Official Top 75 Rush songs Thread!!! (Top 2 revealed!!)

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

18 The Trees
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (DragonAttack)

I had this at 15, which seems about right as I usually have this one in that 10-15 sweet spot.  This is one I thought was awesome the first time I heard it, and my view in that regard has never wavered.  I get that some do not like the lyrics, but they work when viewing them metaphorically, IMO.


17 The Camera Eye
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (Puppies_On_Acid)

I like this song a lot; it came in at 53 on my list.  I do think a stronger hook could have made it an all-timer (in the sense of Rush classics for me, as it is already set in stone as the long song on Rush's most iconic record), but it's still damn great from start to finish.

The Trees - This was at #26, so not quite as high as the consensus. I do love this song though, lyrics and music. I also like the metaphorical nature of the lyrics. The slower middle part and the subsequent build up into the guitar solo is just sublime.

The Camera Eye - My placing this at #2 should be enough said. I just absolutely love this song. Something about the quiet intro with those opening synths just stirs a huge sense of nostalgia and sentimentality in me. It brings back good memories of growing up. Then the build up into the song proper is just expertly done. Then that riff going into the verses is just a perfect segue into the vocals. Plus all the little subtle keyboards drizzled throughout just provide all kinds of nuggets. I always seem to hear something new when I listen to this song.

16 The Analog Kid
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Deadeye21)

It would appear that most like this song a lot more than I do.  Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan, but it only finished at 52 for me; I guess there are just many I like more.  It was always great live, with the lasers during the chorus, although I was always surprised that it wasn't played more often (just 1 tour in the 21st century).


15 Jacob’s Ladder
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 6
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95)

This is always in my top 5, and when I did the ranking engine, it finished at 3, so I must have been in a "Jacob's Ladder is more awesome than normal" mood that day.  Just a flawless piece of music, and easily one of their best songs ever.  I was hoping it would finish top 10, but 15 isn't bad at all, all things considered.  The three who left it off of their lists need to be publicly shamed, however.

The Analog Kid - This was at #18 for me, so pretty close to the overall. My first exposure to this song was on the Different Stages live album and my goodness what a rockin song! I didn't buy the Signals album until about 6 months later. Yeah my Rush journey was a bit weird. I started with Moving Pictures, then bought Roll the Bones in '91 when it released. Then I somehow missed Counterparts when it released, but bought Test For Echo on release and then Different Stages when it released. Different Stages was the album that turned Rush into my favorite band and a big part of it was the live versions of 2112 and The Analog Kid, so once I was able to scrounge up enough money (I was only 13 at the time) I bought both 2112 and Signals. From that point it was just a flood of buying Rush albums. I had all of them that were released up to that point by late 1999. Oddly enough Counterparts was the last one I bought. /Tangent over

Jacob's Ladder - I feel like this should have been a lot higher in my ranking. It somehow landed at #62. Looking at my list it probably should have been about 20 spots higher. Oh well. It's a great song with a great moody buildup.

[nick_z]

The Analog Kid (ranked #31)

Ranked a bit lower than the aggregate, but it doesn't matter. It's an incredibly cool song, at the same time "warm" and rocking. Everything is good, the main riff, the chorus and, man, the "Too many hands on my time" part. Love that chord progression, and when they reprise it, it's a triumph (wish that part was a little longer, actually)

Jacob's Ladder (ranked #23)

100% agree with the comments about how deceptively complex this is. Alex's and Neil's work on this is especially stellar. It was GREAT to witness it live.

[The Realm]

We have 14 left to go. Without spotlighting (of course) I can honestly say I am not exactly sure of what all 14 songs are...kind of could go either way on a couple so is going to be really interesting. Depending on which way it goes I will be a bit surprised at what may miss out.

Really looking forward to seeing how it plays out though.

Now I am off to listen to Territories 10 times in a row because after jammindudes great writeup I have to be missing something!

[jammindude]

We have 14 left to go. Without spotlighting (of course) I can honestly say I am not exactly sure of what all 14 songs are...kind of could go either way on a couple so is going to be really interesting. Depending on which way it goes I will be a bit surprised at what may miss out.

