Closer to the Heart

The Canadian progressive rock band Rush formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1968. Their original line-up was Alex Lifeson guitarist, John Rutsey drummer, Jeff Jones bassist and vocalist, whom Geddy Lee replaced shortly after the formation. In 1974 they added Neil Peart, replacing Rutsey. The line-up of Lifeson, Lee, and Peart remained steady until 2015. Then Peart retired from music due to health problems and died in 2020. Lifeson and Lee announced the 2026 – 2027 Rush reunion tour, with Anika Nilles filling in for Peart and Loren Gold as keyboardist. Rush has been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US and 17 platinum albums in Canada. In 1994 they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and in 2013 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"2112" (pronounced "twenty-one twelve") is a song that was recorded by Rush. It was released as a 20-minute song and featured on their 1976 album of the same name, and is the longest song by the band. The overture and the first section, "The Temples of Syrinx," were released as a single. The song was adapted into a comic booklet, which used the lyrics of the song as lines for the characters and the narrations from the cover as intros. The seven divisions are – Overture, the Temples of Syrinx, Discovery, Presentation, Oracle: the Dream, Soliloquy, and Grand Finale.

"Before and After" is a song by Rush, featured on their self-titled debut album released in 1974. The track is notable for its dynamic structure, transitioning from a soft ballad to a heavier rock section, showcasing the band's early progressive rock style. It was written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson and features a two-part suite format.

“Closer to the Heart” is a Rush song that came out in October 1977 and is featured on their album A Farewell to Kings. It was the first song to feature a non-member as a songwriter Peter Talbot, who was a friend of drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. This was the first time Rush charted on the UK Singles chart and also on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. It is the lead single from their live album Exit...Stage Left.

"Limelight" is a song by Rush featured on their 1981 album Moving Pictures. It was written by Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson. The lyrics of the song paraphrase the opening lines of the “All the world’s a stage” speech from Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It’. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.

"The Necromancer" is an epic progressive rock song by Rush featured on their 1975 album Caress of Steel and is currently their fourth longest song, behind Cygnus X-1, Book II, 2112, and The Fountain of Lamneth. This was Rush's first attempt at writing an epic piece, along with its partner. The song is referenced in the final episode of the BBC TV comedy series "Saxondale," being responsible in part for bringing the central characters Tommy (Steve Coogan) and Magz (Ruth Jones) back together again.

“The Spirit of Radio” is a Rush song that came out in 1980 and is featured on their album Permanent Waves. The name of the song was inspired by the Brampton, Ontario-based radio station CFNY-FM slogan. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was named one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll on the list by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“Xanadu” is a song by Rush and is featured on their 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. It is approximately eleven minutes long and starts off with a five-minute-long instrumental intro followed by a narrative that was written by Neil Peart, inspired by the poem “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.