19. Test for Echo

Year: 1996

Period: Return to Guitar Oriented Sound

Grade: D+

'Test for Echo' is a release that I have never been able to get into. "Driven" is a classic that is even better when it is performed live and the title track is a really good opener. The rest of the album is a struggle to listen to. Geddy's vocal melodies sound really bad on many tracks and most of the songs do not flow well. 'Test for Echo' is by far Rush's worst album.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Driven"

"Test for Echo"

18. Vapor Trails

Year: 2002

Period: Comeback Era

Grade: C+

"Vapor Trails" has production issues on the original mix and is a mixed bag when it comes to quality tracks. While there are only a few real stinkers on here, other than "Earthshine" and "Secret Touch," there are no other essential listens on the album. I typically skip about half of the tracks on this album, because many of them are really mediocre and offer nothing special for the listener. 'Vapor Trails' is a very mediocre album.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Earthshine"

"Secret Touch"

"Vapor Trail"

17. Fly by Night

Year: 1975

Period: Early Rush

Grade: B-

"Fly by Night" is definitely worth listening to. "Anthem" is an awesome opener and "By-Tor & the Snow Dog" is an essential listen. The other songs are upbeat and easy to listen to, but not spectacular. "Rivendell" definitely brings it down a little though. 'Fly by Night' is a fun listen, but pales in comparison to later Rush albums that are far superior to it. 'Fly by Night' was definitely a step in the right direction for the band as far as musical direction is concerned.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Anthem"

"By-Tor and the Snow Dog"

16. Rush

Year: 1974

Period: Early Rush

Grade: B-

Rush's self titled debut is straight up hard rock. Despite not having Neil, the band manages to make a pretty solid album. Even though this album sounds nothing like most of the band's later material, Rush still manages to make a tasteful hard rock debut. 'Rush' will not blow the listener away, but it has a really great hard rock spirit. "Working Man" is a classic.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Working Man"

15. Presto

Year: 1989

Period: Return to Guitar Oriented Sound

Grade: B

'Presto' may not be spectacular, but it brought Rush back to their more guitar driven hard rock sound. There are no bad tracks on the album, but plenty of mediocre ones. "The Pass" is one of Rush's most beautiful songs. "Show Don't Tell" was a perfect opener to demonstrate the return to a more guitar driven sound for the band.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"The Pass"

"Red Tide"

"Show Don't Tell"

"Chain Lightning"

14. Hold Your Fire

Year: 1987

Period: Synth Era

Grade: B

'Hold Your Fire' is the last of the synth heavy period in the Rush discography. 'Hold Your Fire' certainly has some terrible material like "Tai Shan" and "Second Nature," but it also has some terrific songs like "Force Ten" and "Lock and Key." I usually listen to 6 of the 10 tracks on this album. 'Hold Your Fire' is inconsistent, but still very enjoyable.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Lock and Key"

"Force Ten"

"Time Stand Still"

"Open Secrets"

"Turn the Page"

"Mission"

13. Power Windows

Year: 1985

Period: Synth Era

Grade: B+

"Power Windows" may be Rush's most synth heavy release. It took me awhile to get used to this album, because I really thought Rush went way to deep into the synths. I have to say I was very wrong in my judgement of this album at first. I actually like this album quite a bit. It drags through some sections, but is a really good album overall. I like 7 of the 8 tracks on this album, so it's a pretty consistent effort.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"The Big Money"

"Grand Designs"

"Manhattan Project"

"Territories"

"Mystic Rhythms"

12. Roll the Bones

Year: 1991

Period: Return to Guitar Oriented Sound

Grade: B+

'Roll the Bones' is certainly a very top heavy album that attains most of its acclaim through its popular tracks. "Bravado," "Dreamline," "Roll the Bones," and "Ghost of a Chance" are all Rush classics that headline this album. There is a big drop off though that messes with this albums overall integrity. Due to the inconsistency of this record, I typically only listen to 7 of the 10 tracks. Despite this, the best tracks on the album are terrific and keep this album interesting.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Bravado"

"Dreamline"

"Roll the Bones"

"Ghost of a Chance"

11. Snakes & Arrows

Year: 2007

Period: Comeback Era

Grade: A-

'Snakes & Arrows' was such a great accomplishment for Rush. Because of the last two disappointing releases from the band, most probably thought that Rush was probably done making good albums. 'Snakes & Arrows' surprised many thanks to its excellent opener "Far Cry" and one of the finest instrumentals from any band you will ever hear called "The Main Monkey Business." Rush made an album that was age defying.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"The Main Monkey Business"

"Far Cry"

"Armor & Sword"

"Malignant Narcissism"

