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

[KevShmev]

I am still debating which one to do next, but Maiden is certainly a strong possibility.

In the meantime, six Rush songs to go. 

[TAC]

Awesome! When are the lists due?

[KevShmev]

Calm down, Francis. Nothing is set in stone yet.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Wow, I sure fell behind on this.

#14 Hemispheres - As was shown (however many days ago that was now...) I have this as my favorite Rush song, #1! Although if I'm being honest, any of my top 6 could be interchangeable on any given day. But this feels right at number 1. The band was at their absolute peak starting with this album (a peak which I think lasted until Presto), not only instrumentally, but lyrically, creatively, and in general song-writing. This was what The Fountain of Lamneth, 2112, and Cygnus X-1 were leading up to. This was Rush perfecting the prog epic! I even love the spacey middle section (although I don't know why you wouldn't).

#13 Between the Wheels - I had this at #32. I feel like this song gets way more credit than it should. Now don't get me wrong, I love this song, but I don't think it belongs at #13, let alone above Hemispheres. I'd have to guess the love for this song had been boosted in more recent Rush tours when they brought this back. It has great lyrics and a killer solo by Lifeson.

#12 YYZ - I had this at #10, so pretty close to the overall ranking. What can I say, it would be Rush's definitive instrumental song if La Villa Strangiato didn't exist. I absolutely love this song though. I was immediately drawn to the interplay between the drums and bass. It's just so creative. Learning to play this on drums correctly, was one of the hardest songs I tried to learn on drums years ago, but eventually getting it right was so satisfying. I never tried learning the bass parts.....I'm not that good on bass...

#11 Freewill - My #4 song. Yes it's overplayed on FM radio (who even listens to FM anymore? I sure haven't in almost 20 years), yes it was overplayed on Rush tours, however, this is a song that just never got old for me. The Rush in Rio version always stands out to me, it was just absolutely majestic at that show. And granted I wasn't at the actual show in Brazil, I did see Rush on that tour in Sacramento and it was amazing there too!

#10 Marathon - This was my #5 song. What an absolutely triumphant song. The build up, the lyrical message, the perfect guitar solo leading into a great atmospheric section, and the key changes going into that spectacular finish. And like the rest of Power Windows, I just love the production and how the song sounds so open and massive. And Geddy's driving bass is amazing throughout the verses. I was glad I got to see this on the Time Machine tour, even though Geddy wasn't vocally at the top of his game. The only knock on this song is the fadeout......ugh

#9 2112 - I had this at #8. About 20 years ago I probably would have had this at #1, but other songs grew on me more as I got older. I still love it and it fills me with nostalgia every time I listen to it. Seeing this in full on the T4E tour was amazing!

#8 Limelight - So this is way down at #50 for me. I do really like this song and its lyrical message, but I kind of dislike the main riff and guitar tone of the song. It's the only thing that drags it down for me. On the other hand the guitar solo is deservedly iconic. I also really like what Neil does throughout the song. It sounds simple, but it's anything but.

#7 Natural Science - I had this at #6, so this feels right. This is one of those songs that really good top my list on any given day. I still consider this a Rush epic, even though it isn't nearly as long as their previous epics. It's an epic that is distilled down to the necessities of what should be in a prog epic. The different sections are all so well done and blend together perfectly. I wasn't a fan of how they changed the song live, I feel it lost a little of its charm. Amazing song regardless.

[Cool Chris]

If I am right, I have the remaining 6 at #2, #10, #11, #12, #25, and #29. If I am wrong, I will be shocked. But I am still stumped at which won't be unanimous picks.

[KevShmev]

Fun fact: one of the remaining songs was left off TWO lists. 

#7 Natural Science - I had this at #6, so this feels right. This is one of those songs that really good top my list on any given day. I still consider this a Rush epic, even though it isn't nearly as long as their previous epics. It's an epic that is distilled down to the necessities of what should be in a prog epic. The different sections are all so well done and blend together perfectly. I wasn't a fan of how they changed the song live, I feel it lost a little of its charm. Amazing song regardless.

Agreed.  I hated losing the "art is expression" verse and Alex's killer solo in the 3rd section. It still slayed live, but it lost a little by removing those parts.

[DragonAttack]

Not to go too far forward but Maiden is about the only other band for which I could realistically participate in a thread like this.

Is it wrong that this thread is the first web page I open when I wake up in the morning?

