LABT's Rush song rankings (1-165), with special dispensation from hi_water to reveal them concurrent with his list

**TheAccountant** · August 20, 2023

13 hours ago, Mosher said:

We all have opinions about Rush that surprise the rest of us, but you may have taken first place in the surprise take category.

Not because you have YYZ low, but because of how much you dislike it.

Wow

Yeah - I knew that would be a shock to many so I figured I better explain it as best I could.

Hey - I warned everybody I was about to toss out a shocker.

**TheAccountant** · August 20, 2023

2 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

We start into the top 20 of the band with the greatest catalog in the world (IMO, of course). Everything from now on is sublime!

#165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11)

#164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13)

#163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11)

#162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10)

#161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13)

#160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10)

#159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)

#158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10)

#157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11)

#156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10)

#155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)

#154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11)

#153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13)

#152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13)

#151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)

#150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11)

#149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11)

#148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10)

#147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13)

#146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11)

#145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10)

#144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10)

#143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8)

#142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11)

#141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11)

#140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11)

#139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11)

#138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8)

#137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8)

#136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8)

#135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)

#134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11)

#133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13)

#132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13)

#131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11)

#130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11)

#129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8)

#128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8)

#126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10)

#125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6)

#124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10)

#123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10)

#122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5)

#121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11)

#120 Totem (T4E, 7th of 11)

#119 Territories (PoW, 5th of 8)

#118 Cut to the Chase {CP, 7th of 11)

#117 Alien Shore (CP, 6th of 11)

#116 Red Lenses (p/g, 8th of 8)

#115 The Color of Right (T4E, 6th of 11)

#114 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 5th of 10)

#113 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)

#112 Mystic Rhythms (PoW, 4th of 8)

#111 The Pass (Presto, 4th of 11)

#110 What You're Doing (Rush, 5th of 8)

#109 Digital Man (Signals, 7th of 8)

#108 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)

#107 Need Some Love (Rush, 4th of 8)

#106 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#105 Carve Away the Stone (T4E, 5th of 11)

#104 Vapor Trail (VT, 9th of 13)

#103 Virtuality (T4E, 4th of 11)

#102 Chain Lightning (Presto, 3rd of 11)

#101 Before and After (Rush, 3rd of 8)

#100 Different Strings (PeW, 6th of 6)

#99 The Fountain of Lamneth (CoS, 4th of 5)

#98 Bravado (RTB, 4th of 10)

#97 We Hold On (S&A, 6th of 13)

#96 Tears (2112, 5th of 6)

#95 Lessons (2112, 4th of 6)

#94 Red Tide (Presto, 2nd of 11)

#93 Marathon (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#92 Lock and Key (HYF, 5th of 10)

#91 Working Them Angels (S&A, 5th of 13)

#90 Limbo (T4E, 3rd of 11)

#89 Where's My Thing? (t4\, 3rd of 10)

#88 The Necromancer (CoS, 3rd of 5)

#87 Making Memories (FBN, 8th of 8)

#86 Hope (S&A, 4th of 13)

#85 Kid Gloves (p/g, 7 of 8)

#84 Halo Effect (CA, 11th of 12)

#83 Countdown (Signals, 6th of 8)

#82 The Body Electric (p/g, 6th of 8)

#81 Lakeside Park (CoS, 2nd of 5)

#80 Finding My Way (Rush, 2nd of 8)

#79 Prime Mover (HYF, 4th of 10)

#78 Animate (CP, 4th of 11)

#77 Test for Echo (T4E, 2nd of 11)

#76 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 3rd of 11)

#75 Cold Fire (CP, 2nd of 11)

#74 Carnies (CA, 10th of 12)

#73 How It Is (VT, 8th of 13)

#72 Afterimage (p/g, 5th of 8)

#71 Between Sun and Moon (1st of 11)

#70 Turn the Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)

#69 Secret Touch (VT, 7th of 13)

#68 7 Cities of Gold (CA, 9th of 12)

#67 Show Don't Tell (Presto, 1st of 11)

#66 The Main Monkey Business (S&A, 3rd of 13)

#65 Sweet Miracle (VT, 6th of 13)

#64 The Wreckers (CA, 8th of 12)

#63 Rivendell (FBN, 7th of 8)

#62 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 2nd of 13)

#61 New World Man (Signals, 5th of 8)

#60 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59 Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58 Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57 Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56 The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

#55 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)

#54 Earthshine (VT, 4th of 13)

#53 Roll The Bones (RTB, 2nd of 10)

#52 One Little Victory (VT, 3rd of 13)

#51 Beneath Between and Behind (FBN, 5th of 8)

#50 In the End (FBN, 4th of 8)

#49 Between the Wheels (p/g, 4th of 8)

#48 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)

#47 Losing It (Signals, 4th of 8)

#46 Best I Can (FBN, 3rd of 8)

#45 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#44 A Passage to Bangkol (2112, 3rd of 6)

#43 Red Sector A (p/g, 3rd of 8)

#42 Force Ten (HYF, 2nd of 10)

#41 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)

#40 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 3rd of 6)

#39 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)

#38 Manhattan Project (PoW, 1st of 8)

#37 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 1st of 13)

#36 The Camera Eye (MP, 7th of 7)

#35 Time Stand Still (HYF, 1st of 10)

#34 The Weapon (Signals, 3rd of 8)

#33 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)

#32 Cygnus X-1 Book I (AFTK, 2nd of 6)

#31 Entre Nous (PeW, 5th of 6)

#30 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)

#29 The Enemy Within (p/g, 2nd of 8)

#28 The Garden (CA, 3rd of 12)

#27 The Analog Kid (Signals, 2nd of 8)

#26 By Tor and the Snowdog (FBN, 2nd of 8)

#25 Headlong Flight (CA, 2nd of 12)

#24 Bastille Day (CoS, 1st of 5)

#23 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#22 Anthem (FBN, 1st of 8)

#21 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#20 Distant Early Warning (p/g, 1st of 8)

#19 Limelight (MP, 6th of 7)

#18 Something for Nothing (2112, 2nd of 6)

#17 Witch Hunt (MP, 5th of 7)

#16 The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)

I suspect I'm higher than most on most of these, and lower on Limelight. So hate away!

Distant Early Warning - feels about right. I might have it a tiny bit lower but likely only a few spots. Excellent song.

Limelight - my #6 song.

Something for Nothing - my #10 song.

Witch Hunt - Time for me to toss out another shocker (but not as big as my YYZ comments). I like Witch Hunt but Rush has better. Its good but their are a lot of song I like more. It might not make my top 100. But I do like it.

The Anarchist - A real dog IMO. Near the bottom of my list. As you would gather from my comments about YYZ, the bottom of the barrel for me is Dog Years, Virtuality, all of VT, CA up to but not including Halo Effect (but including BU2B2), The Necromancer & YYZ. I used to include The Fountain of Lamneth with this list but it has crept up a bit over the last year. So The Anarchist falls into this heap of bad songs.