Really looking forward to seeing how it plays out though.

Now I am off to listen to Territories 10 times in a row because after jammindudes great writeup I have to be missing something!

 

[jammindude]

I have to say that I’m a little stumped.

I just looked through my top 25 and there are 13 “fan revered classics” that haven’t been mentioned yet…but in looking at my entire list I’m at a complete loss as to what the 14th song would be.

[The Letter M]

I have to say that I’m a little stumped.

I just looked through my top 25 and there are 13 “fan revered classics” that haven’t been mentioned yet…but in looking at my entire list I’m at a complete loss as to what the 14th song would be.

"Rivendell", of course. 

-Marc.

[TAC]

I have to say that I’m a little stumped.

I just looked through my top 25 and there are 13 “fan revered classics” that haven’t been mentioned yet…but in looking at my entire list I’m at a complete loss as to what the 14th song would be.

"Rivendell", of course. 

-Marc.

STOP SPOTLIGHTING!!!

[DTA]

I have to say that I’m a little stumped.

I just looked through my top 25 and there are 13 “fan revered classics” that haven’t been mentioned yet…but in looking at my entire list I’m at a complete loss as to what the 14th song would be.

I definitely count 14 when I look through what's missing.

[pg1067]

We have 14 left to go. Without spotlighting (of course) I can honestly say I am not exactly sure of what all 14 songs are.

I have to say that I’m a little stumped.

I just looked through my top 25 and there are 13 “fan revered classics” that haven’t been mentioned yet…but in looking at my entire list I’m at a complete loss as to what the 14th song would be.

I feel 100% confident in what songs are left.  Seem kind of obvious when you think about what albums are left.

About 10 songs ago, I wasn't sure.  Once Red Sector A and Distant Early Warning were announced, all doubt was removed.

[Deadeye21]

There’s a few that feel like a given. But there’s a few others that feel like I’m gonna feel stupid upon their reveal for not remembering to put them in my own list?

[Lethean]

20 Distant Early Warning
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 6 (wolfking)

I have couple friends who are longtime Rush fans as well, and both, while still liking this song, are a bit sick of it, but it is one I have never got tired or and probably never will. I still love it like crazy, and still enjoy it just as much as I did many years ago when I first heard it.  I had it at 14, and am pleased to see it made the top 20.


19 Available Light
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 1 (HOF)

I double checked the math on everything to make sure I had correct, but I was so stunned by how this finish, I tripled checked this one, just to make sure it was correct.  I knew the online fans loved this song, but it finishing this high? Wow. I had it at 54, which I still think seems about right, but many have mad love for it.

Couple of great songs here

Distant Early Warning - This one came in at #49. It might have gone a little higher but, like many here, I suffer from burnout on this track. It's a great song with great lyrics and I love the vocal melodies. I'm also a fan of the general mix on GUP. I like that cold, stark sound when it fits the music like it does on GUP.

Available Light - I had this at #11, but looking at my list now it probably could have gone a few spots higher. This song is the complete package. Great vocals, check! Perfect usage of keyboards, check! Spine tingling melodies, check! Fantastic drum workout by Neil, check! Short, but oh so sweet, guitar solo, check! I just absolutely love this song!

And perfect lyrics - check.

I have no idea how I'd be able to rank 75 Rush songs in any kind of order, but this song would certainly be near the top somewhere.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

20 Distant Early Warning
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 6 (wolfking)

I have couple friends who are longtime Rush fans as well, and both, while still liking this song, are a bit sick of it, but it is one I have never got tired or and probably never will. I still love it like crazy, and still enjoy it just as much as I did many years ago when I first heard it.  I had it at 14, and am pleased to see it made the top 20.


19 Available Light
Appeared on 19 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 1 (HOF)

I double checked the math on everything to make sure I had correct, but I was so stunned by how this finish, I tripled checked this one, just to make sure it was correct.  I knew the online fans loved this song, but it finishing this high? Wow. I had it at 54, which I still think seems about right, but many have mad love for it.

