The Rush Ratings Project Results

[drumstruck]

Nice results. For the most part, my rankings are close to the group. I rate Caress much higher, Hold your Fire much lower.

A little surprised that Red Barchetta took first. As speculated, its likely because there is a lack of dislike, rather than it being an overwhelming favorite.

Which songs got the most 10s? (probably a lot are tied)

 

These would be in my top 20...

59. The Fountain of Lamneth 7.7941

75. The Necromancer 7.5

113. Stick It Out 6.5455

 

These would be considerably higher...

102. In The End 7

143. Virtuality 5.7813

145. Bravest Face 5.7576

148. Hand Over Fist 5.5938

 

These would be considerably lower...

20. Jacob' s Ladder 8.6765

23. Clockwork Angels 8.5

24. The Camera Eye 8.5

[LedRush]

If I had to pick one song which represents everything great about Rush, it would be Red Barchetta. It tells an amazing cinematic and vivid story. It has great accessibility. It is a non-standard song structure that seems completely normal for some reason. It has everything that makes the epic songs epic while still being like the radio friendly short songs. It has a great marriage of music and lyrics. The playing on it is fantastic.

 

[LedRush]

I am surprised at how low the early songs were ranked and about how high the synth era was. I think if you told people on the street (casual fans) that Lakeside Park was worse than anything between GuP and Presto, they'd be surprised (as they wouldn't know any of those songs), and if you told then it was 90% of what's on those records (as this list indicates) they'd tell you that you were crazy.

 

I would definitely agree with them on the second point.

[RushBoingo]

I am surprised at how low the early songs were ranked and about how high the synth era was. I think if you told people on the street (casual fans) that Lakeside Park was worse than anything between GuP and Presto, they'd be surprised (as they wouldn't know any of those songs), and if you told then it was 90% of what's on those records (as this list indicates) they'd tell you that you were crazy.

 

I would definitely agree with them on the second point.

Well I can think of a couple reasons why the synth era is up there. For one, alot of people were more likely to hear stuff from that era compared to their proggier stuff first, so nostalgia is on it's side. Meanwhile the early era songs were perhaps not the most musically intriguing (which is why fly by night and 2112 have one song that is way higher than anything else on the album, they were developing), no matter how rocking they were.

[RushBoingo]

For those who were curious, here is a list of how many 10's each song recieved (sorry, but I did not really want to organise it). Also bear in mind that I recieved only about 15 votes for albums compared to the 30+ votes for the songs.

 

Rush 0

Finding My Way 1

Need Some Love 0

Take A Friend 0

Here Again 2

What You're Doing 0

In The Mood 0

Before And After 0

Working Man 3

 

Fly By Night 0

Anthem 5

Best I Can 0

Beneath, Between & Behind 0

By-Tor And The Snow Dog 7

Fly By Night 2

Making Memories 0

Rivendell 0

In The End 2

 

Caress Of Steel 1

Bastille Day 5

I Think I'm Going Bald 0

Lakeside Park 0

The Necromancer 8

The Fountain Of Lamneth 7

 

2112 3

2112 20

A Passage To Bangkok 1

The Twilight Zone 0

Lessons 1

Tears 0

Something For Nothing 2

 

A Farewell To Kings 3

A Farewell To Kings 7

Xanadu 23

Closer To The Heart 4

Cinderella Man 1

Madrigal 0

Cygnus X-1 10

 

Hemispheres 8

Hemispheres 19

Circumstances 6

The Trees 10

La Villa Stangiato 24

 

Permanent Waves 7

The Spirit Of Radio 22

Free Will 19

Jacob's Ladder 13

Entre Nous 6

Different Strings 4

Natural Science 24

 

Moving Pictures 6

Tom Sawyer 15

Red Barchetta 24

YYZ 18

Limelight 20

The Camera Eye 7

Witch Hunt 2

Vital Signs 3

 

Signals 1

Subdivisions 24

The Analog Kid 16

Chemistry 0

Digital Man 4

The Weapon 4

New World Man 1

Losing It 4

Countdown 2

 

Grace Under Pressure 2

Distant Early Warning 10

Afterimage 6

Red Sector A 10

The Enemy Within 5

The Body Electric 3

Kid Gloves 2

Red Lenses 1

Between The Wheels 7

 

Power Windows 2

The Big Money 7

Grand Designs 5

Manhattan Project 6

Marathon 11

Territories 6

Middletown Dreams 5

Emotion Detector 2

Mystic Rhythms 1

 

Hold Your Fire 0

Force Ten 5

Time Stand Still 4

Open Secrets 1

Second Nature 0

Prime Mover 2

Lock And Key 0

Mission 5

Turn The Page 0

Tai Shan 0

High Water 0

 

Presto 0

Show Don't Tell 1

Chain Lightning 2

The Pass 9

War Paint 0

Scars 0

Presto 3

Superconductor 1

Anagram (for Mongo) 0

Red Tide 0

Hand Over Fist 0

Available Light 4

 

