Were RUSH better in the 1980s or 1970s?

Best Rush albums are 'Moving Pictures' and 'Signals' - when do you think Rush produced their best music?
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Time Markers
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - My Rush journey
00:50 - Rush's evolution
01:21 - Rush 1970s or 1980s
04:52 - 'Grace Under Pressure'
06:16 - 'Permanent Waves'
07:28 - 'Signals'
08:29 - 'Moving Pictures'
09:20 - And in the end...

[@billmorgan423]

power windows one of the most underrated albums they ever did..guitar and percussion superb on that album..

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

I totally agree !

[@oldskool4572]

Its a brilliant album. The guitar solo on Marathon is simply stunning.

[@brandonbelt5055]

It's their most ambitious and intricately layered in my opinion.

[@davehodson9083]

Totally agree. Very underrated album.Not one lame track on it.My 4th all time favourite rush album

[@RonG40]

Agree. I wasn't very fond of it initially....and then I saw them on the Power Windows tour. Gave me a whole new perspective on it.

[@nimzyzamzam431]

I have to admit the older I get the more I love 80’s and 90’s Rush. Lately I’ve been listening to Grace Under Pressure and later and discovering songs I’ve long ignored as a diehard 70’s fan. But in the end I connect more, perhaps simply as a result of nostalgia, with the early records.

[@bmardon2112]

I feel the exact same way, as I age I'm more in tune with the 80s/90s repertoire

[@glenbellefonte9620]

I'd say the peak was 2112 through Farewell to Kings/Hemispheres. "In quest of Dionysus! To find what they had lost!"

[@mannyruiz1954]

70s Rush for me. I love Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals, but Hemispheres, 2112, Caress of Steal, Fly By Night, and Farewell To Kings are the Cream of their discography.

[@mattrogers1946]

My fave is Caress Of Steel!

[@JavaBlues]

@@mattrogers1946 I think my favourite Rush album. Other than Lakeside Park, every song is great. The heavy Bastille Day and I Think I'm Going Bald (lyrics inspired by Kiss' Goin' Blind). Love Necromancer - 'men of Willowdale' - where they're from.

[@mattrogers1946]

@Marc Opie I like Lakeside Park. It's a great song about youth and innocence, something we reflect upon as we get older. My favorite track by far is The Fountain Of Lamneth. That's the Rush song that pulled me in.

[@mannyruiz1954]

@@mattrogers1946 if I'm forced to pick one, overall favorite Rush album, for me it's Hemispheres.

[@richardtyson8258]

For me they hit their peak on Moving Pictures then the quality gradually tails off

[@ralphvickers2339]

Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres are my favorites....but I also love Moving Pictures and Signals. I saw them open for Kiss....and saw them on their next to last tour....so we have some history

[@PR-fo5mj]

Hemispheres has always been my favorite, perhaps partially due to nostalgia for my youth, and, being a fan of heavy guitar tones I always felt a bit betrayed by the change in direction that started with the Signals album. Recently though, I've been exploring their 80s catalogue more, and definitely warming up to that period particularly Signals and Grace Under Peessure. Oddly, I really like Alex's guitar tone on Test for Echo from the 90s. Regardardless - what a great band throughout - treasured here in Canada

[@lonegroover]

I think they did chase musical trends, to be fair. They copped the Police electric ska vibe wholesale. And they tried their best, with some success, to assimilate the character of Grunge into their music in the '90s.

[@MalkyMcMillan]

70s Rush are almost immediately accessible for rock fans. Everything from Signals onwards rewards more attentive listening commitment, I think, but nostalgia for the 70s wins the day for this old rocker.

[@Drforrester31]

For me it's all about Fly By Night, Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. The 80s stuff is just too bright and synthy for me personally, but I do totally understand why some would prefer the 80s Rush albums for their larger sonic palette

[@mattrogers1946]

Agreed

[@shanewilson199]

Lush sounding music… like it all.

[@mattrogers1946]

@Shane Wilson The hidious 80s production values and ridiculous haircuts spoiled the post Signals Rush for me. God bless the 70s!

[@63mckenzie]

75 to 85 was perhaps their best ten year period.