This is the first thing that came to my head   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvJj7SN9EWI

A shame this wasn't during football season.  It would be a better first read than the Jets.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

If I am right, I have the remaining 6 at #2, #10, #11, #12, #25, and #29. If I am wrong, I will be shocked. But I am still stumped at which won't be unanimous picks.

Yeah I think the remaining 6 are my #3, #9, #13, #17, #20, and #21

Fun fact: one of the remaining songs was left off TWO lists. 

I'm gonna guess my #3...

[KevShmev]

Fun fact: one of the remaining songs was left off TWO lists. 

I'm gonna guess my #3...

Solid guess.

[HOF]

If I am right, I have the remaining 6 at #2, #10, #11, #12, #25, and #29. If I am wrong, I will be shocked. But I am still stumped at which won't be unanimous picks.

I know because there is one song left that isn’t on my list.

[The Realm]

If I am right, I have the remaining 6 at #2, #10, #11, #12, #25, and #29. If I am wrong, I will be shocked. But I am still stumped at which won't be unanimous picks.

Well judging by what has happened so far, I'd say any of the remaining songs could easily be left off a list or two but if the reason is the overplayed/commercial aspect then I guess it is obvious...

[Cool Chris]

In contrast, Moving Pictures has always been sort of an overlooked album for me. I only bought a copy about 5 years ago, and it’s still one of my least played Rush albums as a whole. I had Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, and Limelight from the Retrospective set that was my first Rush purchase back in 2001 I think. As I made my way through the catalog, I’d look at the track listing and think “do I really need that one?” My brother had the album, and I heard it enough to know I didn’t love YYZ, and Witch Hunt and Vital Signs did nothing for me. The one gem on there that I’ve kicked myself for passing on all those years was The Camera Eye. Now I can look at the album a bit differently and acknowledge that it is one of the great Rush albums for sure. I just never really experienced it that way as a listener if that makes sense. I didn’t experience it when it was first released, and it wasn’t a gateway to my Rush fandom like it was for so many other Rush fans.

I wasn't introduced to Rush till the early 90s, and when I backtracked through their catalog, I never bothered with MP because I had Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and Red Barchetta on the Chronicles CD and they were getting tons of radio airplay anyway, and I didn't care much for YYZ. I figured that was most of the album so never figured it made sense to buy it. So my experience was similar.

[HOF]

In contrast, Moving Pictures has always been sort of an overlooked album for me. I only bought a copy about 5 years ago, and it’s still one of my least played Rush albums as a whole. I had Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, and Limelight from the Retrospective set that was my first Rush purchase back in 2001 I think. As I made my way through the catalog, I’d look at the track listing and think “do I really need that one?” My brother had the album, and I heard it enough to know I didn’t love YYZ, and Witch Hunt and Vital Signs did nothing for me. The one gem on there that I’ve kicked myself for passing on all those years was The Camera Eye. Now I can look at the album a bit differently and acknowledge that it is one of the great Rush albums for sure. I just never really experienced it that way as a listener if that makes sense. I didn’t experience it when it was first released, and it wasn’t a gateway to my Rush fandom like it was for so many other Rush fans.

I wasn't introduced to Rush till the early 90s, and when I backtracked through their catalog, I never bothered with MP because I had Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and Red Barchetta on the Chronicles CD and they were getting tons of radio airplay anyway, and I didn't care much for YYZ. I figured that was most of the album so never figured it made sense to buy it. So my experience was similar.

Glad I’m not the only one!

One thing I’ve noticed with this exercise and the DT Top 100 is that I am basically in the opposite demographic for Rush as I am for DT. For me, THE period for DT is Images & Words through SFAM, and then it’s all a bit downhill, and I don’t really care for anything past Octavarium. But if I’m honest, that’s also the period when I first got into the band and fell in love with them. It makes sense that younger fans or people who discovered them towards the end of the MP era or during the Mangini era might not only love those albums but even prefer them to the ones that seem definitive to me.

In terms of studio albums, I got into Rush from the release of Vapor Trails backwards, after already having that Retrospective II set which was really formative in terms of my love for the keyboard era. I never really gelled with any of the earlier stuff until relatively recently, and then really only as a result of getting more heavily into other 70s prog stuff. So for me, what was formative Rush material for a lot of fans was kind of an afterthought and not what really made me a fan of the band.