Roll The Bones0

Dreamline 11

Bravado 4

Roll The Bones 0

Face Up 0

Where's My Thing? 2

The Big Wheel 0

Heresy 0

Ghost Of A Chance 4

Neurotica 0

You Bet Your Life 0

 

Counterparts 1

Animate 6

Stick It Out 2

Cut To The Chase 4

Nobody's Hero 1

Between Sun & Moon 0

Alien Shore 0

The Speed Of Love 0

Double Agent 0

Leave That Thing Alone 5

Cold Fire 1

Everyday Glory 1

 

Test For Echo 0

Test For Echo 2

Driven 2

Half The World 0

The Colour Of Right 0

Time And Motion 0

Totem 0

Dog Years 0

Virtuality 0

Resist 0

Limbo 0

Carve Away The Stone 0

 

Vapor Trails 0

One Little Victory 2

Ceiling Unlimited 2

Ghost Rider 5

Peacable Kingdom 0

The Stars Look Down 0

How It Is 1

Vapor Trail 2

Secret Touch 3

Earthshine 6

Sweet Miracle 0

Nocturne 2

Freeze 1

Out Of The Cradle 0

 

Snakes And Arrows 0

Far Cry 6

Armor And Sword 3

Workin' Them Angels 1

The Larger Bowl 1

Spindrift 1

The Main Monkey Business 3

The Way The Wind Blows 2

Hope 1

Faithless 0

Bravest Face 0

Good News First 0

Malignant Narcissism 1

We Hold On 0

 

Clockwork Angels 2

Caravan 3

BU2B 3

Clockwork Angels 9

The Anarchist 11

Carnies 1

Halo Effect 3

Seven Cities Of Gold 3

The Wreckers 4

Headlong Flight 14

BU2B2 0

Wish Them Well 0

The Garden 11

[Slack jaw gaze]

I'm surprised Red Barchetta came out top personally. I know you'd be hard pressed to find a Rush fan who doesn't like that song, but I don't think it's anywhere near their best.

The thing is with Red Barchetta is that is was not really the huge adoration for the song that got it the number 1 spot, but rather the lack of hate for it. Lots of good songs on this list got hurt a bit by the odd voter who does not like the song for some reason, but apparently there is no one who thinks anything less than excelent for Red Barchetta.

Your data shows both huge adoration and lack of hate. 24/30 ranked it a 10. Deservedly so, IMO.

[LedRush]

I am surprised at how low the early songs were ranked and about how high the synth era was. I think if you told people on the street (casual fans) that Lakeside Park was worse than anything between GuP and Presto, they'd be surprised (as they wouldn't know any of those songs), and if you told then it was 90% of what's on those records (as this list indicates) they'd tell you that you were crazy.

 

I would definitely agree with them on the second point.

Well I can think of a couple reasons why the synth era is up there. For one, alot of people were more likely to hear stuff from that era compared to their proggier stuff first, so nostalgia is on it's side. Meanwhile the early era songs were perhaps not the most musically intriguing (which is why fly by night and 2112 have one song that is way higher than anything else on the album, they were developing), no matter how rocking they were.

 

For the hardcore, that's probably right. But in terms of the general population, you here about 15 songs from Rush to MP (including Lakeside Park) plus Subdivisions and Dreamline on the radio, and that's about it. And the synth era lost a lot of fans for the band, as they themselves acknowledge. And the fans of the earlier stuff that were lost in the Synth era are probably hugely underrepresented on a site devoted to all of Rush's work.

Edited February 24, 2014 by LedRush

[RushBoingo]

I am surprised at how low the early songs were ranked and about how high the synth era was. I think if you told people on the street (casual fans) that Lakeside Park was worse than anything between GuP and Presto, they'd be surprised (as they wouldn't know any of those songs), and if you told then it was 90% of what's on those records (as this list indicates) they'd tell you that you were crazy.

 

I would definitely agree with them on the second point.

Well I can think of a couple reasons why the synth era is up there. For one, alot of people were more likely to hear stuff from that era compared to their proggier stuff first, so nostalgia is on it's side. Meanwhile the early era songs were perhaps not the most musically intriguing (which is why fly by night and 2112 have one song that is way higher than anything else on the album, they were developing), no matter how rocking they were.

 

For the hardcore, that's probably right. But in terms of the general population, you here about 15 songs from Rush to MP (including Lakeside Park) plus Subdivisions and Dreamline on the radio, and that's about it. And the synth era lost a lot of fans for the band, as they themselves acknowledge. And the fans of the earlier stuff that were lost in the Synth era are probably hugely underrepresented on a site devoted to all of Rush's work.