[@johnw706]

This is a great topic , and it is especially difficult for me . I live in Toronto, and used to see Rush in the various clubs around town in the early 70s . The Piccadilly Tube was a popular club downtown where they often played . And people used the dance floor in front of the stage ! Anyway , iI have a huge emotional attachment to their early albums . That said , I am also a huge fan of their 80 s albums . Signals would probably rank at the top of my list , although , on another day it might be Moving Pictures . For me , the hidden gem in their catalog is the song Chemistry . I’m also a big fan of Grace Under Pressure , Permanent Waves , Rush , 2112 , and Hemispheres . Power Windows is the album thatI have yet to fully discover , as I was overseas in 1985 , and didn’t follow it the year that it was released . From what I’ve heard , it sounds pretty good . If I am honest , I would have to give a slight edge to the 80s albums , because of the way that Geddy reins in his voice . But , I do so reluctantly. Thanks !

[@lionelraoul]

80"s Rush for me. I love the textures of the synths, the melodies, and Geddy's vocals not as screechy.

[@mc12358]

My intro to Rush was hearing Subdivisions on the radio shortly after cancer took my best friend when I was still just a teenager. Signals, P/G, and Power Windows are still some of my favorite works. Although their return to form on Counterparts was awesome and so was Vapor Trails!

[@victorhawkins3461]

My intro to Rush was spring of 1977, a lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying some 'shrooms on my front porch, listening to ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE. BY-TOR AND THE SNOW DOG and 2112 certainly set me back a taste. Shortly thereafter, I wound up working in radio, so '80s Rush elpees, to me, were "radio records" and while I'm sure they're all quite fine recordings, I just had to play them so damn much that I never cared for 'em as much as that soaring live album I remember from that lazy Sunday afternoon...(and yes, I DO remember it!).

[@Z-eb]

For me it`s 1976 - 1982, all releases during these years are the only RUSH i need !

[@jamesmoss3424]

I got rush 1984 album Grace under pressure on cassette tape. 😀👍🤘🎸

[@KowankoMusic]

You argue the point well and I have to agree with you. The reputation of Rush's 70s work really rests on three albums if you ask me (2112, Kings and Hemispheres), as compared to the unassailable five-album winning streak of the early 80s, from Permanent Waves all the way through to Power Windows.

[@andyparton3755]

Personally, seeing that Permanent Waves (actually my fav Rush album, and Different Strings the greatest Rush ballad w/Nicky Hopkins) kicks off the 80s, and then my 2nd fav, Moving Pictures follows, and then the powerhouse Signals, Grace Under Pressure, & Power Windows thereafter, by far my favorite decade is the 80s! And btw, Time Stands Still (top 3 fav Rush songs) is in that decade, no question for me.

[@michaelmoraga2926]

Ditto! + (including "Time Stands Still")

[@mattrogers1946]

Sorry, but Nicky Hopkins never played on a Rush album. The piano on Different Strings was Hugh Syme, the same guy who designed the album cover.

[@brettlowton6961]

I must admit that I haven't heard a lot of '80s Rush, but that's probably because I love 'Hemispheres' so much that I can't imagine anything being better - it's just pure musical brilliance. Other commentators feel free to disagree, but be nice about it. It's all down to personal taste.

[@michaelmoraga2926]

Right on, great breakdown. "Permanent Waves" is my favorite, but even so, it is painful to choose a favorite Rush album: "A Farewell to Kings" ... "Hemispheres" ... "Moving Pictures" ... "Signals" ... "Grace Under Pressure" ... "Power Windows" ... "Exit...Stage Left" ... "2112" ... and "Counterparts" ... even through the 00´s to "Clockwork Angels" ... Good lord! 💜

[@exhaustguy]

My vote is for 70s Rush, but it would be difficult to give up Signals, Permanent Waves. and Moving Pictures. Their creative high point straddles the decades. I don't like their music as much Grace Under Pressure and after. Don't get me wrong they are still great albums, but my absolute favorites occurred before then. G/P represents a clearer break for me with Rush.

[@archstanton4365]

Indeed! 1978-1982

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

Hemisphere's is the pinnacle of "the 20 minute piece". It's two bands almost, two moods, Geddy's Vocals are much better in the 80's and 90's. So unique.

[@quarterjukebox208]

Hemispheres through Signals is my favorite era.

