Congratulations, RUSH!

what about fall out boy?

I can’t believe you guys forgot Meatloaf. It’s the Almighty Loaf. You know you can listen to Bat Out Of Hell nine million times and tell no one.

Mine are Annie Lennox and Sinead O’Conner.

YEAH! fall out boy is PERFECT! i love their music but am soooo ashamed same goes 4 my chemical romance well not so much but fall out boy and p!atd definetly!~you also missed weird Al yankovic but he`s not so bad also all the “poopular” songs like when ridin` was impossanble to escape you sorta had to pretend you hated it just B`cuz it was soo damn popular I`l post l8ter aftr I go through my ipod and find more lol

E.L.O.? Guilty nothing. No Answer is awesome, so is A New World Record.

hey i love rush and there is no shame in that! Theyre a freaking awesome band and they are not a guilty pleasure. One of the best bands of all time.

How about SNOW. Anybody remember that guy? He had that hit “informer” back in around ‘93. Very popular back then and I loved the cd. I still catually jam in on my ipod every now and then.

cobra starship. `nuf said. you know, they have that insanely catchy song “snakes on a plane”. crazy frog too. FERGIE! just kidding.how `bout good charlotte? bands like nickleback,hinder,and daughtry. MIMS too. actuly I dont love mims. at all. ever. pussycat dolls. I HATE THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS but everyone I know that does like them totally hides it. also stupid movies like EPIC MOVIE that is very funy and good but you have to pretend that you hate it. if you loike any of my sugestions then SAY IT. whatever. oh I got a good one WEEZER andtenacious D but mostly WEEZER!

also vanilla ice. please dont forget fall out boy!

I don’t see how Rush is a guilty pleasure. They have some good songs, and they are talented musicians. Now Journey, that’s a guilty pleasure.

Maybe people are trying to tell you something…maybe Rush actually deserves respect, rather than just this whole “oh haha they’re our guilty pleasures” shit.

Snakes & Arrows May 1 baby!

eff Forgiener…
I’ll never listen to them again

Has something to with my ex-girlfriend’s uncle being their original bassist. Yes, I couldn’t believe it either until I saw the family photos and matched them against their first album cover.

Glad to say it’ll never be any sort of pleasure of mine.

Before i discovered punk and what came to be known as alternative rock, the only music I heard that was equally good, different, and intellectualy stimulating was made by the headliners of the second concert I saw, a Canadian trio who rose to the top of a questionable heap on this pole, Rush

does anyone remember
Timmy T “one more try”
it came out in 91 or 92

journey should be #1

first of all Rush rocks! no-one should be ashamed of liking them.

people should be ashamed of liking
a band who who sings
“lovin’ touchin’& squeezin’!

All publicity is good publicity! Rock on Rush and ELO!

I have to agree with previous comments, the fact that Rush isn’t something to be ashamed of them. A guilty pleasure is when you know the music is crap but you get a kick out of listening to it anyway. Rush is certainly not crap.

1. oasis

oh come on now oasis is NOT bad or a guilty pleasure

RUSH is just disgusting, no pleasure whatsoever.

ELO, on the other hand, are banging. I have a flag stating so “ELO: Sooo Fine” hanging off my antenna.

rush rules!
Geddy Lee is hot!

I agree with Janet. Rush is not crap and neither is Oasis (except for that Be Here Now album…and the one that followed that, ugh! was the general response. Luckily they have gotten better). As for Ms. Spears, you cannot argue that she is a crap music artist except for these three single tracks that I HATE MYSELF for liking (I will roast myself on the eternal pit later): ‘I’m a slave for u’, ‘Boys’ (both Pharrell/Neptunes tracks, I might add)and ‘Toxic’ (Baby, can’t you see I’m falling, a song like this should have a warning…dammit, it got me again!)

Coldplay, guiltiest pleasure ever

Rush fans are extremely loyal. I guess that’s why they top the list. People aren’t as afraid to admit that they love them as you’d think. Still one of the best live shows out there!

About time you guys wrote “Something” about Rush.

early madonna songs are definately guility pleasure material. I won’t even listen to them in public with earphones, in fear of leakage.