**TheAccountant** · August 20, 2023

1 hour ago, Mosher said:

#165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8)
#164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6)
#163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11)
#162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8)
#161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8)
#159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8)
#158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8)
#157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10)
#156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13)

#155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13)
#154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)
#153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11)
#152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13)
#151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)
#149 Half the World (T4E, 11th of 11)
#148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)
#147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8)
#146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10)

#145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13)
#144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13)
#143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13)
#142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5)
#141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11)

#140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13)
#139 Totem (T4E, 10th of 11)
#138 Neurotica (RtB, 10th of 10)
#137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)
#136 Limbo (T4E, 9th of 11)

#135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6)
#134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8)
#133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10)
#132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5)
#131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11)

#130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13)
#129 Scars (P, 10th of 11)
#128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8)
#127 Ghost of a Chance (RtB, 9th of 10)
#126 Resist (T4E, 8th of 11)

#125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12)
#124 Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11)
#123 Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8)
#122 Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8)
#121 Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6)

#120 Dog Years (T4E, 7th of 11)
#119 Bravado (RtB, 8th of 10)
#118 The Garden (CA, 10th of 12)
#117 Halo Effect (CA, 9th of 12)
#116 Presto (P, 9th of 11)

#115 Virtuality (T4E, 6th of 11)
#114 Time and Motion (T4E, 5th of 11)
#113 Hope (S&A, 8th of 13)
#112 Armor & Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)
#111 Roll the Bones (RtB, 7th of 10)

#110 Show Don't Tell (P, 8th of 11)
#109 Where's My Thing (RtB, 6th of 10)
#108 Chemistry (S, 8th of 8)
#107 Red Barchetta (MP, 7th of 7)
#106 Available Light (P, 7th of 11)

#105 Mystic Rythms (PoW, 8th of 8)
#104 The Pass (P, 6th of 11)
#103 Lock and Key (HYF, 7th of 10)
#102 Losing It (S, 7th of 8)
#101 Anthem (FBN, 5th of 8)

#100 Hand Over Fist (P, 5th of 11)
#99 Main Monkey Business (S&A, 6th of 13)
#98 Open Secrets (HYF, 6th of 10)
#97 Wish Them Well (CA, 8th of 12)
#96 War Paint (P, 4th of 11)

#95 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 5th of 13)
#94 Everyday Glory (CP, 7th of 11)
#93 The Way The Wind Blows (S&A, 4th of 13)
#92 Vapor Trail (VT, 7th of 13)
#91 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 6th of 13)

#90 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)
#89 Emotion Detector (PoW, 7th of 8)
#88 Entre Nous (PeW, 6th of 6)
#87 Different Strings (PeW, 5th of 6)
#86 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#85 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)
#84 Marathon (PoW, 6th of 8)
#83 Cold Fire (CP, 6th of 11)
#82 New World Man (S, 6th of 8)
#81 A Passage To Bangkok (2112, 3rd of 6)

#80 You Bet Your Life (RtB, 5th of 10)
#79 Headlong Flight (CA, 6th of 12)
#78 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 3rd of 13)
#77 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)
#76 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#75 Bastille Day (CoS, 3rd of 5)
#74 Fly By Night (FBN, 4th of 8)
#73 Heresy (RtB, 4th of 10)
#72 Between The Wheels (P/G, 7th of 8)
#71 Anagram (P, 3rd of 11)

#70 Red Tide (P, 2nd of 11)
#69 The Big Wheel (RtB, 3rd of 10)
#68 One Little Victory (VT, 4th of 13)
#67 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)
#66 Wreckers (CA, 5th of 12)

#65 Workin' Them Angels (S&A, 2nd of 13)
#64 Alien Shore (CP, 4th of 11)
#63 2112 (2112, 2nd of 6)
#62 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)
#61 How It Is (VT, 3rd of 13)

#60 Carve Away The Stone (T4E, 4th of 11)
#59 Test For Echo (T4E, 3rd of 11)
#58 Force Ten (HYF, 5th of 10)
#57 Face UP (RtB, 2nd of 10)
#56 The Big Money (PoW, 5th of 8)

#55 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)
#54 The Trees (H, 4th of 4)
#53 Chain Lightning (P, 1st of 11)
#52 Red Sector A (P/G, 6th of 8)
#51 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#50 Witch Hunt (MP, 6th of 7)
#49 Earthshine (VT, 1st of 13)
#48 The Colour Of Right (T4E, 2nd of 11)
#47 Distant Early Warning (P/G, 5th of 8)
#46 Time Stand Still (HYF, 4th of 10)

#45 Afterimage (P/G, 4th of 8)
#44 The Body Electric (P/G, 3rd of 8)
#43 In The End (FBN, 3rd of 8)
#42 Turn The Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)
#41 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 4th of 8)

#40 Carnies (CA, 3rd of 12)
#39 Animate (CP, 3rd of 11)
#38 Cygnus X-1 (AFTK, 3rd of 6)
#37 Between Sun and Moon (CP, 2nd of 11)
#36 Cut to the Chase (CP, 1st of 11)

#35 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)
#34 Countdown (S, 5th of 8)
#33 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)
#32 High Water (HYF, 2nd of 10)
#31 Manhattan Project (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#30 Dreamline (RtB, 1st of 10)
#29 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 2nd of 6)
#28 Circumstances (H, 3rd of 4)
#27 Grand Designs (PoW, 2nd of 8)
#26 The Weapon (S, 4th of 8)

#25 YYZ (MP, 5th of 7)
#24 The Spirit of Radio (PeW, 3rd of 6)
#23 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)
#22 By-Tor and the Snow Dog (FBN, 2nd of 8)
#21 Digital Man (S, 3rd of 8)

#20 The Necromancer (CoS, 2nd of 5)
#19 Seven Cities of Gold (CA, 2nd of 12)
#18 The Fountain of Lamnneth (CoS, 1st of 5)
#17 Territories (PoW, 1st of 8)
#16 The Camera Eye (MP, 3rd of 7)

Both the Necromancer and Fountain are flawed, The former by a narration choice that is silly and diminishes the song on repeated listens. But I guess on this day I was really into Alex's performance, which is incredible. Still, I need to be more consistent in evaluating the whole song. Although I guess my criteria in this list was just a simple "do I want to listen to the next song more, or less, than this one" applied here that day. The Fountain loses it's cohesion musically midway, they weren't quite there in writing epics yet, but the metaphor of the progression of a human life told through music works for me very well.

Seven Cities was my initial favorite off Clockwork and I stand by it, although for some reason many find it quite weak.

Territories is the most lyrically true to my basic world view, so it will always be important to me. It's not complex, but I was 15 when it came out and it really spoke to me then.