[@chrismollett1012]

Oh Barry. Both 70's and 80's Rush are utterly brilliant. Different but brilliant. Personally I would pick 2112, Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres and Permanent Waves over Presto and Hold Your Fire. Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows however I still really enjoy. I'll sit on the fence re Signals. Moving Pictures of course is sublime. When I was a kid and managed to save up and purchase an album, I could possibly only afford one or two new LPs a month. Hence I would listen to them on repeat looking at the art work and really immerse myself in the record. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Thus records like 2112 and Farewell to Kings will always be very special to me. These days I press a couple of buttons and order many albums a week but never have time to fully get into each record like I did as a teenager with nothing better to do than listen to music constantly. I have to that Rush's last album would be an esception, I absolutely loved it but that is not part of this debate.

[@UFO1601]

Although I prefer 70's Rush to 80's Rush, mainly because Alex Lifeson's guitar got push further into the background as the 80's went on , I have to confess that I thought their final two albums ' Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels ' were spectacular .

[@mattrogers1946]

I agree that when the guitar became lower in the mix, I lost interest. The last couple of albums you mentioned were pretty much unlistenable.

[@folkme3042]

I first discovered Rush in the seventies and saw them live on the Farewell To Kings tour and I've always preferred their early stuff.Having said that,I've been listening to Counterpoints a lot lately and think it's an amazing album so I'll have to give some of their later stuff a fairer go.

[@email5023]

I grew up in the 1980s and I have a preference for Rush from then onwards only because I discovered them then. But the scuttlebutt back then (growing up in Toronto) was "Yea man, old Rush is better than new Rush." The dividing line was Signals.

[@davidgill2520]

Hello from Montreal, I was fortunate to discover Rush with the album Permanent Waves at the age of 15. It was something quite different from your typical 70s band. Anyways I’ve drank to cool aid and have supported them through their catalog. But I think their last album Clock Work Angels is their best concept album from a stylistic and musical force than suits the story. It’s fitting that this album was their last and I think in time it will get a higher respect. I appreciate your honesty and intelligence. Take care

[@rightchordleadership]

2112 through Hemispheres represents a streak of quality albums rarely equaled in rock. The first few albums of the 80s are absolutely outstanding but the rest of that decade really can’t compete with their 70s output.

[@exhaustguy]

My thoughts exactly. I like to come up with my five favorite sequential albums for a band (it can be a challenge). For me it is 2112 through Moving Pictures. The decision for me - which is better 2112 or Signals. It is absolutely painful to exclude New World Man, but lose Side 1 of 2112? - never.

[@rightchordleadership]

@@exhaustguy that 5-album streak of quality is matched only by zeppelin

[@exhaustguy]

@@rightchordleadership So do you go I through Houses of the Holy or II through Physical Graffiti. PG seems bloated, but a single album may be stronger than I. Hate to give up Kashmir.

[@rightchordleadership]

@@exhaustguy PG is a bit bloated but it’s truly a towering achievement. I think you could make a strong case that LZ I through PG represents the ONLY 6 album streak of pure awesomeness in all of rock. I can’t think of another group that shares that distinction.

[@Tom_-]

I go with 70s because I don't mind the cheesy high-fantasy/sci-fi inspired lyrics. Grace Under Pressure was the last great album but the 2112-Farewell-Hemispheres period for me is the pinnacle.

[@lonegroover]

I believe this is a subject on which I'm eminently qualified to opine, having seen them many times, and bought their records, in both of the decades in consideration here. And my view is that while they made some highly creditable music in the '80s, the absolute highlights of their whole career are to be found in their first calendar decade as recording artists. Hemispheres and 2112 trump Moving Pictures, Signals and the rest, for me.

[@scottchristie625]

Permanent Waves is still my all-time favorite Rush album.

[@davel7791]

2112 and Grace Under Pressure are the best Rush albums, in my opinion. They never grow old for me, lyrically and musically. These days I prefer to experience Rush by watching their live DVDs and Blu-rays.

[@Wicked133]

The 70s Rush! Nobody Can Touch That!

[@mattrogers1946]

Absolutely!

[@Northernlightshow]

Wow, what a difficult question. Can we say both? Whilst the 70’s have the kimonos, Geddy had a Davy Crocket hat on for Power Windows & Hold Your Fire!