1. Insane Clown Posse

I feel no guilt loving Eldorado. But the rest of it…. damn. You got me there.

uh, Boston’s debut album is a classic. Liking that should be considered ‘guilty’? guess they arent liberal enough for RS or some other lame excuse

losers!

I discovered rush way back when I was in 5th grade in 1981, and they’ve inspired me greatly..they are no guilty pleasure. They are the real deal.

Bravo! This list is spot on!

Justin Timberlake. Wait. I don’t listen to him, so it’s not a guilty pleasure. Plus, RS worships him. I’m ending my subscription.

why isn’t roxette on there? i loved them! they used to be really popular but i would never jus go and put one of their songs on when anone else is home. defenitly a guilty pleasure… but as for rush and the STYX? defenitly not guilty pleasures.

rush’s 2112 is very hard to listen to without grimacing.

working man, tom sawyer, closer to the heart, and limelight are decent radio hits, though.
——
i notice that all almost all the bands here are, for the most part, disparaged and hated on by rock critics. once again, the elites in NYC and LA club scene seem to dictate what is good and what is trash, with very few exceptions (the re-evaluation of black sabbath, for instance).
thing is, i don’t like most of these bands listed (most of them have a handful of mediocre radio friendly hits that sound like each other), so i’m agreeing with these critics. suddenly guilty pleasure is defined as something that ‘hip’ people hate, as if liking these bands should make you feel bad. so am i a slave to the critics’ advice, or am i ‘in touch’ and ‘with it’ for agreeing with them? is there some platonic form equivalent of good music that everyone can reach and should attain to? are we to worship david fricke and anthony decurtis and read their reviews like scripture?
what if the rock critics are always right?

um, how about hanson

Where is Supertramp??

How about the Go-Gos?

ELO are better than most bands. Hey at least they weren’t emo!

The first three? Definitely not guilty – they were mandatory between 1976-1986. Now ABBA, that’s a guilty pleasure – although uncool to like in their prime, now they make great trivia questions, and I bet you own at least one greatest hits CD!

As usual with many things Rolling Stone, we agree to disagree. One man’s guilty pleasure is another man’s masterpiece. I could probably say that the Ramones are my guilty pleasure, but that would upset a whole-lotta people.

I’m not a fan of any of those bands on the list. However, amongst the lot, Rush, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi should be in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. All three bands fit the induction criteria. But, because most of the members of the RRHF are writers of RS, I doubt that would ever happen.

Good list, for once.

Sonic Youth. I love them so. Rollling Stone told me I must.

Roxette and B52’s

Prince, another guilty pleasure

Rush isn’t really a guilty pleasure. Neil Peart is one of the best drummers ever, and Lifeson and Lee are both exceptional instrumentalists. Peart is also a decent lyricist. The only downside I know about them is Geddy Lee’s voice and most of their music after “Moving Pictures”

Soul Asylum.

There are many Rush fans out there who’ve been fans for 25-plus years and have had to endure constant ridicule for it. I’ve never felt guilty about loving the best, most intelligent rock band of all time. It’s the critics who’ve never seen the obvious.

Rush ROCKS !!

My guilty pleasure is Reggeton, I won’t even tell my friends.

Rush is the greatest band ever formed. If anyone is ashamed to listen to them they should have been shot at birth.

Yikes – Goo Goo Dolls!

Alanis Morissete- and I’m a dude.

What in the hell? RUSH!? C’mon, they’re one of the greatest bands to ever spawn the face of the earth. Guilty pleasure? I think not.

Shows what you all know…

-A proud Rush fan

As you can see Rolling Stone. Nobody here agrees with your assertion about RUSH being #1 guilty pleasure. And to be quite honest with you, nobody cares, especially Rush, about your opinions (usually garbage). I cant think of a band that has been more sabotaged by your publication for over the 39 years they have been playing music. And mind you, Only Elvis, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones have delivered more GOLD or high albums than RUSH!! NOW THAT IS A LOT OF GUILTY PLEASURE BABY!!! SEE YA” THIS SUMMER ON RUSH TOUR BABY…the grateful dead are DEAD

Rush thinks they are so progressive making time changes and genre changes in an eleven minute time span. I think that is just trying way to hard to be “smart” about music. It’s just pure pretentious stupidity. Just because they can change a key and time signature doesn’t mean it’s good, or even intelligent. Don’t try so hard and then I’ll give them some consideration.

