As of 2021, I will be a 40-year Rush listener. Even before I discovered this site, I noticed when discussing the band with other fans that certain albums have almost become sacred cows. My top 3 most overrated Rush albums are:

1) 2112

2) A Farewell to Kings

3) Moving Pictures

Which is not to say these are bad albums, but I've just never understood why others like them so much. 2112 and A Farewell to Kings have fabulous "side 1s", but there is a HUGE drop-off in quality on their respective "side 2s". Moving Pictures is an average Rush album (except for "Witch Hunt", which is awful) that has just been overplayed and endlessly name-dropped. So which Rush albums do you think are the most overrated?

And can someone explain why Counterparts is ranked higher on this site than Power Windows?

Thanks.

P.S.: Saw the band live in '83, '84, '86, and '88.

I don't find any of them overrated, some are really famous but they deserve their fame. 

Because more people like it / think it’s better. Pretty simple answer. I’ve never rated a Rush album on this site, or even looked at the rankings here, and I have to admit I’m not really familiar with which albums (apart 2112 and Moving Pictures) are viewed as classics - but Power Windows is easily my least favourite Rush album, so I’d not just rate Counterparts higher, but every other Rush album, too!

Before I got into Rush, and before I’d ever heard a note, the only two Rush albums I knew of were 2112 and Moving Pictures, and even if I’d not put them both in my own top five Rush albums, I can hear and understand why both are so loved. So I’d definitely not call either of those two overrated, even if Moving Pictures doesn’t do so much for me personally. As for the second side of 2112, well of course that’s as subjective as everything else. I really don’t think it’s that much of a drop off from the first side. Or, at least, anything is going to seem lesser compared to 2112. But I still like every song on the second side more than a heck of a lot of any on some other Rush albums.

Farewell to Kings is not overrated either, in my opinion. I guess it all comes down to preference, and that some people can’t appreciate why others may enjoy what they don’t so much. If everyone loved Power Windows and routinely stated it were Rush’s greatest album and achievement, I wouldn’t really understand that, and definitely wouldn’t agree on a personal level, but I would never suggest it were overrated.

I sometimes wonder if it’s possible for something to be overrated. If an album is that popular, and that revered, there is probably a good reason for that. It is definitely easier to argue that an album is underrated, than overrated.

2112

Rush (the debut album, it's garbage)

Thank you for your thoughts.

I knew when I started this thread that some people are offended by the idea of "overrated" and "underrated". It's not a way of denigrating anyone or their opinion, but just a way of saying, "I've never understood why so many people like/dislike this band/album," or, "Why is this band/album so popular/revered or unpopular/unappreciated?" We're all different, and raising the issue is just an attempt to make sense of differences of opinion.

One of the most interesting things about Rush is that the band members have openly admitted that not every album/song they ever did was immaculate and handed down from Olympus. I specifically remember one interview with Alex Lifeson where he named Test for Echo as the worst Rush album, and "Tai Shan" as the worst Rush song. How many other bands would venture an opinion like that? At the same time, some of the albums the band is not proud of (Caress of Steel, Signals) are among my personal favorites.

If that’s the case, maybe using the term “overrated” was the wrong choice? Because the way you’ve defined it is probably not how most people understand the term.

I definitely don’t really understand why Moving Pictures is as popular and revered as it is, but I’ll never call it overrated.

Had you asked which Rush albums seem universally popular, but don’t strike a chord with you, then it would probably get the same answers, without needing to resort to using the term overrated?

I like Test For Echo, Tai Shan and Signals, so I guess I like what the band doesn’t. For me Signals is everything Moving Pictures was trying to be, but didn’t quite get there. If I had to choose only one ‘80s Rush album, I would have no hesitation in choosing Signals.

Different strokes. Some people may agree, but I wager most will not.

But I'll say right off the bat that Hemispheres is their best '70s album. That record rages from start to end.

Steve Wyzard wrote: Moving Pictures is an average Rush album (except for "Witch Hunt", which is awful)

I've not heard such a thing in 35 years!  It's hard to find anything "wrong" with that album.

Steve Wyzard wrote: And can someone explain why Counterparts is ranked higher on this site than Power Windows?

That just means not enough people have chimed in on PoW. I, myself, love Counterparts, but I don't know anyone who thinks it's better than PoW. Btw, the Counterparts concerts was a helluva show!

I shall just restate then, in case you missed it, Power Windows is easily my least favourite Rush album. I didn’t realise it was a highly rated album until now. So it didn’t surprise me that Counterparts was rated higher. I thought (perhaps wrongly) that most people weren’t great fans of ‘80s Rush (with the exception of Waves and Pictures). 🤷🏻‍♂️

Signals,

Power Windows,

Grace under P

and Clockwork Angels.

Except for the relatively OK (but hardly great) S&A, anything between Pictures  and CA cannot be overrated since it's mostly crud

Everyone likes what they like. We just like it a little (or a lot) more or less than the next person.

Btw, I never listen to the first album. I don't own it. And I listen only to live versions of the songs from FBN.

Maybe Signals. I adore it, but I think it has a relatively high score for... PA stantards.

people keep saying this sometimes, but (no offense) wtf is a "PA standard"? 

Up until the 90's I thought they were generally overrated but now would be in my top five favourite bands (maybe No 3) 

The only album I don't connect well with is Hemispheres and that is the one generally considered their best on prog sites. I think there are weaknesses on all their seventies albums and a feeling they were a bit 'after the fact' with making only borderline prog albums. Their success came from being a phenomenal live band in that period not great albums imo. Moving Pictures can never be overrated. Tom Sawyer , Red Barchetta, YYZ and Limelight is about as strong a start to any rock/prog album I've ever heard. 

Moving Pictures

Moving Pictures

The songwriting just isn't that good and they can get pretty generic at times, although they have their high points. 

Only those two. Moving Pictures I think is just excellent and 2112 the suite might drag on a bit in some places but it has brilliant moments and side 2 is also very strong.

Either way, "The Weapon" and "Losing It" are brilliant.

None of them imo. However, if I had to chose I would say vapor trails, 2112 and Moving Pictures. I like the last two though. VT hasn't grown on me yet and maybe never will.

I think that’s how most of the people here are using the word, though.....

There are very few, if any overrated Rush albums. I may not like them, but albums don’t get that popular and continue to hold such acclaim if they are overrated. If an album has ever been overrated that usually becomes more obvious as t8me goes on. As a fan of Bowie, it’s easy to see where albums were overrated at the time, as people fell over themselves to claim X was the best Bowie album since Y or Z. But as time has gone by, those albums that were overrated are no longer held in such high esteem. That people still love Moving Pictures, even though it does nothing much for me, says it’s not overrated. Etc. etc. etc.

1. 2112

2. Moving Pictures

3. A Farewell to Kings

All three are still great but I think compared to others they get a little too much exposure(especially the first two I listed here). The title track to 2112 is great but side two is a bit lacking copared to side one. The songs are still good on side two but compared to other rush album sides they pale in comparison imo and just are light on the prog. MP is very played out. There's two or three songs on here that have just been played to death on classic rock radio. So that's my biggest complaint. It's not as adventurous or as prog sounding as the few before it either imo with the exception of camera eye and yyz. AFTK has enough just ok or filler stuff for it to qualify to be on  here, namely madrigal and cinderella man. Even cygnus I think doesn't really hold up that well imo. I like the sound effects and the fact that it tries to be science fictionish though. However, Xanadu and the title track are prime Rush imo.