[@archstanton4365]

Davey Crockett Mullet 🤘 😂

[@b2tall239]

I'd have to say that '70s Rush was better, mostly because I really like every one of their '70s albums while there are a couple of '80s releases that don't do much for me. While "Moving Pictures" is their #1 album for me, the rest of my top-10 is weighted heavily by their earlier albums while their bottom-5 is laden with '80s stuff ("Hold Your Fire", "Presto", and "Signals" finds its way in there). I don't hate those '80s albums but they just don't hold up as well as the '70s releases. IMO, their "worst" '70s album (their debut?) is still better than half of the '80s albums.

[@lucasharris5727]

Moving Pictures is one of my top five albums ever but isn't my favorite Rush album. Rush to me is one of those rare exceptions. Great upload!

[@chrisherin4444]

Never returning to work with Terry Brown is such a shame. He crafted the sonics and delivered the oversight that makes 1974-1982 so special. Even as a youngster I felt something was missing after listening to GUP the first time.

[@eduardocalvo9631]

Great topic. In my case, the jury is still out. For context, my top two Rush albums (and the number one spot interchanges even as I'm writing this comment) are Hemispheres and Moving Pictures.

[@charlesolson9019]

I think picking one decade over another will miss some of their best work either way. For me, A Farewell To Kings through Grace Under Pressure is the period when Rush was at the top of their game. You probably know this, but Red Sector A was actually based on the experiences of Geddy Lee's mother, who was a survivor of the Holocaust.

[@archstanton4365]

1978-1982 Hemispheres thru Signals...

[@stuffallthetime]

IDK 80's Rush did not end with Grace Under Pressure. Power Windows and Hold Your Fire are weak at least 70's Rush is consistently good.

[@antonyjohnson4489]

I would always have said 70s Rush was my favourite, as indeed I would have said for most bands spanning these two eras. However, Rush got off to a blistering start in the 1980s, with three superb albums one after another. And yes, the new style evident on Signals and Grace Under Pressure has definitely grown on me over time. So, I have to admit to being rather conflicted. I would now have to say both, with the period 77 to 82 being absolutely unsurpassable.

[@antonyjohnson4489]

@The Rain Brilliantly put, great minds think alike😁👍

[@mattirealm]

80's Rush for me! I grew up with that stuff and it has stuck with me. I still love Hemispheres and Farewell to Kings, but Moving Pictures, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows and yes, even Hold Your Fire are great IMO. I don't know why "keyboards" are such a dirty word in rock and metal. Van Halen used keyboards on their only #1 song, Jump, to great effect. Keyboards are fine in my book. My only real problem is thin production at the end of the 1980's. Presto and Roll The Bones are good, but the watery thin production just mutes them. The same thing happened to many bands in the late 80's, so it is understandable. Rush is a great band and I don't think you can go wrong with many of their albums (regardless of time period).

[@marktaylor3657]

Which of my children should I choose? Goodness me, my head says the 1980’s material just shades it in terms of polish and song craft but like many others my entry into a lifelong passion was Hemispheres, Fly by Night & 2112 so my heart says the the earlier period.

[@gregcampwriter]

They're a band who decided to be excellent in one style after another until the 2000s when they decided that their style was Rush and just enjoyed being masters at music.

[@ziggypop79]

I love 80’s Rush, Power Windows my favourite.

[@nicholaspyn]

1970s. Their debut is my favourite by far.

[@aleksandarfrick2656]

Rush is greater in America then in Europe . I listen Rock 35 years and first time saw them last year on these podcasts . Strange ...they are good band .

[@mdgersper]

I agree with you that Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres are the best albums the band did in the 80’s, better than 2112 which itself is a classic.