The Camera Eye has jumped in the ratings over the years, and I don't know why. Passing 2112, Fountain, Necromancer, By Tor, to become a major player among Rush epics. No particular reason, though. I just really like it now.

The Necromancer is near the bottom of the barrel for me.

7 Cities of Gold is good but Rush has better. It might or might not make my top 100. Again, its decent but Rush just has better.

The Fountain of Lamnneth has risen over the last year. It used to be near the bottom of the barrel for me but I have found a new appreciation for it over the last year. Not a top 100 song - clearly not that. Not close. But I can tolerate it and even enjoy some parts of it.

Territories - a top 100 song for me. Not certain where but certain if would be lower than this.

The Camera Eye - a good song but Rush has better. Might or might not make my top 100.

**Nova Carmina** · August 20, 2023

3 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

We start into the top 20 of the band with the greatest catalog in the world (IMO, of course). Everything from now on is sublime!

#20 Distant Early Warning (p/g, 1st of 8)

#19 Limelight (MP, 6th of 7)

#18 Something for Nothing (2112, 2nd of 6)

#17 Witch Hunt (MP, 5th of 7)

#16 The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)

Everything from here on probably is sublime, so there's little point in arguing 12 v 18 (but "The Anarchist" might be lower . . . ) so this grouping gets an "A"!

Rush's top songs ought to be like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- it's hard to screw it up!

**Nova Carmina** · August 20, 2023

2 hours ago, Mosher said:

#20 The Necromancer (CoS, 2nd of 5)
#19 Seven Cities of Gold (CA, 2nd of 12)
#18 The Fountain of Lamnneth (CoS, 1st of 5)
#17 Territories (PoW, 1st of 8)
#16 The Camera Eye (MP, 3rd of 7)

I have generally agreed with most of your list, but I'll confess this set is a head scratcher. Good songs? Yes, sure. Top Twenty songs? I dunno, man. "Territories" gets the Power Windows bump, at least. Good thinking material.

Next!

**laughedatbytime** · August 21, 2023

After this bunch, only the creme de la creme, the top 10 remain. Look below to see what just missed that elite group.

#165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11)

#164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13)

#163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11)

#162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10)

#161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13)

#160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10)

#159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)

#158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10)

#157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11)

#156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10)

#155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)

#154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11)

#153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13)

#152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13)

#151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)

#150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11)

#149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11)

#148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10)

#147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13)

#146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11)

#145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10)

#144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10)

#143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8)

#142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11)

#141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11)

#140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11)

#139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11)

#138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8)

#137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8)

#136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8)

#135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)

#134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11)

#133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13)

#132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13)

#131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11)

#130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11)

#129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8)

#128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8)

#126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10)

#125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6)

#124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10)

#123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10)

#122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5)

#121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11)

#120 Totem (T4E, 7th of 11)

#119 Territories (PoW, 5th of 8)

#118 Cut to the Chase {CP, 7th of 11)

#117 Alien Shore (CP, 6th of 11)

#116 Red Lenses (p/g, 8th of 8)

#115 The Color of Right (T4E, 6th of 11)

#114 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 5th of 10)

#113 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)

#112 Mystic Rhythms (PoW, 4th of 8)

#111 The Pass (Presto, 4th of 11)

#110 What You're Doing (Rush, 5th of 8)

#109 Digital Man (Signals, 7th of 8)

#108 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)

#107 Need Some Love (Rush, 4th of 8)

#106 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#105 Carve Away the Stone (T4E, 5th of 11)

#104 Vapor Trail (VT, 9th of 13)

#103 Virtuality (T4E, 4th of 11)

#102 Chain Lightning (Presto, 3rd of 11)

#101 Before and After (Rush, 3rd of 8)

#100 Different Strings (PeW, 6th of 6)

#99 The Fountain of Lamneth (CoS, 4th of 5)

#98 Bravado (RTB, 4th of 10)

#97 We Hold On (S&A, 6th of 13)

#96 Tears (2112, 5th of 6)

#95 Lessons (2112, 4th of 6)

#94 Red Tide (Presto, 2nd of 11)

#93 Marathon (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#92 Lock and Key (HYF, 5th of 10)

#91 Working Them Angels (S&A, 5th of 13)

#90 Limbo (T4E, 3rd of 11)

#89 Where's My Thing? (t4\, 3rd of 10)

#88 The Necromancer (CoS, 3rd of 5)

#87 Making Memories (FBN, 8th of 8)

#86 Hope (S&A, 4th of 13)

#85 Kid Gloves (p/g, 7 of 8)

#84 Halo Effect (CA, 11th of 12)

#83 Countdown (Signals, 6th of 8)

#82 The Body Electric (p/g, 6th of 8)

#81 Lakeside Park (CoS, 2nd of 5)

#80 Finding My Way (Rush, 2nd of 8)

#79 Prime Mover (HYF, 4th of 10)

#78 Animate (CP, 4th of 11)

#77 Test for Echo (T4E, 2nd of 11)

#76 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 3rd of 11)

#75 Cold Fire (CP, 2nd of 11)

#74 Carnies (CA, 10th of 12)

#73 How It Is (VT, 8th of 13)

#72 Afterimage (p/g, 5th of 8)

#71 Between Sun and Moon (1st of 11)

#70 Turn the Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)

#69 Secret Touch (VT, 7th of 13)

#68 7 Cities of Gold (CA, 9th of 12)

#67 Show Don't Tell (Presto, 1st of 11)

#66 The Main Monkey Business (S&A, 3rd of 13)

#65 Sweet Miracle (VT, 6th of 13)

#64 The Wreckers (CA, 8th of 12)

#63 Rivendell (FBN, 7th of 8)

#62 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 2nd of 13)

#61 New World Man (Signals, 5th of 8)

#60 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59 Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58 Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57 Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56 The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

#55 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)

#54 Earthshine (VT, 4th of 13)

#53 Roll The Bones (RTB, 2nd of 10)

#52 One Little Victory (VT, 3rd of 13)

#51 Beneath Between and Behind (FBN, 5th of 8)

#50 In the End (FBN, 4th of 8)

#49 Between the Wheels (p/g, 4th of 8)

#48 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)

#47 Losing It (Signals, 4th of 8)

#46 Best I Can (FBN, 3rd of 8)

#45 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#44 A Passage to Bangkol (2112, 3rd of 6)

#43 Red Sector A (p/g, 3rd of 8)

#42 Force Ten (HYF, 2nd of 10)

#41 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)

#40 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 3rd of 6)

#39 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)

#38 Manhattan Project (PoW, 1st of 8)

#37 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 1st of 13)

#36 The Camera Eye (MP, 7th of 7)

#35 Time Stand Still (HYF, 1st of 10)

#34 The Weapon (Signals, 3rd of 8)

