Why is Pink Floyd more popular and appealing than Rush?

[Averagebear6]

Peter Gabriel stated "A good song is something that makes you feel, makes you think, and, if you're really lucky, it makes you move".
**Pink Floyd's stuff always makes you feel and think, as well as want to play air guiatr and drums. Not much on the moving aspect though.
***Rush makes you feel to a degree, always makes you think, and kills it with the air instrument. They too lake in the making you want to move.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Peter Gabriel stated "A good song is something that makes you feel, makes you think, and, if you're really lucky, it makes you move".
**Pink Floyd's stuff always makes you feel and think, as well as want to play air guiatr and drums. Not much on the moving aspect though.
***Rush makes you feel to a degree, always makes you think, and kills it with the air instrument. They too lake in the making you want to move.

I see you never experienced a rock night in the 80s with classics like 2112 playing!

 

[Averagebear6]

Interesting conversation that will change not 1 opinion, LOL!!! My guess would be that Rush 'peaked' with Moving Pictures which was released in 1981 to technically not the 70's. I am a fan of both, but as a Canadian growing up in the 70's/80's Rush will always hold a soft spot.

Separating the 'better than' from the 'more popular than' question, I would imagine there could be the factor of Rush coming out of Canada that may have improved a wider-spread popularity.... If Rush had never gotten their initial foothold into the Detroit radio market with "Working Man" they may have never made a dent in the USA compared to their level of general awareness of the public in Canada.

To mans-plain the women's perspective, at least from a sample size of 1 (my wife), she depressingly bases her opinion of Rush on Geddy Lee being unattractive.... not exactly a measure based on anything related to song-writing or performing talent.... :-(

Signals is my favorite Rush album because I can listen to it all the way through at least once or twice a year. I am also crazy about Moving Pixctures, Exit Stage Left... Vapor Trails is really great too. It is quite emotional dealing with Peart's massive losses.

 

[Averagebear6]

I see you never experienced a rock night in the 80s with classics like 2112 playing!

Not that I remember

 

[aiaosu]

I think highly of Rush as individual musicians but don't really enjoy the music. Geddy Lee's voice has always been difficult for me to listen to. The rhythms, changes, chord voicing, etc makes me feel tired. I end up concentrating rather than just listening and enjoying.

With Pink Floyd, the music has always been more relaxing and evokes more emotion for me personally. I do find Roger Waters cynicism tiring though. Great at lyrics but don't enjoy his takes on life.

 

[Al Rivera]

Your obviously joking...right?

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

PF = Emotional Release

Rush = Angst Explosion

 

[jayof9]

I don't think you can compare the two bands. Personally, Pink Floyd is boring and forgettable. Background music at best, so it doesn't surprise me that their music pairs well with the 420 community.

Rush is an experiment in expression, so there's a lot of engagement required. Neil's lyrics are worthy of inclusion alongside the greatest literary works.

 

[TheProf]

Taught music. Rush vocals are unlistenable. Early Floyd with Barrett was eccentrically interesting. Rush's lyrics embarrassing. Floyd's lyrics very good. Rush always an instant turn off on radio, Floyd overplayed, so..........Pink Floyd immensely better than Rush.

 

[CheesyCheesebourne]

Because Rush suck, outside of a few decent songs.

I find these statements interesting to digest..... How many "decent songs" does a band need in order to not suck? Or does non-sucking require more than just "decent" songs or a different measure altogether...?? I think this opens to the possibility that ALL bands suck...

 

[Malak the Mad]

To me PF is one of those bands that has lots of fans who think that no one can ever understand the band as well as they do. It's like Waters was writing these songs ABOUT ME and TO ME.

On the flip-side of the subject, I had the same experience with "Subdivisions", what with being considered a "nerd" by most of my so-called-peers. (re: socially awkward, moody, an avid reader...basically, a real "square peg" ) It told me I wasn't alone in an occasionally cruel world, but at the same time, how even the popular kids had their own social pressures to weather. And when you're an angsty teenager feeling constantly isolated and desperate to make a connection with someone who "gets you", it's like being thrown a life preserver.

No surprise, it was the first RUSH song I learned to play on drums...on a four-piece kit, no less.
(Don't ask if I could play it well. Some questions answer themselves, but that didn't stop me from powering through it or other RUSH drum lines. )

Pink Floyd has a more relaxed, background music vibe. I would argue that far more people identify as Rush fans, whereas Pink Floyd has far more listeners.

While this is hard to quantify, I suspect you're right, particularly considering the defensiveness of some Rush fans in the thread (which again is understandable given the comments that simply bash Rush).

A basic truism I figured out a long time ago; there is no such thing as a "casual RUSH fan".