Couple of great songs here

Distant Early Warning - This one came in at #49. It might have gone a little higher but, like many here, I suffer from burnout on this track. It's a great song with great lyrics and I love the vocal melodies. I'm also a fan of the general mix on GUP. I like that cold, stark sound when it fits the music like it does on GUP.

Available Light - I had this at #11, but looking at my list now it probably could have gone a few spots higher. This song is the complete package. Great vocals, check! Perfect usage of keyboards, check! Spine tingling melodies, check! Fantastic drum workout by Neil, check! Short, but oh so sweet, guitar solo, check! I just absolutely love this song!

And perfect lyrics - check.

Agreed!

[nobloodyname]

Leave Tai Shan out of it.

Everyone else did.

[KevShmev]

Opinions were all over the map on the first of the below...


14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)

This is the only song to be the number 1 on four lists, yet it only finished at 14. I had it at 50, it finished below 50 on five other lists, and two other lists omitted it altogether.  Very good song, yes, but I have never bought the hype as this being some amazing sidelong epic. Parts of it are great, some parts are just pretty good, IMO.


13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

I had this at 19, and even I was a little surprised it finished this high. I thought it would be top 25 for sure, but 13? Wow.  Great song, and while it is not my favorite from Grace Under Pressure, the consensus here says it is, as its the highest ranked song from that record.

[Deadeye21]

14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)


13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

Hemispheres was my number 2. It’s almost odd to see it this low.
This follows on perfectly from the closer of the previous album, and is the best sidelong they’ve ever done. Yes. It’s better than 2112, imho. Come at me, bro. Better soloing, better storyline, and a lot more heart, I feel.

Between the Wheels was my number 12. Dark, yet hopeful. Heavy, yet melodic. I love this song, that’s all there really is to say. There isn’t a song better than it on Grace Under Pressure, and it’s well deserving of its rank here.

[HOF]

Hemispheres was number 70 for me. This is more of a reflection of my preference for other eras. Among the 70s prog epics, this is right up near the top for me. It’s one I have at times been really into, but maybe not one I revisit very often due to the length. Will try to set some time aside today. It starts out really strong, but like most of their epics has a lengthy dead space in it (kind of annoying how they used that to pad out long songs so often). I think the ending is a bit disappointing given how strongly it starts, and I have to be in the mood for banshee Geddy to really get into it, but overall I think it’s pretty great.

Between The Wheels I’m almost certain I first heard on R30 (I was still working my way through all the back catalog at that point), and I remember being totally blown away. I believe I went out and picked up GUP fairly soon after. I love the haunting keyboards and bass pedals right at the start, with Alex’s howling guitar. Such an amazing atmosphere to this song. The lyrics are dark and foreboding, not totally sure what they are about but I gather it’s mostly about time and circumstances basically turning us into the rabbit going through your spinning wheels. We can dream about the future, plan and scheme and achieve what we set out to do, eventually time will wash it all away. A bit like a continuation of Losing It maybe? I guess there was also the Cold War aspect of it, that the world was always on the edge of nuclear disaster perhaps.

Musically, there is a really great balance between guitar and keys here, really great drumming especially with Neil riding those symbols on the pre-chorus. I love Alex’s solo and all the guitar sounds that wash all over the track. This is a definitely career highlight for him I think. And the chorus is so big sounding with those keys. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this one, and it could probably just have easily been my number 1, though I’ve kind of mentally had my top 3 of Emotion Detector, Between The Wheels, and Available Light for some time.

[Stadler]

The Analog Kid: I had this at #6.  I love this song.  I've written about this before, but in a lot of ways I AM the "analog kid"; that whole part about lying in the grass...  I had a special spot near a lake by my house and that invokes a lot of memories for me.

Jacob's Ladder: #17

Hemispheres: #15

Between The Wheels: #81    My animosity for the record this is from is well known, and while I recognize that this isn't a bad song, I don't quite understand why this is so high.  It's just not that much a favorite for me.

[King Postwhore]

Hemispheres was my #4 song.  A awesome Epic.

Between The Wheels was my #7.  Just love, love the song. 

