Rush may be associated more with Progressive Rock; but in the advent of the 1980s, the Canadian band had incorporated obvious New Wave elements in some of their songs released in the decade. After all, 1980s was the commercial peak of the genre that came to be known as New Wave, which continues to thrive to this day.
Some of the songs of Rush that have strong New Wave sensibilities include the following:
“The Spirit of Radio” (1980), from Permanent Waves
“Vital Signs” (1981), Moving Pictures
“Subdivisions” (1982), Signals
“Distant Early Warning” (1984), Grace under Pressure
“Mystic Rhythms” (1985), Power Windows
“Time Stand Still” (1987), Hold Your Fire
“War Paint” (1989), Presto
“Dreamline” (1991), Roll the Bones
Formed in 1968, in Ontario, Canada—consisting of Geddy Lee (bass, vocals, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitar), and Neal Peart (drums, percussion)—and officially disbanded in 2018, Rush released 19 studio albums in their long career—from 1974’s self-titled to 2012’s Clockwork Angels. That’s 50 years of musical activity! Rush with its music is truly a significant part of Canadian music history and archives.