10 Bands That Actually Got Better After Losing Members
4. Rush
It's hard to think of Rush without the amazing drum stylings of Neil Peart. Ever since the prog rock sounds of this Canadian trio graced the airwaves, every aspiring drummer had found a new god to study in Peart, as he reinvented the prog rock sound left and right. However, there was a dark time before Peart was even in the picture.
When Rush originally formed in the mid '70s with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the original man behind the drum stool was John Rutsey, whose style was much more about the standard rock and roll style. While Rutsey did perform well on their eponymous debut record, you can tell that his taste catered more towards more commercial acts like Bad Company or Cream rather than the outlandish stylings of King Crimson or Yes. What made matters worse was when Rutsey went on the road, which showed him living an unhealthy lifestyle for a man with juvenile diabetes.
Deciding to part ways shortly after a mini tour, Lee and Lifeson scoured the scene for drummers before finally arriving at what might be the greatest drummer in the world. More than just a typical timekeeper, Peart's vast knowledge of different time signatures as well as his literate background turned him into the group's lyricist and creative visionary. Rush could have carried on playing their own brand of bluesy rock and roll, and yet the entire prog rock world would have probably been worse off for it.