[@lysanderofsparta3708]

In 1983, Rush ended their working relationship with long-time producer Terry Brown, which changed their sound considerably and (I think) effectively ended them as a '70's-style progressive rock band. In this regard, the real departure was not "Permanent Waves" (which was recorded in 1979, and which further develops the same kind of textured guitar sound heard on "Hemispheres"), but rather "Grace Under Pressure", their first post-Terry Brown album. Even though by the early '80's, Rush were clearly adapting and changing their old '70's musical approach -- composing more concise song structures which generally eschewed most if not all of the extended solos and tricky time signature shifts of yore in favor of tight, sparse, choppy Police-style reggae (e.g., the breakdown toward the end of "The Spirit of Radio" and the verse/chorus of "Vital Signs", "Digital Man" and "New World Man") -- they were still composing and recording in the same basic mould (and with the same unfashionable hairdos) as a '70's-style progressive rock band. For example, "Permanent Waves" still has long multi-part suites ("Jacob's Ladder" and "Natural Science"), and "Moving Pictures" likewise features a busy '70's-style instrumental ("YYZ") and a grandiose 11-minute epic with two alternating tempos ("The Camera Eye"), similar to what classic early '70's British prog bands like King Crimson and Yes were doing by this time. The prominent use of synthesizers and youth-themed lyrics on "Signals" suggests a possible Krautrock/Brit New Romantic influence, but it still essentially fits within the traditional '70's prog paradigm. And as such, I would argue that "Permanent Waves", "Moving Pictures" and "Signals" belong more to the extended '70's canon of Rush rather than the '80's. In contrast to those last three albums with Terry Brown, the highly processed commercial production sound on "Grace Under Pressure" exists as a major stylistic rupture that is decidedly post-prog (and even postpunk and post-New Pop). Compare the rather noisy, sludgy sound of Alex Lifeson's guitar on the first four Rush albums of the mid-70's (and which starts to become gradually more refined and nuanced on "A Farewell to Kings" and "Hemispheres") to the very sparse, echoey, "shimmering" sound on "Grace Under Pressure", "Power Windows" and "Hold Your Fire", and the difference is like night and day. Lifeson's heavily processed guitar on the mid-80's Rush albums owes a lot more to the style of then-contemporary postpunk guitarists like John McGeoch and the Edge rather than Jimmy Page. If you compare the King Crimson albums of 1969-74 to the '80's, Robert Fripp's guitar sound is also noticeably different in a similar way -- the latter featuring a lot more echo and reverb with songs that suggest a postpunk Talking Heads influence. On the mid-80's Rush albums, fashionable stabbing keyboard lines (not just chilly atmospheric synth washes like on "Signals") also become more prominent in the mix, and one notices that an ambitious track like "Marathon" features a soaring Ann Dudley string arrangement not dissimilar to her contributions to then-recent recordings by ABC and Frankie Goes to Hollywood (at one point, Rush seriously considered hiring Trevor Horn to produce "Power Windows" -- no doubt influenced by his successful collaboration with Yes on "90125" and its blockbuster number one single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart"). In a similar vein, "Mystic Rhythms" seems to incorporate a variation on the infamously abused "gated reverb" drum sound first invented by Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham for postpunk/indie darlings XTC's breakthrough albums "Drums and Wires" and "Black Sea", and then made most famous in the coming decade by Phil Collins on Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" and his own "In the Air Tonight" (again we see classic prog stalwarts like Collins and Gabriel adapting and becoming determinedly post-prog mainstream in the '80's). By the time Rush jumped onto the mid-'80's production bandwagon, Bruce Springsteen ("Born in the U.S.A."), Duran Duran ("The Wild Boys", "A View to a Kill"), and Kate Bush ("Sat in Your Lap", "Hounds of Love") -- as well as practically every other major commercial recording made by the aforementioned and unfortunately ubiquitous Phil Collins -- seemed to have already turned gated reverb in a mid-80's cliche, just as U2 had already rode that ringing anthemic "arena rock for socially conscious postpunks" guitar sound over the hills and into the bleachers by the time Alex Lifeson got hold of it.

[@classicalbum]

An excellent assessment of the band's evolution and sound. I do get that Permanent Waves was recorded and mixed in 1979, but I suppose I tend to go with release dates as markers. For example 'Deep Purple's 'In Rock' is hailed as one of the best rock albums of the 1970s - although released in 1970 was actually recorded in 69. The same could be said, I believe for the Stones' classic 'Sticky Fingers' and the Black Sabbath debut.

[@lysanderofsparta3708]

@@classicalbum The Beatles' "Let It Be" and Van Morrison's "Moondance" were both recorded in 1969, but were not released until the following year. Likewise, the Clash's "London Calling" and the Pretenders' eponymous debut album were both recorded in the summer of '79, but did not make their debut in the U.S. market until January 1980 (incidentally, the same month that "Permanent Waves" first hit the store shelves), which is why American critics tend to classify and rank them as '80's albums.