Can’t say I agree with Rush or Boston.

GOOD DEAL SAID:
“Rush thinks they are so progressive making time changes and genre changes in an eleven minute time span. I think that is just trying way to hard to be “smart” about music. It’s just pure pretentious stupidity. Just because they can change a key and time signature doesn’t mean it’s good, or even intelligent. Don’t try so hard and then I’ll give them some consideration.”
Looks like you just gave them some consideration asshole…

http://www.frcphotos.com

My guilty pleasure band is not even one band. Its the Japanese pop music from anime and video games. I don’t mean the good music, like anything made by Yoko Kanno. I mean the sugary-sweet pop music that you would be embarassed to let anyone know you listen to.

Rush is a dominant influence for most of the bands that AREN’T your guilty pleasures. Isn’t it ironic? (nod to Alanis)

There are three above anything else for me: Led Zeppelin, The Who and Rush.

People who hate Rush simply don’t understand their music… They’ve been around for decades, sold 50 million albums and still sell out huge venues without almost ZERO support from mainstream media.

How many bands and artist can claim the same achievements? Grateful Dead maybe… and even they’re pretty much gone.

Thank God for Rush…without them the world would be a dull place to live.

why would anyone feel guilty for liking music?

CHYEAH! Go journey! and some of the others on that list!

Good Deal,

“Rush thinks they are so progressive making time changes and genre changes in an eleven minute time span. I think that is just trying way to hard to be “smart” about music. It’s just pure pretentious stupidity. Just because they can change a key and time signature doesn’t mean it’s good, or even intelligent.”

This is probably the most narrow minded comment I’ve ever read. What you said can easily define most “progressive” rock music.

But that’s what makes Rush different. Rush’s music, while most of it being quite complex, has feel and emotion, amazing musicianship, and incredibly thought-provoking lyrics.

Before making idiotic comments, please get your facts straight.

Rush > You.

what about the bee gees?

I never understood how certain music is considered a “guilty pleasure”? I can understand if an artist is no longer popular with the masses. Some people that are my age grew up when Def leppard, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue were popular. I hate to say it, but some of the music today is not that good at all. The last CD I bought was “IV” from Godsmack, and they have been around for almost 10 years.

People like what they like and should not feel guilty buy listening to an “uncool”

If I would list a band that I listen to that is not cool in RS standards is Def Leppard.

Note to RS: have people that actually like rock and metal music review rock and metal cds!

Guilty pleasure or not – Rush is still around after all these years ( as bands come and go) still putting out good albums and filling venues to large audiences of all ages looking for a ripping good time. Modern day warriors mean mean stride!

when i first heard 2112 i thought geddy lee had THE MOST godawful voice i ever heard, but i learned to appreciate it on later albums – he makes up for it by being a great bass player though…

I continue to have the guilty pleasure involved with Born to Runner Up

2 words:
Spice Girls

Jesus…. you should not have to “forgive” yourself for likeing Rush. I’m glad so many people responded to confirm that they should not be considered a guilty pleasure. they are amazing. Sonic youth is also another great band someone mentioned that I do not feel guilty for liking. For goodness sakes…

I love Rush – no guilty pleasure at all. I have been a huge fan since 1980 and proud of it. Now here’s my guilty pleasure – David Cassidy.

Elton John, anyone?

RUSH is the best rock group EVER! It’s hard to believe I have been a fan for 31 years. They belong with the greats. Proud to be a RUSH fan.

Rush the number 1 fucking guilty pleasure comen on. People should be proud to love Rush three amazing musicians who have been going for over 30 years. Listen to the song 2112 on 2112 and tell me they are a guilty pleasure fuck off. Maybe they talk about fantasy and shit but come on Rolling Stone u need to stop writing about what colour eye shadow Pete Wentz is wearing or how Pete Doherty did another shot of heroin its about fucking music come one you guys forgot your roots and are considered a gossip magazine thats it.

I don’t feel guilty for a second about liking Rush. They’re an aquired taste, but they’ve made some really memorable music and are three of the most talented instrumentalists in rock.