[devieira73]

14 Hemispheres (#54) - I like it a lot. I think there's a lot of great musicianship and I really like that acoustic ending, but also there's a little bit of repetition and disjunction - I still think 2112 is best worked out as a big epic.
13 Between the Wheels (#9) - Just an espetacular song and THAT LIFESON SOLO!!! My fave from the amazing GUP.

[The Letter M]

Opinions were all over the map on the first of the below...


14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)

This is the only song to be the number 1 on four lists, yet it only finished at 14. I had it at 50, it finished below 50 on five other lists, and two other lists omitted it altogether.  Very good song, yes, but I have never bought the hype as this being some amazing sidelong epic. Parts of it are great, some parts are just pretty good, IMO.

Interesting that it had so many Top Place finishes, myself included, but only ended up at 14 overall. I'm not sure I *really* love it enough to be number one, but my Top 5 feel like they could have all been number one in the end, but the sorter just sorted "Hemispheres" into first place for me.

13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

I had this at 19, and even I was a little surprised it finished this high. I thought it would be top 25 for sure, but 13? Wow.  Great song, and while it is not my favorite from Grace Under Pressure, the consensus here says it is, as its the highest ranked song from that record.

This ranked 56th for me. I'll be honest, I did not expect to see this in the Top 20, let alone placing 13th, but I think the song had a huge bump in the 21st century having appeared on (I think) three separate tours. It's definitely one of their better album closers from the 80s onward, and easily one of my favorites from GUP. The song just has a very dark and almost unsettling feel to it with its off-beat synths and heavy drumming.

-Marc.

[SoundscapeMN]

surprised to not see Hemispheres in the Top 5, let alone even the Top 10.

4 people voted it in #1 even. I guess it depends on how the rankings are being done, but in some systems, it would likely have been higher.

[romdrums]

14. Hemispheres (N/A).  Given this forum's obsession with song length, it's not surprising to see so many people have it ranked #1.  I've never really understood the fuss about this one.  I think 2112 is better in every respect, and I'm glad the band left sidelong epics behind after this.  Great playing on it, but Hemispheres the album is the point where they had stretched their capabilities as players to the max.

13. Between the Wheels (3).  LOVE. THIS. SONG.  Glad I got to see it on the Snakes and Arrows tour, because they nailed it.  Alex's guitar work on this is awesome.

[pg1067]

14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)

This is the only song to be the number 1 on four lists, yet it only finished at 14. I had it at 50, it finished below 50 on five other lists, and two other lists omitted it altogether.  Very good song, yes, but I have never bought the hype as this being some amazing sidelong epic. Parts of it are great, some parts are just pretty good, IMO.

Holy shit!  #14?!  Not only is this crazy on its own, but it's even more baffling given that (sorry Kev) 2112 is obviously going to finish higher.  I don't even know what to say at this point....  Wow...just wow....  There's so much complexity and nuance here.  It's 2112 all grown up.  Geddy's bass playing is off the charts amazing.  It's the song that gave a chord its identity and gave me a headstone quote.  Random anecdote:  Between 1985-88, I worked at a Baskin-Robbins at a mall with one of my best friends.  We were allowed to have music on, and Hemispheres played pretty regularly.  We were always making fun of the guy who owned the franchise (named Ron), who would often show up for the last hour before closing on weekends.  One time, as the Cygnus section was starting, my friend and I ad libbed the lyrics to talk about the chaos of the mall and "Ronnie" hearing our silent cry to close early.  We had each other in stitches, and I can remember the made up lyrics to this day.

13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

I had this at 19, and even I was a little surprised it finished this high. I thought it would be top 25 for sure, but 13? Wow.  Great song, and while it is not my favorite from Grace Under Pressure, the consensus here says it is, as its the highest ranked song from that record.

The ranking engine website seems to be down this morning, so I don't know where I had this song ranked.  I go back and forth between this song and The Enemy Within as my favorite on GUP.  I'm guessing I had this song somewhere in the 30s.  Very synth heavy but not nearly as harsh and tinny as most of GUP.  The prechorus and chorus are excellent.