#33 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)

#32 Cygnus X-1 Book I (AFTK, 2nd of 6)

#31 Entre Nous (PeW, 5th of 6)

#30 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)

#29 The Enemy Within (p/g, 2nd of 8)

#28 The Garden (CA, 3rd of 12)

#27 The Analog Kid (Signals, 2nd of 8)

#26 By Tor and the Snowdog (FBN, 2nd of 8)

#25 Headlong Flight (CA, 2nd of 12)

#24 Bastille Day (CoS, 1st of 5)

#23 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#22 Anthem (FBN, 1st of 8)

#21 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#20 Distant Early Warning (p/g, 1st of 8)

#19 Limelight (MP, 6th of 7)

#18 Something for Nothing (2112, 2nd of 6)

#17 Witch Hunt (MP, 5th of 7)

#16 The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)

#15 Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14 Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12 The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11 Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

Finally something from Hemispheres comes off the board, along with two more from Moving Pictures, and the last one from Roll The Bones???? All I can say is that a) it would rate lower today, and b) it WAS the song that, when I heard it on the radio made me buy RTB after the slow but increasingly paced disinterest in the band from Power Windows through Hold Your Fire and Presto (albums I barely ever went back to after the first listen).

I'm sure that The Trees (with what most people think are silly lyrics) and Vital Signs might be seen as overrated, but not for me. Vital Signs, especially was my favorite song off of Moving Pictures for a long time after I first got the album.

In any case, hate away. The last ten will provide scant opportunity for hatred, with only one song not among the favorites with strong consensus here.

**Mosher** · August 21, 2023

48 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said:

After this bunch, only the creme de la creme, the top 10 remain. Look below to see what just missed that elite group.

#165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11)

#164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13)

#163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11)

#162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10)

#161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13)

#160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10)

#159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)

#158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10)

#157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11)

#156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10)

#155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)

#154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11)

#153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13)

#152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13)

#151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)

#150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11)

#149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11)

#148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10)

#147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13)

#146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11)

#145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10)

#144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10)

#143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8)

#142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11)

#141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11)

#140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11)

#139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11)

#138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8)

#137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8)

#136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8)

#135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)

#134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11)

#133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13)

#132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13)

#131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11)

#130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11)

#129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8)

#128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8)

#126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10)

#125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6)

#124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10)

#123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10)

#122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5)

#121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11)

#120 Totem (T4E, 7th of 11)

#119 Territories (PoW, 5th of 8)

#118 Cut to the Chase {CP, 7th of 11)

#117 Alien Shore (CP, 6th of 11)

#116 Red Lenses (p/g, 8th of 8)

#115 The Color of Right (T4E, 6th of 11)

#114 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 5th of 10)

#113 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)

#112 Mystic Rhythms (PoW, 4th of 8)

#111 The Pass (Presto, 4th of 11)

#110 What You're Doing (Rush, 5th of 8)

#109 Digital Man (Signals, 7th of 8)

#108 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)

#107 Need Some Love (Rush, 4th of 8)

#106 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#105 Carve Away the Stone (T4E, 5th of 11)

#104 Vapor Trail (VT, 9th of 13)

#103 Virtuality (T4E, 4th of 11)

#102 Chain Lightning (Presto, 3rd of 11)

#101 Before and After (Rush, 3rd of 8)

#100 Different Strings (PeW, 6th of 6)

#99 The Fountain of Lamneth (CoS, 4th of 5)

#98 Bravado (RTB, 4th of 10)

#97 We Hold On (S&A, 6th of 13)

#96 Tears (2112, 5th of 6)

#95 Lessons (2112, 4th of 6)

#94 Red Tide (Presto, 2nd of 11)

#93 Marathon (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#92 Lock and Key (HYF, 5th of 10)

#91 Working Them Angels (S&A, 5th of 13)

#90 Limbo (T4E, 3rd of 11)

#89 Where's My Thing? (t4\, 3rd of 10)

#88 The Necromancer (CoS, 3rd of 5)

#87 Making Memories (FBN, 8th of 8)

#86 Hope (S&A, 4th of 13)

#85 Kid Gloves (p/g, 7 of 8)

#84 Halo Effect (CA, 11th of 12)

#83 Countdown (Signals, 6th of 8)

#82 The Body Electric (p/g, 6th of 8)

#81 Lakeside Park (CoS, 2nd of 5)

#80 Finding My Way (Rush, 2nd of 8)

#79 Prime Mover (HYF, 4th of 10)

#78 Animate (CP, 4th of 11)

#77 Test for Echo (T4E, 2nd of 11)

#76 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 3rd of 11)

#75 Cold Fire (CP, 2nd of 11)

#74 Carnies (CA, 10th of 12)

#73 How It Is (VT, 8th of 13)

#72 Afterimage (p/g, 5th of 8)

#71 Between Sun and Moon (1st of 11)

#70 Turn the Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)

#69 Secret Touch (VT, 7th of 13)

#68 7 Cities of Gold (CA, 9th of 12)

#67 Show Don't Tell (Presto, 1st of 11)

#66 The Main Monkey Business (S&A, 3rd of 13)

#65 Sweet Miracle (VT, 6th of 13)

#64 The Wreckers (CA, 8th of 12)

#63 Rivendell (FBN, 7th of 8)

#62 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 2nd of 13)

#61 New World Man (Signals, 5th of 8)

#60 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59 Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58 Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57 Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56 The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

#55 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)

#54 Earthshine (VT, 4th of 13)

#53 Roll The Bones (RTB, 2nd of 10)

#52 One Little Victory (VT, 3rd of 13)

#51 Beneath Between and Behind (FBN, 5th of 8)

#50 In the End (FBN, 4th of 8)

#49 Between the Wheels (p/g, 4th of 8)

#48 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)

#47 Losing It (Signals, 4th of 8)

#46 Best I Can (FBN, 3rd of 8)

#45 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#44 A Passage to Bangkol (2112, 3rd of 6)

#43 Red Sector A (p/g, 3rd of 8)

#42 Force Ten (HYF, 2nd of 10)

#41 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)

#40 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 3rd of 6)

#39 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)

#38 Manhattan Project (PoW, 1st of 8)

#37 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 1st of 13)

#36 The Camera Eye (MP, 7th of 7)

#35 Time Stand Still (HYF, 1st of 10)

#34 The Weapon (Signals, 3rd of 8)

#33 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)

#32 Cygnus X-1 Book I (AFTK, 2nd of 6)

#31 Entre Nous (PeW, 5th of 6)

#30 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)

#29 The Enemy Within (p/g, 2nd of 8)

#28 The Garden (CA, 3rd of 12)

#27 The Analog Kid (Signals, 2nd of 8)

#26 By Tor and the Snowdog (FBN, 2nd of 8)

#25 Headlong Flight (CA, 2nd of 12)

#24 Bastille Day (CoS, 1st of 5)

#23 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#22 Anthem (FBN, 1st of 8)

#21 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#20 Distant Early Warning (p/g, 1st of 8)

#19 Limelight (MP, 6th of 7)

#18 Something for Nothing (2112, 2nd of 6)

#17 Witch Hunt (MP, 5th of 7)

#16 The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)

#15 Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14 Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12 The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11 Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

Finally something from Hemispheres comes off the board, along with two more from Moving Pictures, and the last one from Roll The Bones???? All I can say is that a) it would rate lower today, and b) it WAS the song that, when I heard it on the radio made me buy RTB after the slow but increasingly paced disinterest in the band from Power Windows through Hold Your Fire and Presto (albums I barely ever went back to after the first listen).