Now Meat Loaf, there’s the ultimate guilty pleasure. How the hell could you forget him?

Mark J. Palmer, how the hell is LED ZEPPELIN a “guilty pleasure?” They’re one of the top-selling, most influential, most ground-breaking, AND most critically well-received bands in the history of popular music. I don’t know anyone who would feel ashamed/guilty to be a fan of their music.

Rush are good, at times. ELO, on the other hand, f**kin ruled!

I adore the Cotton Mouth Kings.

Your Old Man

Yeah Journey blows. The best guitar player in the world and the best singer in the world. Ok, your list is real accurate. (roll eyes)

Seriously

i think having a location name (boston, kansas) immediately gives you a better shot at being on this list.

Sorry, I feel no guilt at all in regard to enjoying Rush. Expand your mind and musical sensibility.

tears for fears should have made the list. shout, shout, let it all out!

And a RollingStone is the most guilty plasure magazine ever. it’s such a shame to read something like this piece of sh*t paper.

Just my two cents.

rush fans are annoying.

Proud Rush fan for over 18 years. They are a pleasure to listen to, but not a guilty pleasure. Now ELO on the other hand… They are my guilty pleasure.

Good Deal, you’re pretty much spot on. Rush are like the person we all know who tries too hard at everything and ends up mastering nothing.

Anyway, I don’t think they should be number 1 on the list. While most of their songs sound like atonal crap, at least they’re accomplished instrumentalists; which is more than can be said for the majority of the list.

Third Eye Blind

Journey is a total guilty pleasure. I don’t care if, according to Pissed Off Man, they have the “best” guitar player and singer. Their songs are beyond lame. And I love them for it.

Bon JOvi

ELO, Abba and Boston are legit.

I think I hate every band on that list aside from E.L.O, Wham and America.

…and I don’t feel guilty for nothing.

Huge Rush fan here… since I was old enough to remember I have been listening to this incredible band. Rush & Dream Theater will always be #1 in my book

JOURNEY should be #1 on that list!!!! Other than that, great job. You know the Rush fan backlash was going to be nerdy as ever!

Sorry to burst your rant bubble counterpart, but your actually reading a screen, not paper.

Rush f-ing blows

OH MY GOD! how could you have forgotten Meat Loaf!!

What is a “article” about music doing in this mag? Didn’t you idiots quit that in the late 70’s and instead became a People magazine rip off? So what movie star, model, or other celeb that has nothing to do with music is on the next cover? Oh well, what can you expect from a magazine whose best writer was Hunter Thompson? That’s right: Nothing. Lol.

Why is this mag still around? Oh yea: because of the 12-14 year old girls who are it’s only readers. Reading this inane celeb babble past the age of 16 is the real guilty pleasure, if you can call it a pleasure: I’ve had more interesting craps.

I completely agree w/ this guy. Except for the occasional Taibbi piece about the war, the rest might as well be lining the bottom of a hamster cage.

Please RS, stop talking about Rush. You obviously have no clue about them or just don’t like them. Rush has influenced so many other bands thoughout the years it is amazing they have not been entered into the Rock and Roll HOF. So just stop talking about them, no more articles, no more polls, just forget about them. Instead of Rush just write a 3 page article on Fallout Boy or some other flash in the pan band.

Fall Out Boy can’t be on the list, because it’s a guilty PLEASURES list, dumbfuck.

Def Leppard is missing from this list. Or maybe I shouldn’t feel guilty for liking “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Slang”.

Tenacious D. For fucking sake, Motley Crue shouldn’t even be there. Since when have Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson turn to ROCK ‘N’ ROLL?

why do you print these silly articles. nobody cares ,so go away. rush is music. the best, so you people go away and write about britney spears haircut and leave the music alone.

I have no clue why Rush are on this list, they are in a completely different league from all the other (fairly well selected list) of artists. Very sad to see a leading music magazine not recognise the genius of Rush.