[The Realm]

In contrast, Moving Pictures has always been sort of an overlooked album for me. I only bought a copy about 5 years ago, and it’s still one of my least played Rush albums as a whole. I had Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, and Limelight from the Retrospective set that was my first Rush purchase back in 2001 I think. As I made my way through the catalog, I’d look at the track listing and think “do I really need that one?” My brother had the album, and I heard it enough to know I didn’t love YYZ, and Witch Hunt and Vital Signs did nothing for me. The one gem on there that I’ve kicked myself for passing on all those years was The Camera Eye. Now I can look at the album a bit differently and acknowledge that it is one of the great Rush albums for sure. I just never really experienced it that way as a listener if that makes sense. I didn’t experience it when it was first released, and it wasn’t a gateway to my Rush fandom like it was for so many other Rush fans.

I wasn't introduced to Rush till the early 90s, and when I backtracked through their catalog, I never bothered with MP because I had Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and Red Barchetta on the Chronicles CD and they were getting tons of radio airplay anyway, and I didn't care much for YYZ. I figured that was most of the album so never figured it made sense to buy it. So my experience was similar.

Glad I’m not the only one!

One thing I’ve noticed with this exercise and the DT Top 100 is that I am basically in the opposite demographic for Rush as I am for DT. For me, THE period for DT is Images & Words through SFAM, and then it’s all a bit downhill, and I don’t really care for anything past Octavarium. But if I’m honest, that’s also the period when I first got into the band and fell in love with them. It makes sense that younger fans or people who discovered them towards the end of the MP era or during the Mangini era might not only love those albums but even prefer them to the ones that seem definitive to me.

In terms of studio albums, I got into Rush from the release of Vapor Trails backwards, after already having that Retrospective II set which was really formative in terms of my love for the keyboard era. I never really gelled with any of the earlier stuff until relatively recently, and then really only as a result of getting more heavily into other 70s prog stuff. So for me, what was formative Rush material for a lot of fans was kind of an afterthought and not what really made me a fan of the band.

Great post HOF, and I totally agree that the introduction to a band etc can make a huge difference on how this influences you. Iron Maiden has been mentioned as a chance to be next, well without a doubt that will involve conflicting opinions from those who grew up with the 80s classic era verses those who got into Maiden later through the reunion era and worked backwards.

[Cool Chris]

After I first heard 2112 (early 90s), I went out and bought the Chronicles set, as I didn't really know where to start and didn't have the money to buy 10+ CDs. So I had a condensed crash course in the material up through Presto. My opinions ranged from "this is pretty solid" (debut to CoS), to "OMG this is the most amazing music ever!" (2112-MP) to "what the heck happened here?" (Signals-Presto).

[SoundscapeMN]

Chronicles and A Show of Hands were also my introduction back in the early 90's. But I had been through the exercise with Zeppelin just a year or 2 before, so I figured I would just buy albums periodically until I had them all.

Chronicles though I still trace as maybe one-of, if not the most significant album in forming my taste in music given it led to my love of Rush which led to so much else.

[KevShmev]

Here are numbers 6 and 5...



06 Tom Sawyer
Appeared on 25 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, romdrums)

I was happy to see that this didn't fall victim to the "it's overplayed" mentality, as this really is an awesome song that has held up extremely well.  I had it at 9.  It is their most iconic song for a reason.


05 La Villa Strangiato
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (MrMike, Stadler, Dream Team)

This is usually top 3 for me, but fell all the way to 4 this time.   This is still, to me, THE perfect rock instrumental.  This is Alex at this finest.

[King Postwhore]

Who leaves La Villa off their list?

Tom Saywer my #9

LA Villa Strangiato # 11

[nick_z]

Tom Sawyer (ranked #4)

And here it is! An absolute classic, nothing less. I never quite had the radio "overexposure" problem - growing up (outside of the US), it so happened I had never heard this song on the radio before I actually heard Moving Pictures for the first time (in the mid 90s). Since then (and after moving to the US) - sure, it's been hard to escape this song as a rock radio staple, and the band playing it at every gig. But that's no issue for me, because Tom Sawyer is one of the greatest rock songs of all time  It's so great that a tune so full of twist and turns became such a popular classic. A true testament to how Rush managed to make complicated things look "easy". And, of course, a drum performance for the ages.

La Villa Strangiato (ranked #3)

Beyond just being an "instrumental" - this is a fantastic piece of music. Creative, fun, melodic, it has it all. Alex's solo and the build-up from there is probably my absolute favorite Rush moment.

[Deadeye21]

Here are numbers 6 and 5...



