Rush (band)

Rush (band)

Rush was a Canadian rock band. Formed in Toronto in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its classic lineup with the addition of Neil Peart in 1974. Rush has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US plus 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush ceased large-scale touring at the end of 2015, and Lifeson announced in January 2018 that the band would not continue. On January 7, 2020, Peart died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer at the age of 67.

About Rush (band) in brief

Summary Rush (band)Rush was a Canadian rock band. Formed in Toronto in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its classic lineup with the addition of Neil Peart in 1974. Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and philosophy. The band’s style changed over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, then a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. Rush ceased large-scale touring at the end of 2015, and Lifeson announced in January 2018 that the band would not continue. On January 7, 2020, Peart died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer at the age of 67. Rush has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US plus 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, won several Juno Awards, and won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards. Rush’s last five studio albums all made the Top 6 in Canada and the US, with their last, 2012’s Clockwork Angels, reaching No. 1 and 2, while also going Top 10 in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia. Rush ranks 88th in the U.S. with sales of 25 million albums and industry sources estimate their total worldwide album sales at over 40 million as of 2017. The original lineup formed in the neighbourhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist and front man Jeff. Jones, and drummer John Rutsey on September 18, 1968.

Within a couple of weeks of forming, lead vocalist and vocalist John Jones left the band and was replaced by Geddy Lee, a schoolmate of Lifeson. After several lineup reformations, Rush’s official incarnation formed in May 1971 consisting of Lee, Lifeson and Rutsey. The name Rush was suggested by Rutsey’s brother Bill, a frequent attendee of Rush’s North Delsanni’s bar and honing their local dance skills on the local dance circuit. Rush hit No. 3 in the UK and the UK, and No. 4 in theUS with their seventh album, 1980’s Permanent Waves, which featured more shorter tracks, including the Top 20 UK and Canadian hit, \”Spirit of Radio\”. In 1981, with Moving Pictures, Rush topped the Canadian Album Chart, while hitting No. 3 in US and UK. Rush’s fourth album, 2112, featuring the seven-part title track, became Rush”s first Top 5 hit in Canada and went 3x platinum in US. The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2013. 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. The group’s first single, \”New World Man\” went to No.1 in Canada, while \”Subdivisions\” became another radio favourite. Other popular Rush songs, most of which peaked highly on the US Rock Tracks Chart, include: “Closer to the Heart” off A Farewell to Kings, “The Big Money’ off Presto, and “Stick It Out’  off Counterparts.