3. Stick It Out (Counterparts, 1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgzNbPVb3zs By the end of the 1980s, Rush once again started feeling fatigued with their sound and, beginning with 1989s Presto, made an effort to return to the guitar-driven songs that drove their initial success. Both Presto and 1991's Roll the Bones featured a gleaming pop-rock aesthetic, the keyboards dialed back to a shimmer in the background while Lifeson resumed his place in the musical spotlight. Tracks like The Pass, Dreamline, and Bravado showcase this turn-of-the decade Rush, with one foot stepping forward into the harder-rocking future but the other foot still rooted in the softer pop sensibilities the band had developed in the 80s. It wasnt until 1993s Counterparts that Rush finally shifted full-on into the heavier sound theyd been pursuing, and they were able to do so partially because of grunges rise. This is the style that has dominated Rushs music ever since, and Stick It Out, Counterparts lead single, was the standard bearer. Aggressive riffs, thudding bass lines, and Pearts relentless pounding set the stage for Lees foreboding vocal work on Pearts foreboding lyrics. Rush is in badass mode on Stick It Out, and they dominated the Modern Rock charts like badasses when the song and its accompanying album dropped, once again proving that the band is totally independent from the passage of time.