[@lysanderofsparta3708]

@@classicalbum By the way, whenever I listen to "The Camera Eye" I notice a faint similarity to "Heart of the Sunrise" by Yes. What do you think?

[@mattrogers1946]

My feelings exactly!

[@johngreen6385]

Rush were always great😎🤘

[@ricksantos9849]

Hemispheres is my favorite Rush album. I agree with you on 80’s Rush tho. Love hold your fire and grace. Red sector A is a masterpiece!!!

[@JavaBlues]

Caress of Steel, Rush, 2112, A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres.

[@briancox8518]

2 different bands from the 70s to the 80s both excellent They were big fans of ultravox and simple minds and Japan

[@tarekadelman6062]

80s builds on 70s- adolescent to adulthood as was described. The culmination of their evolution is the oft-overlooked Clockwork Angels which is the natural epitome of all their sound eras. A nice way to cap off their career. And an album I revisit often these days.

[@brianshank1419]

You're a very brave man to make this video, which is so well considered as always. I'm a fan of all of the Rush eras, but Rush fans, remarkably like Genesis fans, are often too dismissive of any of their post-70s output as lacking any value whatsoever. I discovered Rush and first saw them live during the Roll The Bones era. In the early 90s, they combined the more straightforward, "heavier" guitar-driven sound with the production advancements that they made in the '80s. However, in a direct comparison between the 70s and 80s, I would agree with your conclusion that they had a more evolved sound in the 80s.

[@garypeacock5919]

Definitely 70's for me. Some great stuff in the 80's, but 2112, hemispheres and farewell to kings tips the balance.

[@rocky-o]

to each their own, but...from their eponymous debut to 'hemispheres', rush produced their finest work...they, for the most part, were intelligent themes of magnificence....after that, it became commercial rote pieces suitable for radio airplay...and that alone says it all....not that any of their later tracks were unintelligent (thanks to ,mr. peart), but they didn't have that gravitas that the previous work suggested...then again...even a 'lesser' rush album is still better than anything on the radio today....peace always...rocky

[@stevenedwards4470]

I vote for the 70's. Signals was the last album i bought. They were my favorite band there for awhile. I couldn't bear the synths. For myself, i felt betrayed. There was no shortage of synth heavy bands right about then and at the time it felt like a capitulation to stay relevant. I realize that might be too strong a condemnation in retrospect, but in the moment it felt that way. I never got back to them. I understand some of the late work was pretty good. It's probably better not to say anything against 2112 out loud 😆

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

The 80s Rush were more musically and tonally original IMO But I do love their 70s live album ' All the World's a Stage' which was great classic heavy guitar / bass and drums rock.

[@Gazmonster1]

You didn't get as far as Presto but I often think that you and I are the only folk who appreciate a great Rush album of the 80s.

[@gavinsmith9016]

My three favourite Rush albums are their first three of the 80s. They then follow those up with Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows which, for me, fall behind the major 70s albums (Fly By Night, 2112, AFTK & Hemispheres). I'm then looking at the relative merits of the debut and Caress of Steel vs Hold Your Fire and Presto. The 80's lose that comparison as I'm not overly fond of those last two 80s albums. I would call it even betweeen the two decades.

[@gdmatter2286]

I accept that you like 80s Rush more. Its just fine. But when you said it, it really hurt me inside and i do not know why. For me the top 2 Records from Rush (Hemispheres and Farewell to Kings) were released in the 70s. Also my 4th facourite of 2112 and 6th favourite of caress of steel. Of course I would miss Moving Pictures and permanent Waves, but I dont care for much of the other stuff they did in the 80s other than possibly singnals. I like their most progressive releases. Anyways, an interesting video. Thank you! Have a good day :)

[@FundamentalsUK]

Love Moving Pictures and Power windows as perfect albums, but GUP and Signals Permanent waves and Presto as well. Tend to agree with you about the 80’s period being stronger and more concise songwriting iMO.