I'm sure that The Trees (with what most people think are silly lyrics) and Vital Signs might be seen as overrated, but not for me. Vital Signs, especially was my favorite song off of Moving Pictures for a long time after I first got the album.

In any case, hate away. The last ten will provide scant opportunity for hatred, with only one song not among the favorites with strong consensus here.

I have Vital in the top 15, too, but it's second on Moving Pictures.

I have Hemispheres much higher, but I can't argue with where you have it.

Dreamline is perfect, no issues with where you have it. If only that promise held true all album.

The Trees Is last on Hemispheres, but I loved the tree analogy when I was young. It's certainly a youthful metaphor, but it works, silly or not.

Tom Sawyer is great, possibly the most important Rush song to the band's pocketbook, after 2112 saved their career. I have it lower, but not by a lot.

**1-0-0-1-0-0-1** · August 21, 2023

1 hour ago, laughedatbytime said:

#15 Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14 Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12 The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11 Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

The last ten will provide scant opportunity for hatred, with only one song not among the favorites with strong consensus here.

Not sure if you've already touched on this, but doing the last ten one song at a time might be fun. But I'd get it if you stuck with the current formula.

Your list compares pretty well to mine. Meaning we generally like and dislike the same types of songs. On the other hand, if TheAccountant posted a list I suspect it would be my list turned upside down. :tongue:

**laughedatbytime** · August 21, 2023

2 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

Not sure if you've already touched on this, but doing the last ten one song at a time might be fun. But I'd get it if you stuck with the current formula.

Your list compares pretty well to mine. Meaning we generally like and dislike the same types of songs. On the other hand, if TheAccountant posted a list I suspect it would be my list turned upside down.

I could do that. But my ten songs, with perhaps one exception, are the most discussed songs in the catalog, and I don't think I really have any new perspectives to provide, especially since I am not a musician and have no insight into that aspect of things that wouldn't be ridiculed by those with such a background.

**1-0-0-1-0-0-1** · August 21, 2023

14 minutes ago, Mosher said:

Dreamline is perfect, no issues with where you have it. If only that promise held true all album.

Dreamline was the first song I heard from RTB and I liked it a lot, and much like Show Don't Tell from Presto it got my hopes up for the rest of the album....

Yeah, no.

**1-0-0-1-0-0-1** · August 21, 2023

Just now, laughedatbytime said:

I could do that. But my ten songs, with perhaps one exception, are the most discussed songs in the catalog, and I don't think I really have any new perspectives to provide, especially since I am not a musician and have no insight into that aspect of things that wouldn't be ridiculed by those with such a background.

I don't think you need to be a musician to provide valuable insight on these songs. You're a fan who's been listening to these songs for years, and knowing what time signature a song is in doesn't matter as much as knowing that the band's unique way of constructing songs makes those songs more interesting than those of Bon Jovi.

**Mosher** · August 21, 2023

2 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

I could do that. But my ten songs, with perhaps one exception, are the most discussed songs in the catalog, and I don't think I really have any new perspectives to provide, especially since I am not a musician and have no insight into that aspect of things that wouldn't be ridiculed by those with such a background.

Go ahead one at a time, if you like.

I'm releasing my last 10 all at once because it's your thread and I want you to finish it. But I've really enjoyed following along.

Being a musician gives you technical insight, but not taste insight.

If you find a solo incredible, amazing, and beyond what you've ever heard before, a musician telling you how easy it is isn't relevant to your point.

You still think it's the best

Whatever reason you like something is the right reason

I do like the perspective of musicians, though.

But it's only one measure, not the definitive one.

**Mosher** · August 21, 2023

#165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8)
#164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6)
#163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11)
#162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8)
#161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8)
#159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8)
#158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8)
#157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10)
#156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13)

#155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13)
#154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)
#153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11)
#152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13)
#151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)
#149 Half the World (T4E, 11th of 11)
#148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)
#147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8)
#146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10)

#145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13)
#144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13)
#143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13)
#142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5)
#141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11)

#140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13)
#139 Totem (T4E, 10th of 11)
#138 Neurotica (RtB, 10th of 10)
#137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)
#136 Limbo (T4E, 9th of 11)

#135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6)
#134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8)
#133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10)
#132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5)
#131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11)

#130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13)
#129 Scars (P, 10th of 11)
#128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8)
#127 Ghost of a Chance (RtB, 9th of 10)
#126 Resist (T4E, 8th of 11)

#125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12)
#124 Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11)
#123 Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8)
#122 Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8)
#121 Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6)

#120 Dog Years (T4E, 7th of 11)
#119 Bravado (RtB, 8th of 10)
#118 The Garden (CA, 10th of 12)
#117 Halo Effect (CA, 9th of 12)
#116 Presto (P, 9th of 11)

#115 Virtuality (T4E, 6th of 11)
#114 Time and Motion (T4E, 5th of 11)
#113 Hope (S&A, 8th of 13)
#112 Armor & Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)
#111 Roll the Bones (RtB, 7th of 10)

#110 Show Don't Tell (P, 8th of 11)
#109 Where's My Thing (RtB, 6th of 10)
#108 Chemistry (S, 8th of 8)
#107 Red Barchetta (MP, 7th of 7)
#106 Available Light (P, 7th of 11)

#105 Mystic Rythms (PoW, 8th of 8)
#104 The Pass (P, 6th of 11)
#103 Lock and Key (HYF, 7th of 10)
#102 Losing It (S, 7th of 8)
#101 Anthem (FBN, 5th of 8)

#100 Hand Over Fist (P, 5th of 11)
#99 Main Monkey Business (S&A, 6th of 13)
#98 Open Secrets (HYF, 6th of 10)
#97 Wish Them Well (CA, 8th of 12)
#96 War Paint (P, 4th of 11)

#95 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 5th of 13)
#94 Everyday Glory (CP, 7th of 11)
#93 The Way The Wind Blows (S&A, 4th of 13)
#92 Vapor Trail (VT, 7th of 13)
#91 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 6th of 13)

