Rush

Band

Photo: PolyGram · Public domain
Active 1968-2015, 2025-present
Origin Toronto, Ontario
Albums 19
Tracks 165
Most frequent collaborator Terry Brown · 50 tracks
Genres Progressive RockHard RockHeavy Metal
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 165 of 165 tracks

Did Rush write their own songs?

Yes, almost without exception. Neil Peart has a lyric credit on 145 of the 165 tracks across the nineteen studio albums, Geddy Lee a music credit on 162 and Alex Lifeson on 158. Only two writers from outside the band appear anywhere in the catalogue: Pye Dubois on four songs and Peter Talbot on one.

By the Numbers

19
Studio Albums
165
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
over 42 million
Records Sold
58
Years Active
9
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 165 / 165 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 165 tracks: how many Rush wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Rush has a writing credit100%
97%
3%
Sole author160tracks97%
Co-written5tracks3%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Rush's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 165 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)96%
Composer (music)100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 165 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Geddy Lee 1968-2015, 2025-present
18%
98%
0%
0%
Alex Lifeson 1968-2015, 2025-present
14%
96%
0%
0%
Neil Peart Died January 7, 2020 1974-2015 (died January 7, 2020)
88%
12%
0%
0%
John Rutsey Died May 11, 2008 1968-1974 (died May 11, 2008)
1%
0%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Rush's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1974Rush
1975Fly by Night
1975Caress of Steel
19762112
1977A Farewell to Kings
1978Hemispheres
1980Permanent Waves
1981Moving Pictures
1982Signals
1984Grace Under Pressure
1985Power Windows
1987Hold Your Fire
1989Presto
1991Roll the Bones
1993Counterparts
1996Test for Echo
2002Vapor Trails
2007Snakes & Arrows
2012Clockwork Angels
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1970s
Rush, Fly by Night +4 more
100%
1980s
Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures +5 more
100%
1990s
Roll the Bones, Counterparts +1 more
100%
2000s
Vapor Trails, Snakes & Arrows
100%
2010s
Clockwork Angels

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Rush sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Rush
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Diana Ross10%
The Jacksons24%
Michael Jackson51%
Santana59%
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts73%
Poison82%
Neil Young92%
100%Rush
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Closer to the Heart
A Farewell to Kings
Written by Neil Peart, Peter Talbot, Gary Lee Weinrib, Aleksandar Živojinović
Co-wrote
The Spirit of Radio
Permanent Waves
Written by Neil Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Aleksandar Živojinović
Wrote it
Tom Sawyer
Moving Pictures
Written by Neil Peart, Pye Dubois, Aleksandar Živojinović, Gary Lee Weinrib
Co-wrote
Limelight
Moving Pictures
Written by Neil Peart, Aleksandar Živojinović, Gary Lee Weinrib
Wrote it
New World Man
Signals
Written by Neil Peart, Aleksandar Živojinović, Gary Lee Weinrib
Wrote it
The Big Money
Power Windows
Written by Neil Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Aleksandar Živojinović
Wrote it

Discography 19 albums

All nineteen studio albums. The live albums, EPs and compilations sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Rush165 tracks
TB50Terry Brown, 50 tracks PC40Peter Collins, 40 tracks NR25Nick Raskulinecz, 25 tracks RH21Rupert Hine, 21 tracks PN13Paul Northfield, 13 tracks PH8Peter Henderson, 8 tracks PD4Pye Dubois, 4 tracks PT1Peter Talbot, 1 track PP1Paul Phillip Woods, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. TB Terry Brown · PC Peter Collins · NR Nick Raskulinecz · RH Rupert Hine · PN Paul Northfield · PH Peter Henderson

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

The debut is the odd one out. Rutsey was still on drums, Peart had not arrived, and Lee and Lifeson wrote all eight tracks between them. From Fly by Night onward the sleeves stop listing one set of writers and start listing two, lyrics on one line and music on the other, and the split holds through every album that follows. Peart ends up with a lyric credit on 145 tracks, Lee with a music credit on 162 and Lifeson on 158. The gaps are small and they are all explainable: six instrumentals with nothing to write words for, a handful of early songs Lee wrote alone, five tracks Peart also had a hand in composing, and "Hope" on Snakes & Arrows, which Lifeson wrote by himself. Outside help almost never happens. Pye Dubois brought lyrics to four songs starting with "Tom Sawyer", and Peter Talbot co-wrote the words to "Closer to the Heart". That is the whole list.

