10 Rock Artists That Ripped Off Other Bands
2. Rush
There's probably a rule somewhere that prog rock bands have to try to be original at every turn. I mean, it's in the name of the genre that these acts are designed to push the boundaries of what rock and roll can do in their own unique way. However, that doesn't always apply when these acts are just getting started.
While Rush remains one of the most popular acts in the history of prog rock, their debut album tells a bit of a different story. Without Neil Peart in the group just yet, their sound is pretty much a run of the mill trip through blues rock and early heavy metal, with a sound that may have been compared to something like Blue Cheer or Humble Pie. Once you hear everyone play together though, it's clear that these guys really wanted to be Led Zeppelin in the early days.
From the larger than life riffs from Alex Lifeson to Geddy Lee's soaring voice, it's clear that tracks like Working Man were designed to piggyback off of the standards that Zeppelin started in the early days. At the same time, the lack of drum presence from John Rutsey doesn't really come close to the mammoth power of John Bonham. Though Neil Peart may have helped steer them in the right direction on Fly By Night, they definitely had a lot of work to do to come up with something original.