06 Tom Sawyer
Appeared on 25 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, romdrums)

05 La Villa Strangiato
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (MrMike, Stadler, Dream Team)

This is usually top 3 for me, but fell all the way to 4 this time.   This is still, to me, THE perfect rock instrumental.  This is Alex at this finest.

Tom Sawyer was my 16. Not from “overplayed” but more just I like other songs more. It’s iconic. I don’t know that I agree that it deserves to be this high, but I’m not outraged that it is either.

La Villa was my number 6 (dang, so close!) because, as you said, this is their true instrumental mastery brought to light here. Is there another 9 minute instrumental that never outstays it’s welcome? I don’t think so. Even DT’s Stream of Consciousness doesn’t hold me the whole way through every time. La Villa Strangiato? Extreme banger!

[DragonAttack]

06. Tom Sawyer (#4) rightfully so.

05. La Villa Strangiato (#10)  Seemed odd as an encore in ’79, then again not (I thank the St. Louis ’80 show for that reminder).  Ends my favorite band album side.  Oh, and all the cute subtitled ‘passages’.  It was the first time I noticed that they had a sense of humor.

[devieira73]

06 Tom Sawyer (#1) - Well, this song sums up all the best about Rush, maybe just not as one of their best lyrics (but only because of the high level of competition). Not to say that Tom Sawyer isn't Rush's best song, it's like saying Stairway to Heaven isn't Led Zeppelin's best song - sure, you might have another favorite song, but still... here in Brazil, it became even more popular, even outside the circle of people who listen to rock music, as the opening song of the MacGyver series, which is still part of popular culture here. Recently, the only thing that slightly tarnished the status of this song for me was discovering the undeniable similarity of its outro with Journey's Nickel and Dime.

05 La Villa Strangiato (#2) - Maybe my real favorite Rush song! So perfect, so awesome in composition and in its individual performances! In the end, I just didn't think it was fair to choose an instrumental song as their #1, because they are so amazing with all their elements, including the vocals.

[Stadler]

If we did Iron Maiden the only song I know well enough to even give you a title is Run To The Hills (and I had to look that up to verify the title).

You need to change that.   

[Stadler]

Here are numbers 6 and 5...



06 Tom Sawyer
Appeared on 25 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, romdrums)

I was happy to see that this didn't fall victim to the "it's overplayed" mentality, as this really is an awesome song that has held up extremely well.  I had it at 9.  It is their most iconic song for a reason.


05 La Villa Strangiato
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (MrMike, Stadler, Dream Team)

This is usually top 3 for me, but fell all the way to 4 this time.   This is still, to me, THE perfect rock instrumental.  This is Alex at this finest.

So, Tom Sawyer is my #3, and La Villa Strangiato is my #1.   And in fact, La Villa Strangiato is one of my favorite songs of all time (and maybe my favorite instrumental).  I can't say I knew which one, but I sort of thought one of these two would be the overall number 1.  That only leaves two real possibilities, one I would support wholeheartedly, one I would protest this bitch with gusto. 

Now off to do my Iron Maiden list, because Kev said so. 

[nobloodyname]

Now off to do my Iron Maiden list, because Kev said so. 

I cannot wait to put all the Iron Maiden tracks through the ranking machine. Not least because I'm pretty sure I'll be the only person who ranks Weekend Warrior in the Top 10

So, Limelight: this is a perfect song and features the best solo Alex ever committed to tape.

La Villa Strangiato, I rated it at 31 but I don't revere it in the way others do. The main hook is great, though.

[HOF]

So much of what I wrote for Limelight can be applied to Tom Sawyer, which I ranked one spot below Limelight at 62. A great song, really one of the great songs in rock history, not just Rush history. But even growing up hearing it on the radio, I was never that big of a fan of it. I never really liked the lyric, and the overall tone of the song is a bit dark and dreary. That said, this really is one of Neil's finest drum parts, and it is rightly revered among even non-Rush fans. It's really well constructed and really memorable. And I do love how he locks in with Geddy and Alex throughout the song, especially on the instrumental section which is really good. I would say that when I sit down and listen to this now, I enjoy it more than I ever did growing up, even though I've heard it a million times.