#90 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)
#89 Emotion Detector (PoW, 7th of 8)
#88 Entre Nous (PeW, 6th of 6)
#87 Different Strings (PeW, 5th of 6)
#86 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#85 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)
#84 Marathon (PoW, 6th of 8)
#83 Cold Fire (CP, 6th of 11)
#82 New World Man (S, 6th of 8)
#81 A Passage To Bangkok (2112, 3rd of 6)

#80 You Bet Your Life (RtB, 5th of 10)
#79 Headlong Flight (CA, 6th of 12)
#78 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 3rd of 13)
#77 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)
#76 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#75 Bastille Day (CoS, 3rd of 5)
#74 Fly By Night (FBN, 4th of 8)
#73 Heresy (RtB, 4th of 10)
#72 Between The Wheels (P/G, 7th of 8)
#71 Anagram (P, 3rd of 11)

#70 Red Tide (P, 2nd of 11)
#69 The Big Wheel (RtB, 3rd of 10)
#68 One Little Victory (VT, 4th of 13)
#67 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)
#66 Wreckers (CA, 5th of 12)

#65 Workin' Them Angels (S&A, 2nd of 13)
#64 Alien Shore (CP, 4th of 11)
#63 2112 (2112, 2nd of 6)
#62 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)
#61 How It Is (VT, 3rd of 13)

#60 Carve Away The Stone (T4E, 4th of 11)
#59 Test For Echo (T4E, 3rd of 11)
#58 Force Ten (HYF, 5th of 10)
#57 Face UP (RtB, 2nd of 10)
#56 The Big Money (PoW, 5th of 8)

#55 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)
#54 The Trees (H, 4th of 4)
#53 Chain Lightning (P, 1st of 11)
#52 Red Sector A (P/G, 6th of 8)
#51 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#50 Witch Hunt (MP, 6th of 7)
#49 Earthshine (VT, 1st of 13)
#48 The Colour Of Right (T4E, 2nd of 11)
#47 Distant Early Warning (P/G, 5th of 8)
#46 Time Stand Still (HYF, 4th of 10)

#45 Afterimage (P/G, 4th of 8)
#44 The Body Electric (P/G, 3rd of 8)
#43 In The End (FBN, 3rd of 8)
#42 Turn The Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)
#41 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 4th of 8)

#40 Carnies (CA, 3rd of 12)
#39 Animate (CP, 3rd of 11)
#38 Cygnus X-1 (AFTK, 3rd of 6)
#37 Between Sun and Moon (CP, 2nd of 11)
#36 Cut to the Chase (CP, 1st of 11)

#35 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)
#34 Countdown (S, 5th of 8)
#33 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)
#32 High Water (HYF, 2nd of 10)
#31 Manhattan Project (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#30 Dreamline (RtB, 1st of 10)
#29 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 2nd of 6)
#28 Circumstances (H, 3rd of 4)
#27 Grand Designs (PoW, 2nd of 8)
#26 The Weapon (S, 4th of 8)

#25 YYZ (MP, 5th of 7)
#24 The Spirit of Radio (PeW, 3rd of 6)
#23 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)
#22 By-Tor and the Snow Dog (FBN, 2nd of 8)
#21 Digital Man (S, 3rd of 8)

#20 The Necromancer (CoS, 2nd of 5)
#19 Seven Cities of Gold (CA, 2nd of 12)
#18 The Fountain of Lamnneth (CoS, 1st of 5)
#17 Territories (PoW, 1st of 8)
#16 The Camera Eye (MP, 3rd of 7)

#15 Vital Signs (MP, 2nd of 7)
#14 Beneath, Between and Behind (FBN, 1st of 8)
#13 Subdivisions (S, 2nd of 8)
#12 The Analog Kid (S, 1st of 8)
#11 Something For Nothing (2112, 1st of 6)

Your Vital placement is higher than mine, but I see we agree that it's a great song.

Beneath is a song I have always loved, it's the most pre-Neil sounding song that I really love, although obviously it still has that Neil-affected vibe going. I'm pro Oxford comma, but I guess they aren't It's all I can do to avoid putting the comma after Between.

Subdivisions is possibly the first Rush song that I knew lyrically by heart. It's hard to say which one it was, but the poetry in this one I would recite all the time when I was a kid.

The Analog Kid is a great song, true, but that solo by Alex elevates it. Put something like that in Subdivisions and we might have a new number one. Alex is too much missing in Subdivisions to beat Analog Kid.

Something for Nothing. It has always been my favorite off 2112 and it's a big part of why I'm team side II on that album.

Three more albums knocked out!

**TheAccountant** · August 21, 2023

6 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

After this bunch, only the creme de la creme, the top 10 remain. Look below to see what just missed that elite group.

#165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11)

#164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13)

#163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11)

#162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10)

#161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13)

#160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10)

#159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)

#158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10)

#157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11)

#156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10)

#155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)

#154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11)

#153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13)

#152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13)

#151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)

#150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11)

#149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11)

#148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10)

#147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13)

#146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11)

#145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10)

#144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10)

#143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8)

#142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11)

#141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11)

#140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11)

#139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11)

#138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8)

#137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8)

#136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8)

#135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)

#134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11)

#133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13)

#132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13)

#131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11)

#130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11)

#129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8)

#128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8)

#126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10)

#125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6)

#124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10)

#123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10)

#122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5)

#121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11)

#120 Totem (T4E, 7th of 11)

#119 Territories (PoW, 5th of 8)

#118 Cut to the Chase {CP, 7th of 11)

#117 Alien Shore (CP, 6th of 11)

#116 Red Lenses (p/g, 8th of 8)

#115 The Color of Right (T4E, 6th of 11)

#114 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 5th of 10)

#113 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)

#112 Mystic Rhythms (PoW, 4th of 8)

#111 The Pass (Presto, 4th of 11)

#110 What You're Doing (Rush, 5th of 8)

#109 Digital Man (Signals, 7th of 8)

#108 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)

#107 Need Some Love (Rush, 4th of 8)

#106 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#105 Carve Away the Stone (T4E, 5th of 11)

#104 Vapor Trail (VT, 9th of 13)

#103 Virtuality (T4E, 4th of 11)

#102 Chain Lightning (Presto, 3rd of 11)

#101 Before and After (Rush, 3rd of 8)

#100 Different Strings (PeW, 6th of 6)

#99 The Fountain of Lamneth (CoS, 4th of 5)

#98 Bravado (RTB, 4th of 10)

#97 We Hold On (S&A, 6th of 13)

#96 Tears (2112, 5th of 6)

#95 Lessons (2112, 4th of 6)

#94 Red Tide (Presto, 2nd of 11)

#93 Marathon (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#92 Lock and Key (HYF, 5th of 10)

#91 Working Them Angels (S&A, 5th of 13)

#90 Limbo (T4E, 3rd of 11)

