Is Rush more appealing and accessible than other classic prog rock bands?

[The Walrus]

Different?  Sure.  Vastly different?  Not at all.

How? Musically they are nothing alike.

They play rock. They have the same basic instrumentation and play rock music in mostly 4/4 time, songs share what is fundamentally the same structure: riff, verses, bridges, choruses, solos, bringing it back to the chorus at the end. They are absolutely very similar, only 'vastly different' when you start splitting hairs. They have recognizable, unique frontmen with unique, recognizable voices. They're two of the most successful rock bands in history, different styles but in the big picture very similar and under the same rock umbrella. Please don't make me start drinking again

[Adami]

They both had album titles that could arguably be diving terms (or diving related)?

Diver Down and....

Test for Echo?

Permanent Waves?

[HOF]

Why bring Whitesnake into this?

I suppose most Rush fans don't care for Whitesnake at all.

Big Rush fan and I like a good number of Whitesnake songs. Would expect a decent amount of overlap there as well.

[Elite]

Ah shit here we go again

Finally!

[Stadler]

They both had album titles that could arguably be diving terms (or diving related)?

Diver Down and....

Test For Echo.   I know the band didn't mean it in that fashion, but still.  Sonar is essentially predicated on a literal test for echo.

[HOF]

Essentially, if two bands have been played on the same corporate rock radio stations for 40 years, it shouldn’t be surprising that they might have some overlapping fans.

[Stadler]

Why bring Whitesnake into this?

I suppose most Rush fans don't care for Whitesnake at all.

Big Rush fan and I like a good number of Whitesnake songs. Would expect a decent amount of overlap there as well.

I view this through my lenses.  I first heard of both bands in the early to mid-80's.   We would have paper covers to our school books, and there were about five or 10 bands that seemed to show up on all the books, because they had cool logos.  You'd get the "OZZY", with the lines through the z's; you'd get KISS with the lighting S's; you'd get AC/DC... and you'd get the flying wings of the VH logo, and the circle and star of the Rush logo.   Again, I know it's me and my age group, but for me, both bands were touring arenas at that time and had hit songs/albums.

(It's a couple years later, but Whitesnake, with "Slide It In" in '84, fits right into that.)

[bosk1]

"Trapper Keepers are still cool though, right?"

[Lowdz]

Why bring Whitesnake into this?

I suppose most Rush fans don't care for Whitesnake at all.

Big Rush fan and I like a good number of Whitesnake songs. Would expect a decent amount of overlap there as well.

Huge fan of both. Don’t see why they would be mutually exclusive

[HOF]

Why bring Whitesnake into this?

I suppose most Rush fans don't care for Whitesnake at all.

Big Rush fan and I like a good number of Whitesnake songs. Would expect a decent amount of overlap there as well.

I view this through my lenses.  I first heard of both bands in the early to mid-80's.   We would have paper covers to our school books, and there were about five or 10 bands that seemed to show up on all the books, because they had cool logos.  You'd get the "OZZY", with the lines through the z's; you'd get KISS with the lighting S's; you'd get AC/DC... and you'd get the flying wings of the VH logo, and the circle and star of the Rush logo.   Again, I know it's me and my age group, but for me, both bands were touring arenas at that time and had hit songs/albums.

(It's a couple years later, but Whitesnake, with "Slide It In" in '84, fits right into that.)

Another aspect that ties bands like Rush, VH, and Whitesnake is that those acts all featured prominent instrumentalists (Peart, EVH, Sykes/Vai) who would have appealed to the more musically inclined rock listener. Heck, Rush brought Mr. Big on tour with them several times, and I assume the thinking was similar (band of virtuosos even if they don’t play the same type of hard rock).

[pg1067]

I can say with 100% certainty I did not miss these questions as if WR was magically transplanted onto planet Earth by aliens at the age of 21. 

[King Postwhore]

I've seen every band mentioned, live.   I am the missing link.

[pg1067]

Different?  Sure.  Vastly different?  Not at all.

How? Musically they sound vastly different.
Compare Lifeson's and Eddie's guitar playing. They sound nothing alike.

In their prime eras of popularity, both were hard rock bands that were, at the core, guitar, bass and drums.  I'm not saying they were indistinguishable or anything, but "vastly different" and "they sound nothing alike" go too far.

And...wait for it...there are people on this planet who enjoy music that is vastly different.  I enjoy Mussorgsky, Beethoven, Celine Dion, the Police, Metallica, UFO and the Beatles.

