Rush Back Catalogue Greatest Hits

[RushBoingo]

If Rush were to release a greatest hits of their back catalogue, what would you put on it. Say it would be a 2 Disc Cd, pick 3 songs for 2 albums, 2 songs from seven and 1 song from the other 10, for a grand total of 32 songs (15 each disc) what would the songs be, and in what order. I have laid out which songs are popular based on how well it charted, if it is included on a compilation(North American Only), or if it's obviously popular via concert plays (think YYZ). I stared all songs that charted in the top forty, but otherwise did not appear on compilations, or appear live often, these songs can be chosen, but don't pick more than one from the same album (don't worry about track lengths but be my guest to list a specific part of a long song)

 

Too Popular list (if you feel strongly that a song should not be on this list, go ahead and put it on, and explain why)

 

Rush:

Finding my way

In the mood

Working Man

 

Fly By Night:

Anthem

By-Tor & the Snow Dog

Fly By Night

 

Carress of Steel:

Bastille Day

Lakeside Park

The Necromancer

 

2112:

2112 Pts 1,2

A Passage to Bangkok

Something for Nothing

 

A Farewell to Kings:

A Farewell to Kings

Xanadu

Closer to the Heart

 

Hemispheres:

The Trees

La Villa Strangiato

 

Permanent Waves:

The Spirit of Radio

Freewill

 

Moving Pictures:

Tom Sawyer

Red Barchetta

YYZ

Limelight

 

Signals:

Subdivisons

The Analog Kid

New World Man

 

Grace Under Pressure:

Distant Early Warning

Red Sector A

The Body Electric

 

Power Windows:

The Big Money

Manhattan Project

Marathon

Territories*

Mystic Rhythms

 

Hold Your Fire:

Force Ten

Time Stand Still

Lock and Key*

Mission

 

Presto:

Show Don't Tell

The Pass

Presto

Superconductor*

 

Roll The Bones:

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

Ghost of a Chance

 

Counterparts:

Animate

Stick it out

Nobody's Hero

Leave that thing alone

Cold Fire*

 

Test for Echo:

Test for Echo

Driven

Half the World

Virtuality*

 

Vapor Trails:

One Little Victory

Secret Touch

Earthshine

 

Snakes and Arrows:

Far Cry

Working Them Angels

The Larger Bowl*

 

Clockwork Angels:

Caravan

BU2B

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

 

Enjoy

[Cyclonus X-1]

Disc One

 

Hemispheres

Chemistry

Witch Hunt

The Weapon

The Enemy Within

Carnies

Circumstances

Take a Friend

Best I Can

Armor and Sword

Available Light

Rivendell

Jacob's Ladder

Open Secrets

The Fountain of Lamneth

 

 

Disc Two

 

The Camera Eye

Afterimage

The Color of Right

Alien Shore

Carve Away the Stone

Madrigal

Emotion Detector

The Twilight Zone

The Anarchist

Ghost Rider

Face Up

Countdown

Lock and Key

Sweet Miracle

Vital Signs

Edited February 6, 2013 by Cyclonus X-1

[diatribein]

Compilation albums are practically DEAD due to the mp3 / file revolution and streaming of music, so we are unlikely to see a true RUSH studio song compilation ever again, but I like this exercise so I shall have a go:

 

Disc 1: 1974 to 1984

 

01. The Spirit Of Radio

02. Tom Sawyer

03. The Body Electric

04. Circumstances

05. Fly By Night

06. In The Mood

07. Freewill

08. 2112: I: Overture, II:The Temples of Syrinx

09. New World Man

10. Vital Signs

11. Red Sector A

12. Entre Nous

13. Limelight

14. Lakeside Park

15. Closer To The Heart

16. Subdivisions

 

 

Disc 2: 1985 to 2015

 

17. Caravan

18. Far Cry

19. The Big Money

20. Roll The Bones

21. Driven

22. Presto

23. Nobody's Hero

24. Ghost Rider

25. Workin' Them Angels

26. Prime Mover

27. Stick It Out

28. Ghost Of A Chance

29. The Pass

30. Territories

31. Time Stand Still

32. The Garden

 

 

OP's original list was a bit convoluted, including songs that had never been released on a compilation or as a single such as Something For Nothing (which is my favourite song from 2112, so I'm not discounting it because I don't like it) and missing out on singles like Vital Signs. OP also said to put 15 tracks on each disc for a total of 32 songs?!?!?! Since, I seem to be a little better at math, I decided to go with 16 songs per disc in order to actually get to 32 songs. I don't use any epics so both my discs still come under 80 minutes which would be the maximum per disc.

 

I decided I would go with ONLY songs that were released as a commercial single OR promo single with the exception of Ghost Rider over the Vapor Trails singles since it is a better song and complies with OP's requirement that it was played live and a fan favourite (Rush In Rio). The division is done in 1985 because there are theoretically 10 albums that comprise each disc, although I chose no songs from Feedback, it was still considered as part of disc 2. Every other album has at least one song on the compilation.