Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968 by guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey and bass guitarist/vocalist Jeff Jones, who was immediately replaced by bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. After Lee joined, the band went through several configurations before arriving at its classic power trio lineup with the addition of drummer/lyricist Neil Peart in July 1974, who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their self-titled debut album. This lineup remained intact for the remainder of the band's career.
Rush achieved commercial success in the 1970s with Fly by Night, (1975), 2112 (1976), A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978). The band's rise in popularity continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with some albums charting highly in both Canada and the US, including Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Signals (1982) and Counterparts (1993). Rush continued to record and perform until 1997, after which the band entered a four-year hiatus due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. The trio regrouped in 2001 and released three more studio albums: Vapor Trails (2002), Snakes & Arrows (2007), and Clockwork Angels (2012). Rush ceased touring at the end of 2015, and Lifeson announced in January 2018 that the band would not continue. On January 7, 2020, Peart died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, at the age of 67.Rush were known for their musicianship, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and philosophy. The band's style changed over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, then a period in the 1980s marked by heavy use of synthesizers, before returning to guitar-driven hard rock at the end of the 1980s. Their final work from 2012 marked a return to progressive rock. The members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls over the years.
As of 2022, Rush ranks 84th in the U.S. with sales of 26 million albums and industry sources estimate their total worldwide album sales at over 40 million. Rush has been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US plus 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, won several Juno Awards, and won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards. The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
