10 Most Popular ANTI-Rockstars

There's always been a mantle of coolness that comes with being in a rock and roll band. Regardless of whether the genre has been popular, most people can find something to respect in someone just picking up the guitar and shredding like nobody's business. That's not to say that nerds can't have some fun too though.

As the prog genre started to open up in the mid '70s, Rush quickly became one of the premier acts in the scene, with long epic tales and switching time signatures left and right. Compared to acts like Yes and Genesis though, there was a certain dorky quality to whatever Rush did, from talking about space federations on 2112 to the lofty Medieval Times sounding songs on A Farewell to Kings. When Zeppelin worshipped the work of J.R.R. Tolkien for instance, it was charming, but when Rush do it, it comes off as some really dorky behavior.

That might be the point, though. Ever since joining the band, drummer Neil Peart's lyrics were always concerned about the little guy who didn't really fit in with the popular crowd. These musicians probably didn't have the chance to go to a lot of parties in high school, but if they managed to make it to the other side, you can too. Even though it might seem strange on the surface, one listen to a song like Subdivisions will tell you everything you need to know about this prog juggernaut.