They both had album titles that could arguably be diving terms (or diving related)?

Diver Down and....

Test For Echo.   I know the band didn't mean it in that fashion, but still.  Sonar is essentially predicated on a literal test for echo.

That's a heck of a stretch.  I was actually thinking Grace under Pressure.

Essentially, if two bands have been played on the same corporate rock radio stations for 40 years, it shouldn’t be surprising that they might have some overlapping fans.

Exactly.

[King Postwhore]

Use your "Signals" folks.

[bosk1]

Heck, Rush brought Mr. Big on tour with them several times, and I assume the thinking was similar (band of virtuosos even if they don’t play the same type of hard rock).

I suspect it was more the label's decision than the bands, and the thinking was more along the lines of, "These two rock bands that are available at the same time, are both on the same radio playlists and are close enough. Looks like this would be a good tour." 

[The Walrus]

"Trapper Keepers are still cool though, right?"

Hahahaha

[WildRanger]

They have recognizable, unique frontmen with unique, recognizable voices.

David Lee Roth is a pretty clown-ish frontman unlike Geddy Lee, who is very serious. Totally different types of frotmen.

[The Walrus]

They have recognizable, unique frontmen with unique, recognizable voices.

David Lee Roth is a pretty clown-ish frontman unlike Geddy Lee, who is very serious. Totally different types of frotmen.

Right. None of that invalidates what I said, which is that they are recognizable and unique. You are so bad at this omg

[Elite]

I noticed there is a big overplap between Rush and Van Halen fans.

Where? How?

Isn't it surprising to you?

No, not really to be honest.

Rush and VH are vastly different styles of rock music.

No, they're not.

[Stadler]

I noticed there is a big overplap between Rush and Van Halen fans.

Where? How?

He caught a Rush fan sleeping with his Van Halen-loving girlfriend.  That's the "big overlap".   

[King Postwhore]

They are different but both popular.  Fans can like different styles.  What's the big whoop?

I want meatloaf tonight, tomorrow I'd like sushi.

[jammindude]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

[King Postwhore]

I noticed there is a big overplap between Rush and Van Halen fans.

Where? How?

He caught a Rush fan sleeping with his Van Halen-loving girlfriend.  That's the "big overlap".   

This analogy doesn't work the other way though. Girl Rush fans?

[Elite]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Come on.. 'vastly different styles of rock music' when they both draw from the hard rock idiom from the late 60s and early 70s... Both bands adapted their sound roughly to what was going on in the contemporary rock scene. I can see how they're different, sure. To anyone not as invested in music though, they could be the same band with a different vocalist. Maybe remove some of Rush's epics for a more accurate comparison.

'Vastly different styles' is way too exaggerated to me.

[pg1067]

They have recognizable, unique frontmen with unique, recognizable voices.

David Lee Roth is a pretty clown-ish frontman unlike Geddy Lee, who is very serious. Totally different types of frotmen.

Right. None of that invalidates what I said, which is that they are recognizable and unique. You are so bad at this omg

[Stadler]

I noticed there is a big overplap between Rush and Van Halen fans.

Where? How?

He caught a Rush fan sleeping with his Van Halen-loving girlfriend.  That's the "big overlap".   

This analogy doesn't work the other way though. Girl Rush fans?

Haha, I thought the same thing.  Great minds.... 

[HOF]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Just in terms of guitar sound 1980s Alex and Eddie aren’t all that different. But I think the similarities are more in terms of the overall sound pallet (heavy rock, big drums, high pitched vocals). The actual songs aren’t similar (Rush don’t write about girls and parties, though they do sometimes write about cars). 1970s isn’t very much like VH, but it also isn’t very much like 1980s Rush.

[Stadler]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Come on.. 'vastly different styles of rock music' when they both draw from the hard rock idiom from the late 60s and early 70s... Both bands adapted their sound roughly to what was going on in the contemporary rock scene. I can see how they're different, sure. To anyone not as invested in music though, they could be the same band with a different vocalist. Maybe remove some of Rush's epics for a more accurate comparison.

'Vastly different styles' is way too exaggerated to me.

Elite, I'm with you on this one.    You can tie some very specific lines back from both Rush and Van Halen to Led Zeppelin and Cream in particular. They certainly went in different directions over decades, but they are plants from the same garden.