The Score So Far
- Rush - 1 song of 8 (12.5% or 17.86% of album time):  Working Man - #56)
- Fly by Night - 3 songs of 8 (37.5% or 43.67% of album time):  Fly by Night - #70; By-Tor and the Snow Dog - #38; Anthem - #36
- Caress of Steel - 2 songs of 5 (40% or 38.15% of album time):  The Necromancer - #67; Bastille Day - #59
- 2112 - 2 songs of 6 (33.33% or 19.42% of album time):  Something for Nothing - #63; A Passage to Bangkok - #58
- A Farewell to Kings - 3 songs of 6 (50% or 51.57% of album time):  Closer to the Heart - #43; A Farewell to Kings - #26; Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage - #23
- Hemispheres - 3 songs of 4 (75% or 73.51% of album time):  Circumstances - #45; The Trees - #18; Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres - #14
- Permanent Waves - 3 songs of 6 (50% or 45.13% of album time):  Different Strings - #57; Entre Nous - #53; Jacob's Ladder - #15
- Moving Pictures - 3 songs of 7 (42.86% or 51.25% of album time):  Vital Signs - #51; Witch Hunt - #38; The Camera Eye - #17
- Signals - 6 songs of 8 (75% or 75.22% of album time):  Countdown - #68; New World Man - #54; The Weapon - #48; Digital Man - #47; Losing It - #25; The Analog Kid - #16
- Grace Under Pressure - 5 songs of 8 (62.5% or 64.51% of album time):  The Enemy Within - #49; Afterimage - #29; Red Sector A - #21; Distant Early Warning - #20; Grace Under Pressure
- Power Windows - 7 songs of 8 (87.5% or 86.19% of album time):  Emotion Detector - #66; Grand Designs - #37; Mystic Rhythms - #35; Middletown Dreams - #31; The Big Money - #30; Territories #24; Manhattan Project - #22
- Hold Your Fire - 5 songs of 10 (50% or 40.19% of album time):  Prime Mover - #73; Open Secrets - #72; Force Ten - #50; Mission - #44; Time Stand Still - #34
- Presto - 4 songs of 11 (36.36% or 39.62% of album time):  Presto - #69; Show Don't Tell - #64; The Pass - #33; Available Light - #19
- Roll the Bones - 4 songs of 10 (40% or 41.62% of album time):  Roll the Bones - #75; Ghost of a Chance - #52; Bravado - #41; Dreamline - #32
- Counterparts - 6 songs of 11 (54.55% or 54.24% of album time):  Double Agent - #74; Everyday Glory - #65; Cut to the Chase - #61; Cold Fire - #60; Leave That Thing Alone - #40; Animate - #28
- Test for Echo - 2 songs of 11 (18.18% or 19.41% of album time):  Test for Echo - #71; Driven - #62
- Vapor Trails - NO SONGS (0%)
- Snakes & Arrows - NO SONGS (0%)
- Clockwork Angels - 4 songs of 12 (33.33% or 41.58% of album time):  Clockwork Angels - #55; Headlong Flight - #46; Caravan - #42; The Garden - #27

[pg1067]

surprised to not see Hemispheres in the Top 5, let alone even the Top 10.

4 people voted it in #1 even. I guess it depends on how the rankings are being done, but in some systems, it would likely have been higher.

I'm sure Kev explained this, but I believe it works this way:

The #1 song on each person's ranking gets 75 points.  The #2 song gets 74 points....  The #75 song gets 1 point.  Add up the points between all the lists and sort.  Therefore, while the four #1 votes gave Hemispheres 300 points, HOF putting it at #70, devieira having it at #57 and romdrums not ranking it means that it only got 25 points between those three lists.

It's definitely one of their better album closers from the 80s onward, and easily one of my favorites from GUP. The song just has a very dark and almost unsettling feel to it with its off-beat synths and heavy drumming.

I'd say:

1. Natural Science
2. Available Light
3. Countdown
4. Between the Wheels
5. Everyday Glory
6. Out of the Cradle
7. Vital Signs

Everything else is WAY below that.

[HOF]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

[romdrums]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

[HOF]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

Yeah, I’ve always liked that one too. Had it at 45 actually. Not sure why it seems to be so disfavored.

