Rush: Top 100 Songs / All the Albums Ranked

First posted 7/29/2012; updated 1/21/2020.

Rush l to r: Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, and Geddy Lee of Rush

This page includes the top 100 Rush songs and a ranking of all of Rush’s studio albums, as well as significant live releases and compilations. You can also check out the following: Rush’s DMDB Music Encyclopedia Entry Rush Discography Rolling Stone (1/10/2020). “Neil Peart, Rush Drummer Who Set a New Standard for Rock Virtuosity, Dead at 67.” By Brian Hiatt.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.) DMDB Top 5%: 1. Tom Sawyer (1981) 2. The Spirit of Radio (1980) DMDB Top 10%: 3. Closer to the Heart (1977) 4. Limelight (1981) 5. New World Man (1982) #1 AR, CN DMDB Top 20%: 6. Fly by Night (1975) 7. Subdivisions (1982) 8. The Big Money (1985) 9. The Temples of Syrinx (Part II of “2112”) (1976) 10. Free Will (1980) 11. Time Stand Still (1987) 12. The Trees (1978) 13. Red Barchetta (1981) DMDB Top 20%: 14. Working Man (1974) 15. Overture (Part I of “2112”) (1976) 16. Presentation (Part IV of “2112”) (1976) 17. Distant Early Warning (1984) 18. Discovery (Part III of “2112”) (1976) 19. In the End (1975) 20. Roll the Bones (1991) 21. The Body Electric (1984) 22. Grand Finale (Part VII of “2112”) (1976) 23. A Passage to Bangkok (1976) 24. Force Ten (1987) 25. Nobody’s Hero (1993) 26. Dreamline (1991) #1 AR 27. Xanadu (1977) 28. Soliloquy (Part VI of “2112”) (1976) 29. Finding My Way (1974) 30. Oracle: The Dream (Part V of “2112”) (1976) 31. Lock and Key (1987) 32. Driven (1996) 33. Show Don’t Tell (1989) #1 AR 34. Bravado (1991) 35. Manhattan Project (1985) 36. One Little Victory (2002) 37. Stick It Out (1993) #1 AR 38. Mystic Rhythms (1985) 39. Far Cry (2007) 40. Entre Nous (1980) 41. Vital Signs (1981) 42. Secret Touch (2002) 43. Red Sector A (1984) 44. Test for Echo (1996) #1 AR 45. By-Tor and the Snow Dog (1975) 46. Lakeside Park (1975) 47. Marathon (1985) 48. In the Mood (1974) 49. YYZ (1981) 50. Ghost of a Chance (1991) 51. Territories (1985) 52. Prime Mover (1987) 53. Animate (1993) 54. La Villa Strangiato (1978) 55. Something for Nothing (1976) 56. Half the World (1996) 57. The Analog Kid (1982) 58. The Pass (1989) 59. Mission (1987) 60. What You’re Doing (1974) 61. Presto (1989) 62. Cold Fire (1993) 63. Between the Wheels (1984) 64. Bastille Day (1975) 65. Resist (1996) 66. Countdown (1982) 67. Superconductor (1989) 68. Headlong Flight (2012) 69. The Wreckers (2012) 70. Circumstances (1978) 71. Cygnus X-1 Book Two (1978) 72. Different Strings (1980) 73. The Twilight Zone (1976) 74. Workin’ Them Angels (2007) 75. Caravan (2010) 76. Anthem (1975) 77. I Think I’m Going Bald (1975) 78. BU2B (2010) 79. Losing It (1982) 80. Not Fade Away (1973) 81. The Weapon (1982) 82. Second Nature (1987) 83. Natural Science (1980) 84. Leave That Thing Alone (1993) 85. Cinderella Man (1977) 86. The Anarchist (2012) 87. Clockwork Angels (2012) 88. Cygnus X-1 (1977) 89. Witch Hunt (1981) 90. A Farewell to Kings (1977) 91. Return of the Prince (1975) 92. Afterimage (1984) 93. Jacob’s Ladder (1980) 94. The Camera Eye (1981) 95. The Garden (2012) 96. The Larger Bowl (2007) 97. Spindrift (2007) 98. Earthshine (2002) 99. Beneath, Between, and Behind (1975) 100. Broon’s Bane (live, 1981) Rush Albums Ranked Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by albums’ appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, points in the Dave’s Music Database of songs, and awards. This is a ranking of all the studio albums, compilations, and live albums released by Rush from 1974 to 2015. DMDB Top 1000 Albums: 1. Moving Pictures (1981) 2. 2112 (1976) DMDB Top 1000 Albums: 3. Permanent Waves (1980) 4. Hemispheres (1978) 5. The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits (compilation: 1974-1987, released 2003) 6. A Farewell to Kings (1977) 7. Chronicles (compilation: 1974-1989, released 1990) 8. Exit…Stage Left (live, 1981) 9. Retrospective I (compilation: 1974-1980, released 1997) 10. Archives (box of first three albums: 1974-75, released 1978) 11. Rush (1974) 12. Signals (1982) 13. Retrospective II (compilation: 1981-1987, released 1997) 14. In Rio (live, 2003) 15. Retrospective III (compilation: 1989-2007, released 2009) 16. Snakes & Arrows (2007) 17. Icon (compilation: 1976-1988; released 2010) 18. Grace Under Pressure (1984) 19. Time Stand Still: The Collection (compilation: 1974-1987; released 2010) 20. Power Windows (1985) 21. All the World’s a Stage (live, 1976) 22. Hold Your Fire (1987) 23. Fly by Night (1975) 24. Clockwork Angels (2012) 25. Counterparts (1993) 26. Roll the Bones (1991) 27. Feedback (covers EP, 2004) 28. Different Stages (live box set: 1978-97, released 1998) 29. Caress of Steel (1975) 30. Presto (1989) 31. Snakes & Arrows Live (live, 2007) 32. Grace Under Pressure Tour (live: 1984, released 2009) 33. Working Men (live compilation: 2002-08, released 2009) 34. Test for Echo (1996) 35. Vapor Trails (2002) 36. A Show of Hands (live, 1989) 37. Time Machine (live, 2011) 38. Icon 2 (live: 1974-88, released 2011) 39. Clockwork Angels Tour (live, 2013) 40. R40 Live (live, 2015)

