Vapor Trails is sonically awful because of the well-documented "loudness wars" compression, clipping and mastering issues. But it's some of Rush's best music. Peaceable Kingdom, One Little Victory, How it Is and Secret Touch are four of the best songs in the bands career - period, and the rest of it is stonkingly good too. It's just a shame the flipping thing gives me a headache every time I listen to it. Wait till the long-promised remaster comes out - if the audio issues are solved, you'll all be claiming it's the best Rush album ever.
I love Hold Your Fire (the only Rush album where the remaster is actually worse than the original CD), Presto (Superconductor, The Pass, Scars, Chain Lightning, Show Don't Tell, Hand Over Fist - how can you not love an album with so may great songs on it?) and Roll the Bones. To put them that far down the list shows that you, sir, are an idiot.
I tried to rank them in order, but I just can't compare the newer stuff to the older stuff. Is Counterparts better or worse than 2112? I just can't do it.