[@jimgroff6880]

70's

[@carlpeterson8182]

It would be interesting to ask which phase of Rush is the best. For me it would be #3 then #2. Those stand out way above the rest. #6 is also very great though. And parts of #1 and #4 are great. Just not all of either. #5 had some very great lyrics. The Pass and Bravado are two of my favorite songs lyrically. #7 I love CA but still find it a little hard to get really into Vapor Trails and Snakes and Arrows as full albums. They are a little long and the songs are too alike at times. But I love some of the songs on each. All the songs are good BTW just too much of the same mid tempo Rush song with the drop off (of rock sound) in the chorus. 1. Early Led Zep and pre-progressive phase Rush to Caress of Steel 2. Progressive Phase- 2112 to Hemispheres 3. Arena Rock Phase- Power Windows and Moving Pictures 4. Synth phase- Signals through Hold Your Fire 5. Trying to get back to Rock phase- Presto and Roll the Bones 6. Back to Rock phase- Counterparts and Test for Echo 7. Ending phase- Vapor Trails to Clockwork Angels (I thought about having CA as its own group but that was too much).

[@markmilner842]

Best period was Permanent Waves through Grace Under Pressure, followed by the final three albums. I like all of Rush’s albums, but those two periods, IMO, are both better than the great & revered 2112 through Hemispheres period.

[@mikesclassicrock9745]

Love all Rush periods but honestly prefer 80 , Cheers from 🇨🇦

[@stevemalek2970]

For me it comes down to my favorite Rush album and that's moving Pictures which was released January 1980. If it was released a month earlier I'd say 70's because Moving Pictures and Signals are great but so are Hemispheres and Farewell to the King and 2112. Permanent Waves being in the 80s tipped the scale.

[@mdgersper]

Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures are fantastic and good end to what I consider their classic period between 2112 and Moving Pictures. Grace under pressure is also a great album in my opinion, but I haven’t been able to really get into signals. I don’t think I need to mention that Hold Your Fire and Powered Windows our a huge cloud over their eighties output for me, although Hold Your Fire has its moments... Presto is the best album you didn’t mention

[@briang1663]

I love it all. I can’t disagree with anyone who is a Rush fan. Sure we may not agree on the favorite album or favorite song but that works. I happen to agree Moving Pictures is their best album. I also think either Limelight or Spirit of Radio are their best songs.

[@elliotwalton6159]

I was one of those Canadian teenagers who didn't get RUSH in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. I finally sat down with RUSH only a couple of years ago and evolved some appreciation for the band. Still not a favorite or go-to band for me, but an intriguing one to listen to. Too bad I missed the show. Living in Toronto i was in prime position to take advantage of concerts. As it is, I listen more to the 70s. Thanks for your thoughts on the band. I'll take it to my next listening.

[@stephenbarrow3352]

70s for me. They lost me after Moving Pictures.

[@mattrogers1946]

After Signals...

[@jefffinlayson3002]

Or the 1990s, etc. I think Rush made great music throughout their career. Some albums had better overall quality than others but all were generally good.

[@davidsimon2096]

I didn't think much of their early 70's albums. For me they peaked with Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres.Liked a few things they did on the next couple of albums but 80's Rush started to lose me overall.

[@sandylman8219]

I totally agree.

[@thomashealy6127]

To me Moving Pictures was their best album. Maybe it’s because it’s the first album I bought of theirs.

[@keithf_]

For me the great run of Rush albums is :- Caress Of Steel, 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves ... and yes I agree with you in saying I prefer 'A Farewell To Kings' & 'Hemispheres' to '2112'

[@rjm4091]

Your analysis and verbiage is classy

[@thegood9]

The Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure triple play back to back certainly makes me love the 80s stuff the best. But, I grew up a keyboard player, so I LOVED hearing all those synths! However, I just feel the songwriting and melodies were MUCH better in the 80's than in the 70's, and they had tuned (much like Genesis) their prog into a more accessible song format. I love the sprawlers as much as any fan, but, for repeated listening, I much more enjoy the more concise tunes.

[@qdaveq6597]

For me there are three great albums from the 70s (2112, AFTK, Hemispheres), but six from the 80s (Yes, including HYF). It's a little unfair to compare the two decades, since they didn't begin until nearly halfway through the 70s and they were a new band then.

[@ianstringfellow2060]

Introduced to Rush by hearing La Villa Strangiato...and really enjoyed Hemispheres in particular amongst their classic 70's albums, but the 80's era was their musical peak for me. Every album an absolute joy...and I still listen to them with as much enthusiasm today!