We have really different radio stations then. I have heard Working Man, Fly By Night, Lakeside Park, Closer To The Heart, The Spirit of Radio, Freewill, Tom Sawyer, Limelight (also I believe my local rock station played Moving pictures front to back once on one of their album nights, but I did not hear it), Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, New World Man, Distant Early Warning, Afterimage (yes, all the way in the 2000s I got to hear that one), Time Stand Still, (oddly I have never heard Dreamline, but don't doubt that it is played), Roll The Bones, Stick It Out, Driven, and the S&A/Clockwork Angels stuff as it came out. I am also sure that they have played alot more, that I just have not heard, mainly because I don't listen to radio often, prefering my CD's. I am not sure where you got the number 15 though, that's a little high. Also I should note I am Canadian, so all radio is required to play a fair amount of canadian content each day, hence more rush.

[RushBoingo]

I'm surprised Red Barchetta came out top personally. I know you'd be hard pressed to find a Rush fan who doesn't like that song, but I don't think it's anywhere near their best.

The thing is with Red Barchetta is that is was not really the huge adoration for the song that got it the number 1 spot, but rather the lack of hate for it. Lots of good songs on this list got hurt a bit by the odd voter who does not like the song for some reason, but apparently there is no one who thinks anything less than excelent for Red Barchetta.

Your data shows both huge adoration and lack of hate. 24/30 ranked it a 10. Deservedly so, IMO.

Yes, and while Red Barchetta did recieve only 8s and 9s, it was Natural sciences couple of 7s, and La Villa's few fives that kept them from taking the top spot despite also having 24 10's.

[LedRush]

I am surprised at how low the early songs were ranked and about how high the synth era was. I think if you told people on the street (casual fans) that Lakeside Park was worse than anything between GuP and Presto, they'd be surprised (as they wouldn't know any of those songs), and if you told then it was 90% of what's on those records (as this list indicates) they'd tell you that you were crazy.

 

I would definitely agree with them on the second point.

Well I can think of a couple reasons why the synth era is up there. For one, alot of people were more likely to hear stuff from that era compared to their proggier stuff first, so nostalgia is on it's side. Meanwhile the early era songs were perhaps not the most musically intriguing (which is why fly by night and 2112 have one song that is way higher than anything else on the album, they were developing), no matter how rocking they were.

 

For the hardcore, that's probably right. But in terms of the general population, you here about 15 songs from Rush to MP (including Lakeside Park) plus Subdivisions and Dreamline on the radio, and that's about it. And the synth era lost a lot of fans for the band, as they themselves acknowledge. And the fans of the earlier stuff that were lost in the Synth era are probably hugely underrepresented on a site devoted to all of Rush's work.

We have really different radio stations then. I have heard Working Man, Fly By Night, Lakeside Park, Closer To The Heart, The Spirit of Radio, Freewill, Tom Sawyer, Limelight (also I believe my local rock station played Moving pictures front to back once on one of their album nights, but I did not hear it), Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, New World Man, Distant Early Warning, Afterimage (yes, all the way in the 2000s I got to hear that one), Time Stand Still, (oddly I have never heard Dreamline, but don't doubt that it is played), Roll The Bones, Stick It Out, Driven, and the S&A/Clockwork Angels stuff as it came out. I am also sure that they have played alot more, that I just have not heard, mainly because I don't listen to radio often, prefering my CD's. I am not sure where you got the number 15 though, that's a little high. Also I should note I am Canadian, so all radio is required to play a fair amount of canadian content each day, hence more rush.

 

When the albums came out, the songs were played on the radio. But all but the ones I mentioned have fallen out of the rotation. And there's a reason for that.

[sitboaf]

Thanks, RushBoingo.

Very interesting to peruse the results. Not that many things surprised me. Barchetta getting number 1 is a bit of a surprise, but what I surmised you actually revealed - there is no hate for that song.

And even though it is by a technicality, Test for Echo ranks lower than Roll the Bones, and for that, I am grateful to TRF.

I agree with Narp that the debut album got pooped on. Beyond blaming the subpar lyrics, I think some fans have just avoided it. I guess the lack of Neil makes the first album the red-headed stepchild.

Edited February 25, 2014 by sitboaf

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Thanks, RushBoingo.

Very interesting to peruse the results. Not that many things surprised me. Barchetta getting number 1 is a bit of a surprise, but what I surmised you actually revealed - there is no hate for that song.

And even though it is by a technicality, Test for Echo ranks lower than Roll the Bones, and for that, I am grateful to TRF.

I agree with Narp that the debut album got pooped on. Beyond blaming the subpar lyrics, I think some fans have just avoided it. I guess the lack of Neil makes the first album the red-headed stepchild.

It's not the lack of Neil, it's the presence of Rutsey!

[RushBoingo]

Thanks, RushBoingo.

Very interesting to peruse the results. Not that many things surprised me. Barchetta getting number 1 is a bit of a surprise, but what I surmised you actually revealed - there is no hate for that song.

And even though it is by a technicality, Test for Echo ranks lower than Roll the Bones, and for that, I am grateful to TRF.

I agree with Narp that the debut album got pooped on. Beyond blaming the subpar lyrics, I think some fans have just avoided it. I guess the lack of Neil makes the first album the red-headed stepchild.

It's not the lack of Neil, it's the presence of Rutsey!

Oh Snap!