What is your favorite era of Rush music?

[downbyariver]

What is your favorite era of Rush music?

For the purpose of the poll, I've divided the catalog somewhat arbitrarily, but in a way that makes sense to me. Vote based on your opinion of the studio albums covered by each range, not my weird names for each era.

Personally, my vote is going to "Synth Era/Here Come the 80s", which I feel was Rush's peak, but "Progressive Rock Plus" and "A New Balance" (So named because it seemed to balance the previous era's sound with more guitar rock) are a close second and third (Not necessarily in that order, I'd have to give some thought to which is second and which is third).

[Homemade Parachute]

Great question,downbyariver, and a very happy International Rush Day to you for asking it! I, of course, as a patriotic Canadian like all genres of Rush, even the country western and disco (you'll know it if you've heard it), and find lots of albums and songs to enjoy in every era, so as much as I put Permanent Waves and Signals at the top of my own personal chart, Caress of Steel, Farewell to Kings, and Snakes & Arrows aren't far behind… Now of only one of those songs would finish so I could put another one on…

[RelayerI]

2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres.

No contest.

[Homemade Parachute]

2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres.

No contest.

The contest is, has anyone made it though 2112 side two…?

[Gtkgasman]

Progressive Rock Plus.......plus Caress of Steel.

[Old Frothingslosh]

While I like every "era" My favorite is the Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows run from 1980-85. That's a heck of 6 year run of albums!

[Gtkgasman]

The contest is, has anyone made it though 2112 side two…?

Ohhh. That is funny! Gave me a Big belly laugh ! Thanks!!!

[Chrisklenox]

While I like every "era" My favorite is the Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows run from 1980-85. That's a heck of 6 year run of albums!

That got my vote as well. Power Windows in my fav Rush album overall.

[brianos]

For me it's AFTK through Power Windows.

[Mr. Holland]

My favourite "era" is not listed. My favourite Rush era runs from 2112 to Moving Pictures. My second favourite would be "Vapor Trails - Clockwork Angels". I very much like latter day Rush. It's the period I got into Rush. I did buy "Farewell to Kings" in the 90s, but didn't pay much attention to them after that. My first new Rush album I bought was 2007's "Snakes & Arrows" and that is still a favourite of mine. Much less enamored with their Synth period in the 80s. Some good tracks there, but very much scattered over those albums.

[Yorkshire Square]

While I voted for Here Comes the 80s, the grouping of albums could have been slightly different. Indeed Rush kindly released a live album after every fourth album and I think that gives better stylistic bandings than dbar's (and avoids groupings with substantially different amounts of albums) :

• Rush - 2112
• A Farewell to Kings - Moving Pictures
• Signals - Hold Your Fire
• Presto - Test for Echo
• Vapor Trails - Clockwork Angels (3 albums, I know!)

In that scenario, the second banding might well have got my vote, much as I love Signals and Grace Under Pressure, I find Power Windows okay and Hold Your Fire is rather meh. The slightly earlier period is stronger overall.

[Sharp On Attack]

Totally agree with Yorkshire. I know lots of people insist 2112 is part of the prog era of Rush but for me it still belongs to the early hard rock screeching singing era... so I can't vote in respect with your grouping of albums. My favourite RUSH era goes from Hemispheres to Grace Under pressure and my 2 favourite albums are Hemispheres and Permanent Waves.
Like Yorkshire, I've always split RUSH eras in groups of 4 albums :

Early / Hard Rock = RUSH, FLYBY, CARESS, 2112
Prog = FAREWELL, HEMISPHERES, PICTURES, WAVES
Synth = SIGNALS, GRACE, WINDOWS, HOLD
Power pop = PRESTO, BONES, PARTS, ECHO
Back to Hard Rock ? = VAPOR, SNAKES, ANGELS, interrupted

[RelayerI]

The contest is, has anyone made it though 2112 side two…?

There's a side two ?

I'll have to check...

[Soundwaveseeker]

Love all eras of Rush and have favorite albums scattered throughout: Caress, Hemispheres, Signals, Grace U/P and Vapor Trails. But I voted for synth era, as those were the albums being released during High School/young years when I was a big Rush geek. That would be Grace through Roll The Bones, I suppose. Who couldn't love those bright neon, almost orchestral 'boards found on Power Windows and Hold Your Fire? Crisp futuristic production, razor-sharp guitar bursts. Drums all over the place, lyrics about science and all. Of course the classics found on the previous batch(prog years) are the defining moments of their catalogue - Xanadu, Moving Pictures, Cygnus X-1 saga, etc. Can't take away from any of that either. Great stuff.

[Olorin]

I have favorites scattered all across their career, and I especially have a soft spot for the first album through Hemispheres, but I'd have to say that Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves, in that order, are their best albums. I liked the later albums (Roll the Bones, Presto, Counterparts, and Vapor Trails are all special favorites) but some of them (Test For Echo, for example) were rather monotonous. It seemed like they entered a garage band phase and were just concentrating on pumping out sludge instead of melody.