Rush a guilty pleasure? Absolutely!
I think the point RS is making is that a guilty pleasure is one that is never fashionable, yet so damn good you can’t resist it. The irony is … so unfashionable, it’s fashionable!
Rush are the most consistent band Canada has ever produced and are revered by musicians of all genres up here north of the border, for their honesty as much as their virtousity.
Rush are not fashionable from a mass pop culture perspective. Never have been. Even in the seventies they weren’t fashionable. Critics wrote them off as Brit Prog Rock ripoffs, yet they somehow managed to have outlast all those bands, and without the ridiculous lineup changes. Also, how many charting prog rock singles are there? How many prog rock bands have a sense of humour? Rush have got it in spades. Serious music by guys who don’t take themselves too seriously.
Rush defy gravity. So unhip they’re hip. They have absolutely nothing to do with the music I listen to most of the time (roots and Americana … how much further removed can you get?), but when they announced last week they’re making another trip to my town this September, I was excited as I would have been in the late 70’s and early 80’s back in the high school smoking area.
Their perennial uncoolness provided the soundtrack to many an uncool Canadian suburban high school student’s existence in that time period, and I imagine the same goes for the US as well.

Yes, Rush are an ultimate guilty pleasure … and take that as the ultimate compliment.

PS: I would have put the Scorpions on that list … big cheesy guitar riffs and lyrics that’d make Spinal Tap blush.

Rush f-ing blows can stay but my comment can’t? Why don’t you remove Jason’s comment as well?

i think its hilarious people are going crazy on here about how horrible RS is yet they take the time out of there day to visit its website and read the articles…hmmm…the list is ok with me, but i dont think Rush is a guilty pleasure, but thats just me

Firefall, Dan Fogleberg, Seals and Croft, Badforf and Rodney, Pousette-Dart Band, Bob Seger, Alan Parsons Project, Al Stewart, the list needs to be amended to include these lost gems…..

Rush Rocks!!! I feel guilty just coming here! My friends might see me on RS’s Website!!

Rush as a guilty pleasure band? Are you nuts? How can on compare New Edition and Wham to RUSH? They aren’t even in the same league. Go back to reporting on the crap that the young kids are listening to now like All American Rejects or something. Guilty pleasure is the Humpty Dance not YYZ.

Rush a guilty pleasure band? No
RS a guilty pleasure rag? Yes

Critics are to music what ornithologists are to flying.

Rush’s integrity, longevity, musical and lyrical ingenuity has no parallel. Along with many others, I look very forward to another amazing album and tour!!! Thank you Rush!

Ok, I’ve been on vacation, so I have not had the “pleasure” of this site in some time. Imagine my (ahem) “joy” when I fire up my computer this morning and find that RS has labeled Rush as a guilty pleasure. That’s it…I’m done wasting my time checking out a site that obviously knows NOTHING about music. Good-bye RS…

I love RUSH and have for over 30 years!! Unlike a lot of other bands that Rolling Stone loves to love, RUSH are actually talented. Their longevity is proof of their fan appeal. They aren’t a guilty pleasure at all. I’m proud to be a fan and I don’t care who knows it.

I’m ashamed to call you Dad.

I’m glad Rush is a guilty pleasure. At least their name is getting out there.

Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco….those should be guilty pleasures…but instead, they just SUCK!

Hootie and the Blowfish need to be on the list….I’m just a baby ’cause the dolphins make me cry.

If a band or artist is perceived as “uncool”, liking their music would be a guilty pleasure. Everyone’s idea of what is cool differs. If you would be ashamed to proclaim to the world that you like this band, they are a guilty pleasure. This poll is useless as are most of the other RS polls. Journey may be one man’s Beatles or Dylan. BTW, Rush is not a guilty pleasure, Fall Out Boy is.

Rush are always a pleasure

Uh, Rush is no guilty pleasure. Too bad RS has been missing out of Rush for all these years. RS is a pretty pathetic magazine. You should change the name from RS to “MTV Paper Edition”.

Rush is a guilty pleasure because they have never been considered cool (Evidence? They’ve never been on the cover of RS). But they are one of the great live bands of all time.

Now how about getting them in the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame?

as an indie fan, my guilty pleasure isn’t so much a band, but if you name a nu-metal single from about 4 years ago, the chances are i’ll love it. soil? yes! disturbed? yes! spineshank? yes! alien ant farm? yes! papa roach? well no, i have my limits…. i regularly watch the videos on youtube when i’m certain my flatmate is out and my neighbours can’t hear.

also the bravery. i’d honestly stick my neck out and say that their debut is better than both killers albums.

good list, rs.