La Villa Strangiato did not rank for me, though I considered it for the last 5 spots or so and I think my initial list might have had it at 75. It likely would have been on a top 100 list. At the end of the day, there are just other Rush songs I enjoy more. I can totally see why someone might call it their favorite Rush song (or favorite song). It is impressive on a pure musicianship level. But I came to it late as a Rush fan, and it just doesn't have the melodic hooks to really captivate me. It's not so much that it is too long, as I think even a shortened version would still leave me a bit cold. But I do find myself thinking "skip a bit, brother" when I hear this one (especially on the swing/big band segment). The one instrumental track in my top 75 was Leave That Thing Alone, which has a really great melodic solo that really hits the spot for me. This one doesn't have a comparable moment that gives me any sort of emotional reaction. It's very riff and rhythm based, which is cool but only gets it so far for me.

[Stadler]

In case anyone cares... this was a while ago now, couple years (Neil was still with us) but I was watching one of the latter day DVDs - likely Clockwork Angels tour or the Snakes and Arrows tour - and "Tom Sawyer" was on.  My daughter comes downstairs, and 99 times out of 100 she's oblivious to what I watching, but this time she starts slowing down and then outright pauses while the camera is on Neil.  It was that point in the song where there is this massive fill by Neil and back into the main riff and she just stood there mesmerized.  She's not a prog fan, not a Rush fan (Harry Styles is her jam) but it just really struck her how powerful that song is (or can be) even for non-fans of the band.   

I'm a HUGE fan of that "connection" in music; I don't care what kind of music it is, if it connects with someone, it's important to me (which is why I hate how many people crap on country music here).   I loved that Rush in that moment could almost literally grab someone who wasn't otherwise interested in their music and give them pause.  That is SO powerful to me.

[TAC]

To be fair, we’re just crapping on Eric Church for being a dick.

[HOF]

In case anyone cares... this was a while ago now, couple years (Neil was still with us) but I was watching one of the latter day DVDs - likely Clockwork Angels tour or the Snakes and Arrows tour - and "Tom Sawyer" was on.  My daughter comes downstairs, and 99 times out of 100 she's oblivious to what I watching, but this time she starts slowing down and then outright pauses while the camera is on Neil.  It was that point in the song where there is this massive fill by Neil and back into the main riff and she just stood there mesmerized.  She's not a prog fan, not a Rush fan (Harry Styles is her jam) but it just really struck her how powerful that song is (or can be) even for non-fans of the band.   

I'm a HUGE fan of that "connection" in music; I don't care what kind of music it is, if it connects with someone, it's important to me (which is why I hate how many people crap on country music here).   I loved that Rush in that moment could almost literally grab someone who wasn't otherwise interested in their music and give them pause.  That is SO powerful to me.

I remember putting Tom Sawyer on a mix CD for my wife a long time ago, because it's a Rush song that she knew and kind of liked even though she's not really a big rock music fan. More so when they were younger, my kids really did gravitate to watching Neil play drums when I'd throw on a Rush DVD. One of them used to say they were her favorite band, though she'd strongly deny ever saying that now I imagine. I do think there is something about his playing that transcends to people who aren't otherwise into that sort of music.

[pg1067]

06 Tom Sawyer
Appeared on 25 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, romdrums)

I was happy to see that this didn't fall victim to the "it's overplayed" mentality, as this really is an awesome song that has held up extremely well.  I had it at 9.  It is their most iconic song for a reason.

I actually thought this song might be one that was left off a list or two.  The "overplayed" factor probably shouldn't matter, but that's probably why it ranked at #10, which is the #3 song on MP.  I'm not typically a fan of songs that open immediately (or almost immediately) with vocals, but this is just a fantastic song.  There's a reason why it's "overplayed."  It's the little things that make this so good.  My favorite example is after the guitar solo.  After "what you say about society," Neil plays a triplet fill.  He then plays a different triplet fill after "catch the spit" and yet another triplet fill at the end of the measure before the song changes into the next section.  And, of course, these are completely different fills from what he plays in the earlier "what you say about his company" section.  All three guys are on fire here.

05 La Villa Strangiato
Appeared on 23 of 25 entrees
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (MrMike, Stadler, Dream Team)

This is usually top 3 for me, but fell all the way to 4 this time.   This is still, to me, THE perfect rock instrumental.  This is Alex at this finest.

There's really not much to say beyond this.  Because it's an instrumental, I had it at #12.  Stream of Consciousness comes close, but LVS is just everything you could want in an instrumental.


