1. A Farewell to Kings - To me, you can't get better than this. Pure prog at it's finest. Xanadu is Rush's best track, and the whole album flows together so well. I've always called Madrigal "the calm before the storm."
2. Moving Pictures - Generally considered their best for good reason. Not one weak track here.
3. Power Windows - I love this album. I'm one of the few people who really, really likes Territories (it's just so danceable), and overall, I feel this album represents the best of their synth period.
4. Hemispheres - The title track has one of the most interesting ideas for one of their songs, and the rest of the album rounds out brilliantly. La Villa is their best instrumental.
5. Permanent Waves - The first album where we start to hear some synth, but well before the synth era. Natural Science and Jacob's Ladder are truly inspired tracks.
6. Signals - More great synth tracks here, and I love the album even though I feel that Subdivisions + the even numbered tracks are far stronger than the other three. However, the whole album flows together really well, and it works as one piece.
7. 2112 - Amazing title track, and some more of their great prog era.
8. Hold Your Fire - The bass on this album is amazing, and a lot of the lyrics are quite inspired. I am one of three people who actually likes Tai Shan (so shoot me).
9. Snakes and Arrows - The best production on an album we've seen since Power Windows, and it shows. Great instrumentals all around, and only a couple of weak tracks.
10. Fly By Night - Great early stuff here, Bytor and the Snow Dog really foreshadows where they're going, and there are a few really great rockers on here, like Beneath, Between, and Behind, Fly By Night, and In the End.
11. Grace Under Pressure - Some of their darkest synth stuff, which I love. Between the Wheels and Kid Gloves are amazing, and again the lyrics here are astounding.
12. Roll the Bones - I love this album unashamedly. The rap is silly, but fun, and the whole concept behind the album of life as a game of chance is very interesting. You Bet Your Life is a great album closer.
13. Presto - Slightly weaker production than Roll the Bones, but the tracks are just as compelling. Show Don't Tell, Presto, and Available Light are standouts here, but the poppy feel of this album I always enjoy.
14. Caress of Steel - Great tracks all around here, but that early Rush sound doesn't work quite as well when it is extended to the length of some of their more proggy stuff. I still love it though.
15. Counterparts - Much heavier than other Rush. Amazing playing and great structures, but I prefer the lighter to the heavier sounds of Rush.
16. Clockwork Angels - Production feels muddled here, though the lyrics are great, and I'm glad to see Rush finally do a full, true concept album, in terms of telling a story (I consider most Rush albums loose concept albums, but this is their first tight one, to be sure).
17. Rush - The lack of Peart shows. I still like the tunes, but it's obvious it's not the Rush we all know and love.
18. Vapor Trails - Production feels very muddled here, though there are still some standout tracks, and I still enjoy listening to the album. Hey, it's still Rush, right?
19. Test for Echo - Some of their worst lyrics, and again fairly muddled production. A few standout greats on this one, but this is definitely the Rush album I listen to the least.
