Rush frontman Geddy Lee’s favourite bands
When Geddy Lee’s childhood friend Alex Lifeson asked him to join his band Rush in 1968, he was unaware that he would soon become a member of a highly influential prog-rock outfit. Rush found popularity in the 1970s and ’80s, aided by the success of albums such as Fly By Night, A Farewell to Kings, and Permanent Waves.
As the band’s lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Lee has become known for his extraordinary talents, particularly his abilities as a bass guitarist, influencing bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Iron Maiden and plenty more. However, Lee’s genius wouldn’t be possible without the influence of other artists. From classic rock legends that inspired the early sounds of Rush to contemporary musicians that have encouraged him to keep creating and performing, here are some of Lee’s favourite bands.
One of the most influential bands in Lee’s life is Cream. He told Rolling Stone in 2020 that the British trio “were far and away my favourite band when I got old enough to appreciate rock music, and I was getting more and more into rock.”
He added: “And I was fortunate enough to be able to go see them in 1969 too, when they played here in Toronto at Massey Hall. I have vivid memories of it. It was just a mind-blowing moment for me.”
Another classic band that Lee admires is The Who, selecting ‘My Generation’ as one of his favourite songs. He explained to Guitar World: “What an amazing guitar sound on this album! And [Pete] Townshend even plays a few solos, which he usually never does. Was there anybody better at expressing themselves through power chords?” Lee also has great respect for Led Zeppelin, who similarly shaped his early perceptions of rock music. Lee believes that ‘How Many More Times’ “reaffirmed for me all the creative potential in blending hard rock with progressive music”.
During the early days of Rush, Lee was inspired by Genesis and Peter Gabriel, citing the album Nursey Crime as one of his favourites. He told The Quietus: “I fell in love with the sound of it. I was totally entranced by it and wanted to know how they had done it. This is part of the roots of Rush. The creation of a flexible concept. The parallels are obvious.”
An unexpected favourite of Lee’s, however, is the Icelandic icon Björk, revealing in the same interview: “I know, it is hard to see any connection between Rush and Björk. Maybe there isn’t one. But I don’t think she gets the credit that she deserves.”
Lee elucidated: “She is not afraid to try new things, either. In fact, she thrives on it. It would have been very easy for her to have gone the pop route and built on her hit singles. […] Just great music powered by an immense imagination.”
The Rush man is also a big fan of another act that emerged in the 1990s: Radiohead. He further explained to The Quietus: “To me, Radiohead carried on the tradition of bands like Yes. They are always adventurous and challenging, and yet they have remained ahead of the game, really. I love the way they blend old and new… including contemporary beats and instrumentation.”
Geddy Lee’s favourite bands:
- Cream
- Led Zeppelin
- The Who
- Björk
- Radiohead
- Tragically Hip
- Peter Gabriel/Genesis
To round things off, the musician also adores his fellow Canadians, Tragically Hip, who he believes to be massively underrated. Lee told Classic Rock: “The Tragically Hip, from Canada, had huge, godlike stature at home but nowhere else. They had this perfect blend of simple, twin-guitar rock n’ roll and very evocative, thought-provoking lyrics.”
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