#89 Where's My Thing? (t4\, 3rd of 10)

#88 The Necromancer (CoS, 3rd of 5)

#87 Making Memories (FBN, 8th of 8)

#86 Hope (S&A, 4th of 13)

#85 Kid Gloves (p/g, 7 of 8)

#84 Halo Effect (CA, 11th of 12)

#83 Countdown (Signals, 6th of 8)

#82 The Body Electric (p/g, 6th of 8)

#81 Lakeside Park (CoS, 2nd of 5)

#80 Finding My Way (Rush, 2nd of 8)

#79 Prime Mover (HYF, 4th of 10)

#78 Animate (CP, 4th of 11)

#77 Test for Echo (T4E, 2nd of 11)

#76 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 3rd of 11)

#75 Cold Fire (CP, 2nd of 11)

#74 Carnies (CA, 10th of 12)

#73 How It Is (VT, 8th of 13)

#72 Afterimage (p/g, 5th of 8)

#71 Between Sun and Moon (1st of 11)

#70 Turn the Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)

#69 Secret Touch (VT, 7th of 13)

#68 7 Cities of Gold (CA, 9th of 12)

#67 Show Don't Tell (Presto, 1st of 11)

#66 The Main Monkey Business (S&A, 3rd of 13)

#65 Sweet Miracle (VT, 6th of 13)

#64 The Wreckers (CA, 8th of 12)

#63 Rivendell (FBN, 7th of 8)

#62 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 2nd of 13)

#61 New World Man (Signals, 5th of 8)

#60 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59 Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58 Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57 Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56 The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

#55 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)

#54 Earthshine (VT, 4th of 13)

#53 Roll The Bones (RTB, 2nd of 10)

#52 One Little Victory (VT, 3rd of 13)

#51 Beneath Between and Behind (FBN, 5th of 8)

#50 In the End (FBN, 4th of 8)

#49 Between the Wheels (p/g, 4th of 8)

#48 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)

#47 Losing It (Signals, 4th of 8)

#46 Best I Can (FBN, 3rd of 8)

#45 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#44 A Passage to Bangkol (2112, 3rd of 6)

#43 Red Sector A (p/g, 3rd of 8)

#42 Force Ten (HYF, 2nd of 10)

#41 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)

#40 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 3rd of 6)

#39 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)

#38 Manhattan Project (PoW, 1st of 8)

#37 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 1st of 13)

#36 The Camera Eye (MP, 7th of 7)

#35 Time Stand Still (HYF, 1st of 10)

#34 The Weapon (Signals, 3rd of 8)

#33 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)

#32 Cygnus X-1 Book I (AFTK, 2nd of 6)

#31 Entre Nous (PeW, 5th of 6)

#30 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)

#29 The Enemy Within (p/g, 2nd of 8)

#28 The Garden (CA, 3rd of 12)

#27 The Analog Kid (Signals, 2nd of 8)

#26 By Tor and the Snowdog (FBN, 2nd of 8)

#25 Headlong Flight (CA, 2nd of 12)

#24 Bastille Day (CoS, 1st of 5)

#23 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#22 Anthem (FBN, 1st of 8)

#21 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#20 Distant Early Warning (p/g, 1st of 8)

#19 Limelight (MP, 6th of 7)

#18 Something for Nothing (2112, 2nd of 6)

#17 Witch Hunt (MP, 5th of 7)

#16 The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)

#15 Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14 Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12 The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11 Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

Finally something from Hemispheres comes off the board, along with two more from Moving Pictures, and the last one from Roll The Bones???? All I can say is that a) it would rate lower today, and b) it WAS the song that, when I heard it on the radio made me buy RTB after the slow but increasingly paced disinterest in the band from Power Windows through Hold Your Fire and Presto (albums I barely ever went back to after the first listen).

I'm sure that The Trees (with what most people think are silly lyrics) and Vital Signs might be seen as overrated, but not for me. Vital Signs, especially was my favorite song off of Moving Pictures for a long time after I first got the album.

In any case, hate away. The last ten will provide scant opportunity for hatred, with only one song not among the favorites with strong consensus here.

O good. I get to drop some more shocking comments. Thats a warning of what is to come.

Cygnus X-1 Book II - its enjoyable and decent. Good. But Rush has better. Top 25? No. Top 50? Unlikely. Top 75? Perhaps. Between #76 and #100? Probable. Its also possible that it might fall just outside my top 100. I like it but Rush has better material.

Dreamline - excellent but has fallen through the years. Clearly a top 100 song. Top 25? Doubt it. Top 50? Perhaps. Likely in the 50 - 75 range.

Tom Sawyer - my #7 song.

The Trees - another song that has fallen through the years. Its good (top 100 material) but Rush has better. Likely in the 75 - 100 range.

Vital Signs - Likely not in my top 100. Its ok but nothing that thrills me.

**TheAccountant** · August 21, 2023

51 minutes ago, Mosher said:

#165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8)
#164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6)
#163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11)
#162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8)
#161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8)
#159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8)
#158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8)
#157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10)
#156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13)

#155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13)
#154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)
#153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11)
#152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13)
#151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)
#149 Half the World (T4E, 11th of 11)
#148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)
#147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8)
#146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10)

#145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13)
#144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13)
#143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13)
#142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5)
#141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11)

#140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13)
#139 Totem (T4E, 10th of 11)
#138 Neurotica (RtB, 10th of 10)
#137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)
#136 Limbo (T4E, 9th of 11)

#135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6)
#134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8)
#133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10)
#132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5)
#131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11)

#130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13)
#129 Scars (P, 10th of 11)
#128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8)
#127 Ghost of a Chance (RtB, 9th of 10)
#126 Resist (T4E, 8th of 11)

#125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12)
#124 Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11)
#123 Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8)
#122 Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8)
#121 Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6)

#120 Dog Years (T4E, 7th of 11)
#119 Bravado (RtB, 8th of 10)
#118 The Garden (CA, 10th of 12)
#117 Halo Effect (CA, 9th of 12)
#116 Presto (P, 9th of 11)

#115 Virtuality (T4E, 6th of 11)
#114 Time and Motion (T4E, 5th of 11)
#113 Hope (S&A, 8th of 13)
#112 Armor & Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)
#111 Roll the Bones (RtB, 7th of 10)

#110 Show Don't Tell (P, 8th of 11)
#109 Where's My Thing (RtB, 6th of 10)
#108 Chemistry (S, 8th of 8)
#107 Red Barchetta (MP, 7th of 7)
#106 Available Light (P, 7th of 11)

#105 Mystic Rythms (PoW, 8th of 8)
#104 The Pass (P, 6th of 11)
#103 Lock and Key (HYF, 7th of 10)
#102 Losing It (S, 7th of 8)
#101 Anthem (FBN, 5th of 8)

