8) Rush

To say this choice was hard is an understatement and ultimately in the end I chose Rush to fall under the number eight spot. Rush is a phenomenal band to say the least with incredible musical virtuosity. Without much doubt in anyones mind Neil Pert is one of the top drummers of all time and truly shows it off in Rush's work. Not only does Neil Pert show off his virtuous drumming skills but his ability to write unforgettable masterpieces being the primary song writer of the band. The tough thing for me with Rush is they don't really feel like an authentic Prog Rock band, instead a band that plays hard rock. However, albums like "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures" do have a bit more of a Prog touch than some of their earlier work. Now obviously Rush has to have Progressive elements to fall under this countdown, so what does make them important and relateable to the genre? The fact that they do have many long compositions as well as having very complex musical elements does bring in ties with the genre. Despite not having that true Prog sound they undoubtedly had an influence over the Progressive Metal genre influencing bands such as Dream Theater and Symphony X. The two albums which I stated earlier, "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures" are two of the greatest albums in the history of rock with historic songs like "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ," "Limelight," and "The Trees." One of the most unique ingredients of Rush is the voice of Geddy Lee which screeches in it's high ranges, and screeches is not necessarily a bad thing although has made them a bit less accessible for many. Whether Rush is truly a Prog Rock band or not can be left to debate but nobody can deny their influence over the Progressive Metal genre.

Essential Albums: "Moving Pictures" and "Hemispheres"