OP10 Rush

1. "Distant Early Warning"
2. "Passage to Bangkok"
3. "Spirit of the Radio"
4. "Tom Sawyer"
5. "Subdivisions"
6. "Broon's Bane/The Trees/Xanadu" (live medley from Exit Stage Left)
7. "Temples of Syrinx"
8. "Bastille Day"
10. "Limelight"

The Pass
Mystic Rhythms
Dreamline
Subdivisions
Red Barchetta
Time Stand Still
Manhattan Project
Earthshine
Camera Eye
Distant Early Warning

Subdivisions
Limelight
Red Sector A
The Pass
Time Stand Still
Distant Early Warning
A Farewell to Kings
YYZ
La Villa Strangiato
Marathon

Everyone knows that Subdivisions is the deal.

I'm going to play it right now! :)

Subdivisions
Distant Early Warning
Red Barchetta
Manhattan Project
Tom Sawyer
Time Stand Still
The Pass
Working Man
The Spirit of Radio
La Villa Strangiato

Lordy!
1. "Distant Early Warning"
2. "Passage to Bangkok"
3. "Spirit of the Radio"
4. "Tom Sawyer"
5. "Subdivisions"
6. "Broon's Bane/The Trees/Xanadu" (live medley from Exit Stage Left)
7. "Temples of Syrinx"
8. "Bastille Day"
10. "Limelight"

How the fuck did I not include "Freewill"? I am appalled at myself.

Freewill
The Trees
Xanadu
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Time Stand Still
Subdivisions
Grand Designs
Mystic Rhythms
Manhattan Project

The trouble I have with Rush is that a lot of their most brilliant tracks are either lyrical failures (e.g., The Spirit of Radio) or tiresome libertarian anthems (e.g., The Trees, Freewill). Neil had the last laugh, since he wrote most of the lyrics but had to sing none of them. That said:

1. Working Man
2. Closer to the Heart
3. 2112 I-V
4. Fly by Night
5. Tom Sawyer
6. Red Barchetta
7. Limelight
8. Subdivisions
9. New World Man
10. The Spirit of Radio

Chronological order:

No-one at the Bridge
Circumstances
Freewill
Jacob's Ladder
Natural Science
Limelight
Digital Man
Distant Early Warning
The Body Electric
Time Stand Still

2112
Red Barchetta
Limelight
Subdivisions
Freewill
The Pass
Manhattan Project
Closer to the Heart
The Spirit of Radio
Natural Science

harshly judging any list without subdivisions

this means you, sund4r of yore, halfway there, and the late lamented dave q

Right now:

Distant Early Warning
YYZ
Subdivisions
Limelight
A Farewell to Kings
La Villa Strangiato
Ghost of a Chance
Red Sector A
Clockwork Angels
Earthshine

xp lol I like the 80s stuff a lot better now than 19 years ago!

<3

really happy to see “subdivisions” on most of the lists here

"Subdivisions" would be in a top 12 or 15. Growing up listening to rock radio in Toronto, I really got burnt out on the Rush "staples", which is maybe why my list inclines toward deep tracks.

Subdivisions
Limelight
Red Sector A
The Pass
Time Stand Still
Distant Early Warning
A Farewell to Kings
YYZ
La Villa Strangiato
Marathon

I'm a pretty different person 12 years later:

Subdivisions
Xanadu
2112
Red Sector A
Animate
Natural Science
Hemispheres
Mystic Rhythms
The Garden
The Pass

Is Subdivisions Peart's best lyric?

I would say so. A huge chunk of Rush's fan base were teen outcasts, myself included, and Neil's pointed yet empathetic lyrics hit home for so many people.

I'd say "Distant Early Warning"; the lyric is just as compassionate, but both more generalized and poetic.

I somehow never did this, gonna need to make some tough choices