[DTA]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

Yeah, I’ve always liked that one too. Had it at 45 actually. Not sure why it seems to be so disfavored.

I love TBE but I'm guessing the 1001001-SOS has something to do with it.  Virtuality is nearly a top 10 song for me despite its lyrics and I know others would probably rank it a lot higher if it had different words

[HOF]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

Yeah, I’ve always liked that one too. Had it at 45 actually. Not sure why it seems to be so disfavored.

I love TBE but I'm guessing the 1001001-SOS has something to do with it.  Virtuality is nearly a top 10 song for me despite its lyrics and I know others would probably rank it a lot higher if it had different words

Virtuality is great (43 on my list). There’s not a darn thing wrong with that lyric.

[TAC]

14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)

13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

I had Hemispheres at #6. This is a great song, and I believe it's the blueprint for Dream Theater. The first time I ever heard Dream Theater, my first thought was...this is the music Rush should be playing. They are an extension of Hemisperes. I'm kind of surprised it didn't make the Top 10, honestly.


I had Between The Wheels at #21. As much as I love this song, I actually surprised to see it this high.

[pg1067]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

Yeah, I’ve always liked that one too. Had it at 45 actually. Not sure why it seems to be so disfavored.

I love TBE but I'm guessing the 1001001-SOS has something to do with it.  Virtuality is nearly a top 10 song for me despite its lyrics and I know others would probably rank it a lot higher if it had different words

Virtuality is great (43 on my list). There’s not a darn thing wrong with that lyric.

I could go on and on about why The Body Electric isn't well regarded.  The chorus is one of many reasons.  I had Virtuality right around #75.  It'd be better without some of the silly lyrics and the dial-up modem emulator guitar.  The ranking engine is still down, so I don't know exactly where I had TBE, but I'm guessing below 100.

[The Realm]

14 Hemispheres
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (jammindude, Puppies_On_Acid, pg1067, The Letter M)

13 Between the Wheels
Appeared on 22 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 2 (HOF)

Hemispheres - my rank 39. I agree with Kev's writeup for this one. Some awesome parts, but also parts I don't love. However, I can understand the love this one. I guess when I now review my list it could have been higher.

Between the Wheels - my rank 66. Really surprised to see this song so high, I really didn't know it was so loved. I did rank all the GUP songs that appeared in the top 75, didn't rank the other 3 songs and Between the Wheels was my lowest by far, it is a great song though...(rankings are hard).

[wolfking]

HOF just beat me with BTW.  I think I had it at number 3 or 4.

[KevShmev]

I'm sure Kev explained this, but I believe it works this way:

The #1 song on each person's ranking gets 75 points.  The #2 song gets 74 points....  The #75 song gets 1 point.  Add up the points between all the lists and sort.  Therefore, while the four #1 votes gave Hemispheres 300 points, HOF putting it at #70, devieira having it at #57 and romdrums not ranking it means that it only got 25 points between those three lists.

Correct.

Holy shit!  #14?!  Not only is this crazy on its own, but it's even more baffling given that (sorry Kev) 2112 is obviously going to finish higher. 

How so?  2112 is the better song (opinions!!), is far more iconic, and the band obviously thought it was way better (see how much 2112 was played over the years vs Hemispheres).

I know the Hemispheres truthers will argue in favor of their song, but I will point to the scoreboard. 

[MrMike]

So with Grace Under Pressure done, I can now openly lament the lack of love for Kid Gloves. It’s such a cool track with some really great playing by Alex. That opening riff always sucks me in. I had it ranked 19th, one of 3 in my top 20 confirmed to have not made the list (with 3 more unrevealed but almost certain to place). The other two were The Color of Right (17) and Vapor Trail (14).

I had The Body Electric in my list. Always thought that was a cool song.

I'm a big fan of both Kid Gloves (29) and The Body Electric (11).  I think rhythmically speaking, TBE is one of the most interesting songs they ever did.  The R40 live version is what really opened my eyes to how clever it is.  It's become my second fave on GUP after BTW (9).