicianship during 2 was superior especially during the 3 album stretch from Hemi through MP.

[King Postwhore]

As a whole, Sector II is the best all around group but my favorite Rush Album is in Sector III.

length isn't everything

True.  Girth is also important.

Ask Ron Jeremy because how else would he use his tool if didn't hit these criteria's.

[Lolzeez]

Option 2 will obviously win in a rout, but I voted for the synth era simply because it's vastly underrated by a portion of the fanbase, it always needs more love, and it is probably the "sector" I've listened to the most over the last few years.

[ColdFireYYZ]

As much as I love their classic period, I feel like they improved in the 80s and were more focused, for lack of a better word. Also, Neil became a much better lyricist and Geddy's voice greatly improved. Granted, this was tough as Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, two of my favorites, were included in Sector 2. But the run from Signals to Hold Your Fire is nearly flawless so I went with Sector 3.

[Lowdz]

Sector 2. As much as I love Sector 3 it can't quite compete with AFTK, PW and MP. And side 2 of Hemispheres 

[jjrock88]

Sector 2 for me, but 3 is close behind.  Love the synth era

[KevShmev]

Sector 2. As much as I love Sector 3 it can't quite compete with AFTK, PW and MP. And side 2 of Hemispheres 

Hmmmm, that gives me an idea for another fun poll.

[King Postwhore]

Sector 2. As much as I love Sector 3 it can't quite compete with AFTK, PW and MP. And side 2 of Hemispheres 

Hmmmm, that gives me an idea for another fun poll.

You sure us old farts will remember?

[The Letter M]

Sector 2. As much as I love Sector 3 it can't quite compete with AFTK, PW and MP. And side 2 of Hemispheres 

Hmmmm, that gives me an idea for another fun poll.

I mean, I have any number of Rush-album-related-poll ideas swimming through my head, but this was the first I wanted to post. I could've done groupings of 3, which makes some sense, at least through the Mercury years:
Rush-FBN-COS (all their early stuff, very LZ-inspired)
2112-AFTK-HEMI (the growth of proggy stuff)
PEW-MP-SIG (concise but still very proggy stuff)
GUP-POW-HYF (more synth-concentrated, more concise)

After that, it get's a bit off with groupings like Presto-RTB-CP and TFE-VT-S&A, which leaves CA out in the cold.

But at least with these groupings, there'd be a huge split between the 2112-AFTK-HEMI crowd and the PEW-MP-SIG crowd, I'm sure, especially since it splits Sector 2 down the middle. The former has the upper hand by having 2112 in it, but the latter has Signals and for those who love PEw and MP but not the other two Sector 2 albums as much, they have their two faves plus a different one.

-Marc.

[jingle.boy]

This was an easy one.  Seeing as how 2112 + Sector 2 is (IMO) the best 5 album run by any band in the history of ever, it's no contest.

[ytserush]

Shockingly, I wasn't the only one to vote 5.

But as I've repeatedly said over the years, I'd put Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against anything they've ever done before that. Almost inexplicably with this band's track record how that can happen, but the evidence speaks for itself.