 

[Aussie Player]

Rush is a dreadful sound to a cultured ear. Abrasive in the extreme.
Floyd was a ever evolving band that became more melodic and smoother in time to the point of eliminating any abrasiveness completely from their sound.

First impressions of Rush nearly 50 years ago was laughter at the sound and smashing the LP, never to be heard again for decades until visiting the US where they were/are a local identity.

Floyd's beginning was in a time of avantgarde allowances in music where "underground" was "cool" so fit a market segment that was there, but not mainstream. It evolved in the 70's to attract larger global audiences.

Looked up a site called Best Selling Albums and according to their figures Rush sold
Canada - 28 LP's = 2,543,001
UK - 12 LP's = 840,000
US - 28 LP's =24.083.334

Floyd sold 250 million and Dark Side sold 50 Million alone.

The market apparently agrees with me.

 

[warbassick]

i'll add my two cents. Floyd was a 70s band and with that came Hallucinogenics and a lot of good mother nature to smoke and their music fit the bill along with some of the things that they incorporated in their stage show to make your high that much more pleasant Rush on the other hand was an 80s band which is more progressive rock and really didn't go well with mushrooms Masculin or acid if you wanted to play air guitar you listen to rush if you wanted to dance around in the air you listen to Floyd

 

[Joe Bob]

Pink Floyd is waaaaaaaaaaaaay more melodic Rush. Us humans? We like melodies.

 

[DanielW]

I like some Rush, but it's a totally different aesthetic from Floyd. I agree with others here about Geddy Lee's not very pleasant voice. I can't say I exactly like Waters' voice either, but at least it's less annoying.

 

[Averagebear6]

I think highly of Rush as individual musicians but don't really enjoy the music. Geddy Lee's voice has always been difficult for me to listen to. The rhythms, changes, chord voicing, etc makes me feel tired. I end up concentrating rather than just listening and enjoying.

With Pink Floyd, the music has always been more relaxing and evokes more emotion for me personally. I do find Roger Waters cynicism tiring though. Great at lyrics but don't enjoy his takes on life.

A lot of people do not like Geddy's voice. I love his voice in his more comfortable range, Tom Sawyer, etc... Otherwise, Rush is quite brilliant at making time changes that are natural. Really hard to do. I agree re: Waters. A little hope could go a long way. His most recent solo work is too much for me... But the string of albums, Meddle through The Final Cut are incredible.

 

[Averagebear6]

I don't think you can compare the two bands. Personally, Pink Floyd is boring and forgettable. Background music at best, so it doesn't surprise me that their music pairs well with the 420 community.

Rush is an experiment in expression, so there's a lot of engagement required. Neil's lyrics are worthy of inclusion alongside the greatest literary works.

Your 2nd paragraph has some merit.

 

[Averagebear6]

That horrible Rush voice

No, it's a great voice, especially the mid range like Tom Sawyer. He's like connecting with a great friend.

 

[Averagebear6]

I consider myself a casual fan of both, so no shade to either act intended here.

Geddy Lee's singing voice is a non-starter for a lot of listeners. I like it well enough, but I get it: for me, it's anything in the realm of Bon Scott and Brian Johnson, or the legions of lazy gutturals in otherwise good to great metal bands. The rest of the music just won't matter if the vocals flat-out irritate the listener.

I'm also just old enough to remember when "nerd" was a serious insult, and let's face it: Rush is music by nerds, for nerds. While all kinds of people have come to embrace nerd-dom and the term has almost entirely lost its sting, the stigma has stuck with Rush (and Yes, and ELP, and associated acts). Stoners and artists (no small part of Pink Floyd's fan base) may not have been terribly high on the social ladder in high schools in the '70s and '80s, but nerds were always on the bottom rung.

Finally, I think Pink Floyd was viewed as artsy and serious whereas Rush was viewed as flashy and pretentious even in their respective heydays, and I don't think much has changed there.

Most musicians are approval seeking nerds. Just go to a music store and see people playing and inside screaming, "Hey, look at me!" I've been purging myself of that for years

 

[Averagebear6]

i'll add my two cents. Floyd was a 70s band and with that came Hallucinogenics and a lot of good mother nature to smoke and their music fit the bill along with some of the things that they incorporated in their stage show to make your high that much more pleasant Rush on the other hand was an 80s band which is more progressive rock and really didn't go well with mushrooms Masculin or acid if you wanted to play air guitar you listen to rush if you wanted to dance around in the air you listen to Floyd

I have enjoyed Floyd the past 36 years with no substances because there is amazing depth in their music (Meddle through Final Cut for me.) Most Rush fans would say their best music was in the 70's up to Signals in '82 (with that, lots of Rush fans do not rate Signals very high...).