Top 5 Acoustic Songs by RUSH

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Canadian prog giant Rush are mostly known for their electrifying masterpieces such “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” and “The Spirit of Radio,” but over the course of their 19 studio albums, the band has had quite a few exceptional acoustic moments.

We’ve made a selection of five great acoustic pieces that Rush released over the years.

Closer to the Heart (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

“Closer to the Heart” is the first Rush song to have an external co-writer, Peter Talbot. It became the band’s first “hit single” during the Christmas season of 1977 and still receives a substantial amount of radio play. Lyrically, the song continues the almost anti-2112, altruistic message. It does have a nice bridge after the second verse, which is just enough to give it the edge of a legitimate Rush song and Lifeson’s guitar is quite memorable throughout.

A Farewell to the Kings (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

The classical guitar intro to the opening title song is excellent, offering a medieval backdrop including the sounds of actual birds chirping. The bass, electric guitar, and drums then crash in with gusto, letting you know that this is Rush and they are musically at their prime. an odd-timed bridge part starts with Lee and Peart and climaxes with a bass and guitar duel lead rudiment section, which is fantastic. Lyrically, the song is a metaphor of a crumbling Kingdom as an allegory of society as a whole. The lyrics also seem to indicate that this will be the first album where they move away from the Ayn Randian world view which was present on earlier album.

Read more: RUSH Albums Ranked

The Trees (Hemispheres, 1978)

“The Trees” is a parable on socialism and collectivism. Here, Lifeson takes center stage from his classical acoustic intro through the incredible movement through differing guitar textures. Like “Circumstances” earlier, there is another mid-section which starts with some synth and percussion motifs before breaking into a full band jam, which brings the tune to a fevered conclusion with an ironic lyrical ending.

Resist (Test for Echo, 1996)

“Resist” starts with moderate a piano and acoustic verses, accented with fine bass and lead vocals. This is a true change of pace for the heavy rock album and gives it some real depth overall.

Tears (2112, 1976)

“Tears” is a really slower song, especially for this era in Rush’s music; and manages to be much more emotional yet still as good as a typical Rush tune.

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