10 Biggest Geniuses In Rock And Roll
5. Neil Peart - Rush
As Rush were getting the ball rolling, their sound was a far cry from what you know them as today. Compared to the mind-melting prog epics that would come on their later albums, the original lineup of this power trio was much more indebted to the blues rock that Led Zeppelin had helped birth a few years before. No...if you want to see the real genius come in, you have to look to Neil Peart.
On the surface though, it's hard to even pick one genius when it comes to these prog giants. From the way Geddy Lee annihilates his bass to Alex Lifeson's most inventive solo work, every respective player is at the top of their game. Even though it's one thing to play your instrument well, Peart's approach to the music and lyrics gave him an edge on the typical hard rock drummer. While being able to play like a combination of Keith Moon and John Bonham, Peart's way with words were much more interested in headier topics, from the way we see each other as individuals to dissecting what love can be between two people.
Along with his amazing way with prose, this was the benchmark of drumming at the time, taking the original crazy fills and dialing them up to 11. For as much as people might like to qualify Rush as too nerdy for their own good, any accomplished player is going to need to venture down this rabbit hole sooner or later.