"The Way the Wind Blows"

"We Hold On"

"Bravest Face"

10. Caress of Steel

Year: 1975

Period: Early Rush

Grade: A-

'Caress of Steel' is one of those albums that has never gotten the respect it deserves. It may be a little over ambitious and not flow well at times, but that does not take away from the fact that this album contains an excellent opening track "Bastille Day" and two awesome epics "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth." The other two tracks are pretty average, but overall this album was a huge step towards a more progressive direction for the band and is a really good album.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"The Necromancer"

"Fountain of Lamneth"

"Bastille Day"

9. Clockwork Angels

Year: 2012

Period: Comeback Era

Grade: A

It kills me putting this album this far back. It is such a huge accomplishment and sounds amazing regardless of the band's age. "Caravan" is the best track the band had released in years and "Clockwork Angels" is an epic with terrific melody and instrumentation. I love the heaviness of many tracks as well as the more melodic feel of others. A concept album was a perfect way to end the band's career.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Caravan"

"Clockwork Angels"

"The Garden"

"Headlong Flight"

"BU2B"

"Carnies"

"The Anarchist"

"Seven Cities of Gold"

8. Signals

Year: 1982

Period: Synth Era

Grade: A

'Signals' is sometimes unfairly criticized for its over use of synthesizer, but in my opinion I think the one flaw the album has is the fact that Alex's guitar sometimes sounds buried in the mix on certain tracks. There is no bad track from the album and "Subdivisions" is one of the bands best tracks. Overall, 'Signals' did not match its predecessor, but keep in mind that would be a nearly impossible task.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Subdivisions"

"Losing It"

"The Analog Kid"

"Chemistry"

"The Weapon"

7. Counterparts

Year: 1993

Period: Return to Guitar Oriented Sound

Grade: A

'Counterparts' is Rush's perfect representation of their guitar driven sound thanks to heavier riffs and great solos. Only one song is weak on the entire album that spans 11 tracks. I love "Animate" and "Stick It Out" due to their heavy guitar riffs and darker lyrical themes.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Animate"

"Double Agent"

"Stick It Out"

"Leave that thing Alone"

"Cold Fire"

"Nobody's Hero"

"Cut to the Chase"

"Alien Shore"

6. 2112

Year: 1976

Period: Progressive Era

Grade: A+

Thanks to its 20 minute self titled epic., '2112' is able to make a huge impact on the listener. "2112" is easily one of the best tracks of all time and was way ahead of its time. The second half of the album features 5 radio friendly hard rock tracks that are also enjoyable.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"2112"

"A Passage to Bangkok"

"Something For Nothing"

5. A Farewell to Kings

Year: 1977

Period: Progressive Era

Grade: A+

'A Farewell to Kings' was another step towards a more progressive sound. Unlike '2112,' this album is progressive throughout and even its more mainstream sounding tracks like the title track and "Closer to the Heart" are progressive in nature. "Xanadu" is a masterpiece and clocks in around 11 minutes.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

"Xanadu"

"A Farewell to Kings"

"Closer to the Heart"

"Cygnus X-1"

4. Grace Under Pressure

Year: 1984

Period: Synth Era

Grade: A+

'Grace Under Pressure' is one of the coolest sounding Rush albums thanks to its unique blend of guitar and synthesizer. Despite how heavy in synths this record is, Lifeson's guitar sounds fantastic. "Distant Early Warning" and "Red Sector A" are classics and are my favorite songs from the Synth Era.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

All except "Red Lenses"

3. Moving Pictures

Year: 1981

Period: Progressive Era

Grade: A+

'Moving Pictures' is often considered to be Rush's best album. I could not really make an argument against that considering how strong the album is. This album is Rush's most successful thanks to more mainstream tracks like "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight," and "Red Barchetta," but maintains its heavy progressive style thanks to its epic track "The Camera Eye" and its instrumental "YYZ."

Highly Recommended Tracks:

All except "Vital Signs"

2. Hemispheres

Year: 1978

Period: Progressive Era

Grade: A+

"Hemispheres" shows Rush at their most progressive style. The epic title track and "La Villa Strangiato" are masterpieces. "The Trees" and "Circumstances" are also fantastic. Lifeson's guitar work is at its height on this release and the band really hits their creative peak.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

ALL

1. Permanent Waves

Year: 1980

Period: Progressive Era

Grade: A+

My number one album has to be the album that first got me into the band. 'Permanent Waves' is the perfect blend of radio friendly and progressive rock. Every track is great on the album. "Freewill" has always been one of my favorites and "Different Strings" is one of the band's most underrated tracks.

Highly Recommended Tracks:

ALL