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 - 3 songs of 6 (50% or 72.57% of album time):  Something for Nothing - #63; A Passage to Bangkok - #58; 2112 - #9
- 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 - 4 songs of 4 (100%):  Circumstances - #45; The Trees - #18; Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres - #14; La Villa Strangiato - #5
- Permanent Waves - 5 songs of 6 (83.33% or 86.24% of album time):  Different Strings - #57; Entre Nous - #53; Jacob's Ladder - #15; Freewill - #11; Natural Science - #7
- Moving Pictures - 6 songs of 7 (85.71% or 84.58% of album time):  Vital Signs - #51; Witch Hunt - #38; The Camera Eye - #17; YYZ - #12; Limelight - #8; Tom Sawyer - #6
- 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; Between the Wheels - #13
- Power Windows - 8 songs of 8 (100%):  Emotion Detector - #66; Grand Designs - #37; Mystic Rhythms - #35; Middletown Dreams - #31; The Big Money - #30; Territories #24; Manhattan Project - #22; Marathon - #10
- 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

Four songs left.  Four albums left.

[Stadler]

In case anyone cares... this was a while ago now, couple years (Neil was still with us) but I was watching one of the latter day DVDs - likely Clockwork Angels tour or the Snakes and Arrows tour - and "Tom Sawyer" was on.  My daughter comes downstairs, and 99 times out of 100 she's oblivious to what I watching, but this time she starts slowing down and then outright pauses while the camera is on Neil.  It was that point in the song where there is this massive fill by Neil and back into the main riff and she just stood there mesmerized.  She's not a prog fan, not a Rush fan (Harry Styles is her jam) but it just really struck her how powerful that song is (or can be) even for non-fans of the band.   

I'm a HUGE fan of that "connection" in music; I don't care what kind of music it is, if it connects with someone, it's important to me (which is why I hate how many people crap on country music here).   I loved that Rush in that moment could almost literally grab someone who wasn't otherwise interested in their music and give them pause.  That is SO powerful to me.

I remember putting Tom Sawyer on a mix CD for my wife a long time ago, because it's a Rush song that she knew and kind of liked even though she's not really a big rock music fan. More so when they were younger, my kids really did gravitate to watching Neil play drums when I'd throw on a Rush DVD. One of them used to say they were her favorite band, though she'd strongly deny ever saying that now I imagine. I do think there is something about his playing that transcends to people who aren't otherwise into that sort of music.

I was thinking about this in the shower today; back in '81, FOR ME, "Tom Sawyer" wasn't like anything else I'd heard.  I was into Kiss and Ozzy and Maiden and Rainbow then, and starting to get into Genesis a little bit, but Rush wasn't the typical blues based rock, and TS in particular was... not eerie, but it had a vibe to it that was heavy.  And I know that when I started to get into Rush more seriously, I was really struck by Neil (and to a lesser extent, Phil Collins when I started to get into Genesis) because they weren't the drummers I was used to. Clive Burr wore shorts and sneakers and that's it, and stuck his tongue out a lot.  Peter Criss, Tommy Aldridge... they were the drummers that did the excessive arm-up-in-the-air-then-hit-the-snare-all-while-making-O-faces kind of thing.  Phil Rudd smoked cigarettes while drumming; it was almost like he was installing electrical equipment or something.  But Neil WAS "The Professor".  He was methodical, serious, and intent on hitting his drums precisely.  I think, to some degree, that resonates with people even if they aren't a fan.  Whether it's sincere or not (and I think we can all agree it was sincere) his earnestness is something that radiates.  I know that was part of what grabbed my daughter; it wasn't spectacle, it was something serious that demanded attention.

[Elite]

Wow! I actually know exactly what 4 songs are left. I maybe could have joined this thing after all

[SoundscapeMN]

Red Tide?..

seems like a bunch of Presto tunes didn't make it which while hardly surprising, I can't help but be a little disappointed.

[pg1067]

Red Tide?..

seems like a bunch of Presto tunes didn't make it which while hardly surprising, I can't help but be a little disappointed.

I had Red Tide at #43 on my list.  I really like it, but I've gotten the sense that that's very much a minority opinion.

My rankings of Presto songs:

18. Available Light
43. Red Tide
49. The Pass
60. Presto
65. Show Don't Tell
73. Chain Lightning
87. War Paint
102. Anagram
146. Stupidconductor
154. Scars
165. Hand Over Fist

[Cool Chris]

Okay Kev now be honest with us. Did you have this setup from the beginning so that the top four would be revealed over NCAA Final Four weekend?