Rush “Closer to the Heart” released

Closer to the Heart Rush

Writer(s): Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Neal Peart, Peter Talbot (see lyrics here) Released: October 18, 1977 First Charted: October 29, 1977 Peak: 69 US, 73 CB, 90 HR, 2 CL, 21 AR, 36 UK, 44 CN, 2 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 19.6 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Canadian rock trio Rush built a loyal following in a career spanning half a century through its reputation as a live act and consistently well-received studio albums. Every single one of their studio albums achieved gold status and eleven reached the top 10. Their first few albums didn’t do that well chart wise; their first to reach the top 40 on the Billboard album chart was their fifth album, 1977’s A Farewell to Kings. Rush didn’t fare as well when it came to charting singles. The band technically was a one-hit wonder in that they only landed one top-40 hit – 1982’s “New World Man.” They only had seven other songs reach the Hot 100. The first was a live medley of “Fly by Night” and “In the End” from 1976’s All the World’s a Stage which eeked its way to #88. Their second entry was “Closer to the Heart” from the Kings album. It got to #76 the next year. A live version released in 1981 in support of the Exit…Stage Left album fared a little better, reaching #69. It also got to #21 on the album rock chart which Billboard magazine had just created that year. Lead singer Geddy Lee called it “as close as we ever came to a pop song” WK and guitarist Alex Lifeson says it is the ultimate Rush song. SF Cash Box referred to it as a “strong song” that is “very like a Led Zeppelin number in terms of structure, timbres, and the role of the lead vocalist.” WK The song “is about people who run governments, and how they should be responsible for initiating harmony among themselves, just as blue collar workers do.” SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Rush SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 7/28/2022.