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For all the stories they’ve told through song, the actual formation story of Rush is quite simple: Friends from school who live in the same suburban Canadian neighborhood form a band to play gigs at youth centers and local bars. After a few years, their songs gain traction on the radio, their albums start selling, and they’re soon traveling and touring the world. An overnight success they weren’t.
Of course, the details are more complicated, but the fact remains that the success of Rush is really a testament to successful friendships — and a lot of hard work. Throughout their storied, almost 50-year career, the band was as prolific for their progressive musical styles and impassioned lyrics as they were for their brotherhood and general everyman demeanor. Even their supposed hard partying days in the Seventies were largely kept under wraps compared to other bands of that era. Chalk it up to that inscrutable Canadian-ess that defines so many of our great neighbor’s exports; for this trio of Torontonians, it wasn’t about the parties or the fame or the attention, but rather about playing good music and putting on a memorable show.
Though the band stopped touring and releasing music years ago, their legacy lives on through these books, which chronicle everything from their formation story to their instruments and even their tour setlists. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or are looking to learn more about Rush (in light of Neil Peart’s recent passing), we’ve rounded up six books that tell the story of one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