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Better in the 1970’s for my money.

[@Starman2112ofKings]

So the 76-84 still stands up pretty well but Power Windows-Presto sounds pretty dated and very hit and miss on all of those. Overall it’s the 70’s

[@sharktroubles]

Spot on. Thx.

[@terryjohnson5275]

Thanks Barry, paradoxically perhaps I both agree and disagree with you. I dont think you can really divide them up between either 70's or 80's, as I think the divisions (or should that be subdivisions?) are more about their Terry Brown produced period which can be divided into two parts Rush to 2112, Farewell to Kings to Signals - and I agree with you in that I prefer Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres to 2112 - and tend to go to Caress of Steel before 2112 as well - that for eras 1 (4 albums, and 2 (5 albums) leaving another two eras of 5 albums each (discounting Feedback and all their live albums) As with many Rush fans, though, I can enjoy all their periods. Grace is a bit of an outlier, probably because of the producer, whereas with Power Windows and then Presto they changed producers to experiment a bit with different sounds and approaches brought to them by Peter Collins and Rupert Hine, hence Geddy singing in a lower register thta they learnt on the first and bedded in on the second then decided to change things up again so as not to get stale or stuck in a rut. I would never dream of pillorying you for thinking 80's Rush is better than 70's (or for liking or disliking anything I dont or do) and I'd have to say you certainly have a point with Rush, and lest we dont forget, Neil Peart is on record as saying he views Moving Pictures as the first real Rush album. What I would say is that rather than say which is better or best, because each era was different it will inevitably mean that diffrent people will view each different era as being their favourite or the best one.

[@donnielee5331]

I love Hemispheres and Farewell to Kings, but I listen to the 80's stuff way more.

[@tableface77]

1976 - 1981 is where they shine for me personally so that's three 70's albums and two 80's albums;-)

[@jensbaumann6945]

For me theres no better or worse phase in rush. Love almost everything they did. If i want some heavy prog... i wont listen to 80s rush at all and if im in the mood for 80s synth theres nothing better than power Windows... Same with 90s lets say grungy rush or their amazing last 3 Albums... so, i see where you come from, but i dont see the need to ask what period is better

[@Misfitnz8]

1974 to 1981 for me

[@mattrogers1946]

💯

[@kmjr2400]

Rush , from 2112 through Signals are their best music ever. So the mid 70s through early 80s is my choice.

[@mattrogers1946]

I'd add Caress Of Steel, and the end came around Signals. Once they parted ways with Terry Brown, the band was never the same.

[@kmjr2400]

@@mattrogers1946 I can agree with that. 🤘

[@stephenjefferies5101]

Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures have endured better than Hemispheres or A Farewell to Kings, i still play all four albums a lot though.

[@JosephFrancisBurton]

I love the 70s Rush as much as anybody, but from a purely songwriting perspective Rush hit their peak between Grace Under Pressure and Presto. Too bad about the tinny 80’s synths. Those great songs need to be remixed or even re-recorded.

[@jdemarco]

I think it would be next to impossible to re-record any Rush songs with Peart being deceased...

[@JosephFrancisBurton]

@@jdemarco - true, but those drums were recorded on separate tracks ... anyway, I agree it will never happen, just fun to think of possibilities .

[@Dave-mb7kb]

For me 1970s Rush is vastly better.

[@rushbravado1972]

Love this. Anytime we can talk about Rush I am in. Tough question. Both eras are amazing. My favorite album is Clockwork Angels but Grace Under Pressure and A Farewell To Kings are in my top 5. I feel like the 80's had more synth but had such emotion and drive. Listen to Power Windows or Signals and you can see and hear that. Moving Pictures and even Permanent Waves are masterpiece albums start to finish from the 80's

[@pdcrmr]

Saying 80’s Rush is better than 70’s Rush is like saying sex on top is better than sex on the bottom. They’re both pretty awesome! Comes down (or up) to personal preference.

[@rushbravado1972]

Plus I am forgetting about how great Hold Your Fire and Presto are. Those were my beginnings into Rush. I became a fanatic of the band after I heard Presto and they have been my favorite band ever since.

[@siliyemoodislam]

I like Roll The Bones of 70s Flight By 2112