#100 Hand Over Fist (P, 5th of 11)
#99 Main Monkey Business (S&A, 6th of 13)
#98 Open Secrets (HYF, 6th of 10)
#97 Wish Them Well (CA, 8th of 12)
#96 War Paint (P, 4th of 11)

#95 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 5th of 13)
#94 Everyday Glory (CP, 7th of 11)
#93 The Way The Wind Blows (S&A, 4th of 13)
#92 Vapor Trail (VT, 7th of 13)
#91 Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 6th of 13)

#90 Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)
#89 Emotion Detector (PoW, 7th of 8)
#88 Entre Nous (PeW, 6th of 6)
#87 Different Strings (PeW, 5th of 6)
#86 Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#85 Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)
#84 Marathon (PoW, 6th of 8)
#83 Cold Fire (CP, 6th of 11)
#82 New World Man (S, 6th of 8)
#81 A Passage To Bangkok (2112, 3rd of 6)

#80 You Bet Your Life (RtB, 5th of 10)
#79 Headlong Flight (CA, 6th of 12)
#78 Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 3rd of 13)
#77 Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)
#76 Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#75 Bastille Day (CoS, 3rd of 5)
#74 Fly By Night (FBN, 4th of 8)
#73 Heresy (RtB, 4th of 10)
#72 Between The Wheels (P/G, 7th of 8)
#71 Anagram (P, 3rd of 11)

#70 Red Tide (P, 2nd of 11)
#69 The Big Wheel (RtB, 3rd of 10)
#68 One Little Victory (VT, 4th of 13)
#67 Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)
#66 Wreckers (CA, 5th of 12)

#65 Workin' Them Angels (S&A, 2nd of 13)
#64 Alien Shore (CP, 4th of 11)
#63 2112 (2112, 2nd of 6)
#62 BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)
#61 How It Is (VT, 3rd of 13)

#60 Carve Away The Stone (T4E, 4th of 11)
#59 Test For Echo (T4E, 3rd of 11)
#58 Force Ten (HYF, 5th of 10)
#57 Face UP (RtB, 2nd of 10)
#56 The Big Money (PoW, 5th of 8)

#55 Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)
#54 The Trees (H, 4th of 4)
#53 Chain Lightning (P, 1st of 11)
#52 Red Sector A (P/G, 6th of 8)
#51 Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#50 Witch Hunt (MP, 6th of 7)
#49 Earthshine (VT, 1st of 13)
#48 The Colour Of Right (T4E, 2nd of 11)
#47 Distant Early Warning (P/G, 5th of 8)
#46 Time Stand Still (HYF, 4th of 10)

#45 Afterimage (P/G, 4th of 8)
#44 The Body Electric (P/G, 3rd of 8)
#43 In The End (FBN, 3rd of 8)
#42 Turn The Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)
#41 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 4th of 8)

#40 Carnies (CA, 3rd of 12)
#39 Animate (CP, 3rd of 11)
#38 Cygnus X-1 (AFTK, 3rd of 6)
#37 Between Sun and Moon (CP, 2nd of 11)
#36 Cut to the Chase (CP, 1st of 11)

#35 Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)
#34 Countdown (S, 5th of 8)
#33 Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)
#32 High Water (HYF, 2nd of 10)
#31 Manhattan Project (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#30 Dreamline (RtB, 1st of 10)
#29 A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 2nd of 6)
#28 Circumstances (H, 3rd of 4)
#27 Grand Designs (PoW, 2nd of 8)
#26 The Weapon (S, 4th of 8)

#25 YYZ (MP, 5th of 7)
#24 The Spirit of Radio (PeW, 3rd of 6)
#23 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)
#22 By-Tor and the Snow Dog (FBN, 2nd of 8)
#21 Digital Man (S, 3rd of 8)

#20 The Necromancer (CoS, 2nd of 5)
#19 Seven Cities of Gold (CA, 2nd of 12)
#18 The Fountain of Lamnneth (CoS, 1st of 5)
#17 Territories (PoW, 1st of 8)
#16 The Camera Eye (MP, 3rd of 7)

#15 Vital Signs (MP, 2nd of 7)
#14 Beneath, Between and Behind (FBN, 1st of 8)
#13 Subdivisions (S, 2nd of 8)
#12 The Analog Kid (S, 1st of 8)
#11 Something For Nothing (2112, 1st of 6)

Your Vital placement is higher than mine, but I see we agree that it's a great song.

Beneath is a song I have always loved, it's the most pre-Neil sounding song that I really love, although obviously it still has that Neil-affected vibe going. I'm pro Oxford comma, but I guess they aren't It's all I can do to avoid putting the comma after Between.

Subdivisions is possibly the first Rush song that I knew lyrically by heart. It's hard to say which one it was, but the poetry in this one I would recite all the time when I was a kid.

The Analog Kid is a great song, true, but that solo by Alex elevates it. Put something like that in Subdivisions and we might have a new number one. Alex is too much missing in Subdivisions to beat Analog Kid.

Something for Nothing. It has always been my favorite off 2112 and it's a big part of why I'm team side II on that album.

Three more albums knocked out!

Vital Signs - its ok but nothing special. Likely not in my top 100.

Beneath, Between & Behind - excellent. Clearly a top 100 song. Not exactly certain where but I would have it lower than this (but still very high). Strong song. Top 50? Likely. Top 25? Probably not. Its awesome but Rush has better. So likely between 25 and 50 for me.

Subdivisions - my #2 song. Only 2112 is greater.

The Analog Kid - excellent song. Clearly top 100, very likely top 50, possible top 25 or even top 20. So I might have it a little bit lower than you but not by much.

Something For Nothing - My #10 Rush song.

**Nova Carmina** · August 22, 2023

On 8/21/2023 at 7:00 AM, laughedatbytime said:

#15 Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14 Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13 Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12 The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11 Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

Any criticisms at this level are just rearranging furniture at Versailles (I dunno -- what's the opposite of deck chairs on the Titanic?); "Dreamline" might be a little high (def. the best song from that album), but I love the placement of "Vital Signs."

A

**Nova Carmina** · August 22, 2023

20 hours ago, Mosher said:

#15 Vital Signs (MP, 2nd of 7)
#14 Beneath, Between and Behind (FBN, 1st of 8)
#13 Subdivisions (S, 2nd of 8)
#12 The Analog Kid (S, 1st of 8)
#11 Something For Nothing (2112, 1st of 6)

I'm liking the love for "Vital Signs" -- a great track often dismissed as "Police Lite." I'm really liking putting "The Analog Kid" this high; man, that song is youthful summers in a nutshell, and the driving melancholy of it is like, capital-A Art.

**laughedatbytime** · August 22, 2023

At first I was reluctant to take the suggestion of anyone who can't distinguish pizza from bad third grade art (no, that's not a Half the Word reference), but he has provided us with this wonderful forum, so I've decided to go through the top ten one at a time.