Progressive rock trio, formed in 1968 (Toronto, Canada). Rose to become one of rock's most highly regarded and praised bands, although brushed aside by critics and rare recipients of mainstream pop radio airplay, Rush have nonetheless won a devoted following over the course of their career, while their virtuoso performance skills has solidified their standing as musicians' musicians.
Rush also ranks 78th in U.S. album sales with 25 million units. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units.
Starting out as a bar band in 1968 in Willowdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and then drummer John Rutsey were perhaps the hardest working unsigned act of the day. Refusing to conform and play top 40 material, they were determined to play what they wanted to play, and on their own terms.
In 1974, after the release of their self-titled debut, Neil Peart took over for John Rutsey and soon proved to be not only an amazing drummer, but also an excellent lyricist. His often epic compositions fit perfectly with the band's playing.
From their metal-edged, more classic rock type material of the early- to mid-70s, Rush were on their way to the top. It wasn't until their late-70's/early-80s material that the band broke through. Rush's 80's output was unlike anything else anyone had produced back then, but still managed to do well. In the 90's, Rush very suddenly changed styles with the release of Counterparts, focusing on a more modern type of rock that was becoming popular right around that time. Most of the albums became similar to hard rock, and arena rock. However, Rush never lost their signature sound, setting them apart from all other bands.
While they have not had many radio hits, few hard rock fans have not heard of the band's bigger hits like "Working Man", "The Spirit Of Radio", "Limelight" and of course the enigmatic "Tom Sawyer", which catapulted the band into the limelight in 1981.
Now in their fourth decade of making music together, the hard working men of Rush still continue to wow their audience, and even bring aboard some new fans. In 2005, the band released another DVD concert, filmed in Frankfurt, Germany on their 2004 30th Anniversary tour; Rush still shows no signs of stopping.
Rush's latest album was released on May 1st, 2007, Snakes & Arrows. Its first single was "Far Cry". The single aired on radios and released on the internet on March 12th. The trio began touring to support the album on an international schedule on June 13, 2007.
Rush released two new songs ("Caravan" and "BU2B") on June 1, 2010. In the digital booklet provided on iTunes, they are said to be parts One and Two of "Clockwork Angels", a work in progress.
From Wikipedia:Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. The band and its membership went through a number of re-configurations between 1968 and 1974, achieving their current form when Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour.
Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in March 1974, Rush has become known for the instrumental skills of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional, and environmental concerns.
Musically, Rush's style has changed over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their first album, then encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, and a period with heavy use of synthesizers. They have been cited as an influence by various musical artists, including Metallica, Primus, and The Smashing Pumpkins as well as progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater, and Symphony X.
Rush has won a number of Juno Awards, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Over their careers, the members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each band member winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls. As a group, Rush possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records. Rush's sales statistics place them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band. Rush also ranks 79th in U.S. album sales with 25 million units. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units.
The band is currently touring North America on the Time Machine Tour. Upon completion of the tour, the band is scheduled to continue writing and recording their next studio album Clockwork Angels for release in early 2011.