The 19 Best Rush Songs of All Time

Spanning decades of virtuoso musicianship, this list runs from sprawling prog epics to tight radio anthems, with a few deep cuts the diehards fiercely defend. Where do you stand?

1

Tom Sawyer

The synth-driven 1981 anthem from Moving Pictures that became Rush's signature song.

1000pts

2

2112

The 20-minute dystopian sci-fi suite that defined Rush's progressive-rock ambition.

710pts

3

Dreamline

A soaring 1991 single that opens Roll the Bones about youth and the open road.

680pts

4

Test for Echo

The title track and lead single of their 1996 album blending hard rock and melody.

624pts

5

Fly by Night

The energetic 1975 title track, Neil Peart's first as drummer and lyricist.

560pts

6

Headlong Flight

An epic 2012 single from the concept album Clockwork Angels recalling their prog roots.

560pts

7

The Spirit of Radio

A genre-hopping 1980 single celebrating music and radio from Permanent Waves.

485pts

8

Distant Early Warning

A Grace Under Pressure single blending new-wave textures with Cold War-era anxiety.

485pts

9

Show Don't Tell

The punchy 1989 opener of Presto, a fan-favorite showcase of Geddy Lee's bass.

485pts

10

Subdivisions

A synth-heavy Signals track about suburban alienation and the pressure to conform.

485pts

11

La Villa Strangiato

A complex all-instrumental epic from Hemispheres subtitled 'An Exercise in Self-Indulgence'.

397pts

12

Closer to the Heart

A concise, folk-tinged fan favorite from 1977's A Farewell to Kings.

397pts

13

One Little Victory

The fiery 2002 comeback single from Vapor Trails that marked the band's return.

397pts

14

Bastille Day

A hard-charging Caress of Steel opener about the French Revolution.

291pts

15

Far Cry

The driving 2007 lead single from Snakes & Arrows, a live-set staple.

291pts

16

Working Man

The blue-collar blues-rock anthem from their 1974 debut that first broke them in America.

162pts

17

Stick It Out

A heavier, grunge-tinged 1993 single from Counterparts.

162pts

18

Marathon

An uplifting Power Windows anthem about endurance, building to a choral finale.

162pts

19

Time Stand Still

A reflective 1987 Hold Your Fire single featuring guest vocals from Aimee Mann.

162pts