10 Perfect Progressive Rock Albums With No Bad Songs

Geddy Lee's unique appearance and strikingly high vocal ability gave Rush a slow start. Early on in their career, labels wouldn't touch them - Lee wasn't the kind of frontmen that would draw in the girls, or make the guys idolise him as a rock god - this encouraged Lee to get more expressive with his musical arrangements.

By the time the early '80s had rolled around, Rush had a dedicated fan base of music nerds, eager to sample the new and ever more intricate musical arrangements from the power trio. For a band consisting of just three guys, the sound on this album is huge. Geddy Lee had began incorporating the synth into the bands sound since the mid '70s, and there's constant references in pop culture to the absurd size Neil Pert's drum kit became.

Firmly rooted in a hard rock format, Rush proved again just how accomplished they were as musicians. This was music that was far more accessible than other prog bands of the era. The opening track, Tom Sawyer was oozing with captivating guitar riffs, bizarre but catchy lyrics, and expressive bass lines. That's not to mention Pert's drumming, who relentlessly kept time no matter the change in time signature or tempo.

But that's just the start of the album, YYZ, contains some lighting fast machine gun bass lines, and Limelight opens with one of the defining guitar riffs of the early '80s. If you've never experienced Rush, this is your way in.