[WildRanger]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Come on.. 'vastly different styles of rock music' when they both draw from the hard rock idiom from the late 60s and early 70s... Both bands adapted their sound roughly to what was going on in the contemporary rock scene. I can see how they're different, sure. To anyone not as invested in music though, they could be the same band with a different vocalist. Maybe remove some of Rush's epics for a more accurate comparison.

'Vastly different styles' is way too exaggerated to me.

I still think they sound vastly different. Van Halen songs are mostly party-type hard rock tunes, while Rush are prog hard rock. And their lyrical themes are nothing alike. Just compare two songs from the same year (1978): The Trees and Running With the Devil. They have absolutely nothing in common.

And I also think that two hard rock bands can sound very different. For example compare Deep Purple and Van Halen. Or Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult.

[HOF]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Come on.. 'vastly different styles of rock music' when they both draw from the hard rock idiom from the late 60s and early 70s... Both bands adapted their sound roughly to what was going on in the contemporary rock scene. I can see how they're different, sure. To anyone not as invested in music though, they could be the same band with a different vocalist. Maybe remove some of Rush's epics for a more accurate comparison.

'Vastly different styles' is way too exaggerated to me.

I still think they sound vastly different. Van Halen songs are mostly party-type hard rock tunes, while Rush are prog hard rock. And their lyrical themes are nothing alike. Just compare two songs from the same year (1978): The Trees and Running With the Devil. They have absolutely nothing in common.

And I also think that two hard rock bands can sound very different. For example compare Deep Purple and Van Halen. Or Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult.

It’s all a continuum really. Those 4 bands are closer to one end of the rock spectrum, with Rush being maybe a little further down one direction or another but all of them being a lot closer to each other than to a band like maybe Eagles or Tom Petty, but even they would be closer than say Nine Inch Nails or Radiohead, and even they would be closer than someone like Taylor Swift, but even she would be closer than Beyoncé and so on and so forth.

[Elite]

I don't care about Van Halen at all, so I'm hesitant to even try to make point (party because it's going to be futile anyway). Whatever man. On the big spectrum of all available music, all hard rock bands are the same musically. I didn't even bring up lyrics, that's your doing. Nice going by picking 'The Trees', you could have made it a bit more difficult for yourself by going with 'Working Man' for instance or 'Red Barchetta'.

Using your own trick of comparing two songs from the same year, let's do 'Between the Wheels' vs 'Jump', both 1984. See if you can spot the similarities. I can

[romdrums]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

They both have band members named Alex.  Both drummers played Ludwig drums at some point. 

[Adami]

Elite...you had me until the last one.

I see virtually zero similarities between Rush and VH... I mean, unless you want to draw similarities between ALL bands that use electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

They both have band members named Alex.  Both drummers played Ludwig drums at some point. 

Both have singers with the name Lee in them?

[pg1067]

Van Halen songs are mostly . . . hard rock tunes, while Rush are . . . hard rock.

Exactly.

And their lyrical themes are nothing alike. Just compare two songs from the same year (1978): The Trees and Running With the Devil. They have absolutely nothing in common.

Yes, when you intentionally select two songs out of several hundred that are very dissimilar, the result should not be surprising.  But how about Red Barchetta and Panama?

Or...let's play a game.  See if you can spot the Rush lyrics (no cheating!):

(a) "Yeah, oh yeah.  Ooh, said I, I'm coming back to look for you, ooh, said I'm, I'm going by the back door."
(b) "Well I been hustling here, I been hustling there, I been searching for about a week, and I started feeling this strange sensation, my knees are starting getting weak."
(c) "On every wall and place my fearsome name is heard."
(d) "Well, I see you standin' there with your finger in the air, everything we do you want to leave it up to you."
(e) "Everybody's looking for something, something to fill in the holes, we think a lot but don't talk much about it 'til things get out of control."
(f) "Better people, better food, and better beer!"
(g) "I've got a livin' that's rough, a future that's tough, you know what I mean, blankers and boasters, all the bluffers and posers, I'm not into that scene."

All that being said, it's certainly true that the two bands' most significant dissimilarity is lyrics, but you seem to be ignoring a great many similarities to emphasize the obvious differences.  Moreover, going back to your original point, why is it surprising that a lot of people like musical artists that aren't complete clones of each other?

[jjrock88]

Rush and Van Halen are both in my top five favorite bands. I’ve never once thought to myself how two of my favorite bands are so vastly different. Of course they have a different sound, but both are kick ass rock/hard rock (whatever category they fall into).