Quick Facts

  • Who wrote the wordsNeil Peart, on 145 of the 165 album tracks
  • Who wrote the musicGeddy Lee on 162 tracks, Alex Lifeson on 158
  • Outside writersTwo in nineteen albums, Pye Dubois and Peter Talbot
  • Sales26 million albums in the US, over 42 million worldwide
  • Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted 2013
  • AwardsTen Juno Awards, seven Grammy nominations

Creative Fingerprint

A drummer who wrote every word and two players who wrote every note, holding one division of labour across nineteen albums with two outside writers in total.

The Story

Rush split the writing two ways and kept it that way for forty years. Neil Peart wrote the words, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson wrote the music, and across 165 album tracks only two people from outside the band ever got a credit.

Awards & Recognition

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted 2013
Canadian Music Hall of Fame, inducted 1994
Officers of the Order of Canada, 1996
Ten Juno Awards, including the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award in 2015
SOCAN International Achievement Award, 2009
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2010

Frequently Asked Questions Rush

Did Rush write their own songs?
Yes, almost without exception. Neil Peart has a lyric credit on 145 of the 165 tracks across the nineteen studio albums, Geddy Lee a music credit on 162 and Alex Lifeson on 158. Only two writers from outside the band appear anywhere in the catalogue: Pye Dubois on four songs and Peter Talbot on one.
Who wrote the lyrics for Rush?
Neil Peart, from his first album with the band in 1975 until the last one in 2012. Before he joined, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson wrote the words on the 1974 debut, with John Rutsey co-writing the lyrics to "Need Some Love".
Who wrote the music for Rush?
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, together, on nearly everything. Peart is credited with the music on five tracks as well, among them "YYZ" and "La Villa Strangiato", and Lifeson wrote "Hope" on Snakes & Arrows alone.
Who wrote "Tom Sawyer"?
Pye Dubois and Neil Peart wrote the lyrics, with the music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Dubois, who wrote for Max Webster, brought Peart the first draft and it stayed a shared credit.
How many studio albums did Rush release?
Nineteen, from the 1974 debut through Clockwork Angels in 2012. The live albums, EPs and compilations are counted separately.
Did Rush ever have a US top 40 hit?
One. "New World Man" from Signals reached number 21 on the Hot 100 in 1982. "Tom Sawyer" at 44 and "The Big Money" at 45 came closest after that.
How many records has Rush sold?
The band ranks 90th in the US with sales of 26 million albums there, and industry sources estimate worldwide album sales at over 42 million.
Which Rush album sold the most?
Moving Pictures, certified five times platinum in the US for five million copies. 2112 is second with more than four million sold in the US.
Who produced Rush's albums?
Terry Brown produced with the band from Fly by Night through Signals, a ten-album run. Peter Henderson, Peter Collins, Rupert Hine, Paul Northfield and Nick Raskulinecz took over after that, and the band is credited as co-producer on every one.
Is Rush in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes, inducted in 2013 in Cleveland, fifteen years after they first became eligible. They had already entered the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and were made Officers of the Order of Canada in 1996.

Sources

Wikipedia: Rush Wikipedia: Rush discography Wikipedia: Geddy Lee Wikipedia: Alex Lifeson Wikipedia: Neil Peart Wikipedia: John Rutsey Wikipedia: Pye Dubois