Spin Doctors?

I’d replace Hall & Oates and Kelly Clarkson with Duran Duran and Culture Club.

Unfortunately, Supertramp

As a Rush fan I have my pocket protector and horned rimmed glasses ready to rock out this summer! Or at least that’s what some who have posted on here perceive me to be.

ELO Guilty Pleasure?? Please!! They’re amazing.
Almost everyone on your list is good to some degree with the possible exception of Britney and Kelly.

It’s funny how so many people complain about the change in RS fan base, but this list, and many others by RS, obviously still grasp older generations attention. Sure music today sucks, but I’d have to say most bands on this list suck to. So stop complaining that a magazine went from covering your favorite crappy music to someone elses.

I agree Sherry. I love both Rush and ELO and both deserve better than to be a guilty pleasure. Jeff Lynne is a genius and came up some of the greatest pop songs of the 1970’s. He’s also a heck of a producer (see Tom Petty). Who ever listens to Britney Spears isn’t a guilty pleasure, she’s a no talent hack.

Are you guys even moderately serious with Rush as a guilty pleasure? Three guys who are masters of their instruments, offer intelligent lyrics, and who have sold out concerts for thirty years with minimal mainstream ink, never broke up or had farewell tours time and again, and still make new and interesting music are guilty pleasures? Stop the cooler than thou stuff, you’re not!

LOL! By the look of the majority of the responses to this poll, it appears RS is WRONG once again. I am glad I cancelled my subsciption 20 years ago. Wake up RS, you are embarrassing yourselves! You are WRONG by supporting the induction of about 75% of ‘artists’ in the Rock Hall and by putting RUSH at the top of this list shows you are just idiotic, as usual.

I find it hard to think of Rush as a pleasure, guilty or otherwise. Being a “master” of your instrument is no mark of greatness. Emerson, Lake and Palmer were also “masters” and they are absolutely disgustingly bad.

Rush is more talented and has written more timeless music than 90% of the acts that you have put on your cover over the past 40 years. You should be embarrassed in how you have treated a “guilty pleasure” that will get 15,000 fans a night all summer long in 2007. Yeah I feel real guilty on being a fan of musical genius. How out of touch can you be?

How about the Beatles?

I’m a big Rush fan, and my guilty pleasure is The Blackeyed Peas. Fergie, mmmm, I want to hit that.

I have a rule: NEVER EVER listen to a band who’s name pertains to a geographic location like Boston or Chicago or Kansas. And I like Rush and am not ashamed of it. This was a pathetic list!

Mark, take a deep breath. No one said that Rush sucks, although some of the artists on the list do.
The band is great, they have a devoted following, and more consecutive gold records than anyone. That said, they’re geeks. Just not in a bad way. I rarely hear anyone blasting Rush from their apartment or in their car. They aren’t the best looking guys, their songs often include science fiction themes, and Geddy’s voice may strike other people a little weird. Again, none of this means that they suck, or that they aren’t one of the best 3 piece bands ever. Perhaps you should look at this as meaning that a lot of people, despite Rush’s shortcomings, still love their music like you do, they just don’t want to admit it.

a-ha

So Chris, is your idea of good music Fall Out Boy? Britney Spears? N’Sync? ELP were masters at their craft and while they had their share of bad music they put out more quality than any of the bands I named. People still listen to ELP today. I can’t say the same for Fall Out Boy.

Correction…No one will listen to Fall Out Boy 30 years from now like they do ELP.

The music of RUSH is pleasure no guilt involved. I enjoy the fact that the kiddies who read your rag dislike them so.lol Keep them up to date Tiger beat on those lame hip hop hybrids Linkin Park and Pseudo punks Sum 41. Or bands like Nickleback still riding Nirvana’s coat tails. Very sad.

To me a guilty pleasure is a band that utters the word “dork” to you when you are caught listening to it. Rush, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi… are you guys kidding me? I’m not ashamed to listed to any of those bands. What should be on this list are names like BeeGees, Neal Diamond, The Osmands and Eddie Murphy. (Party all the time brother!)

I think that R.S. and the R N’ R HALL have about 0 credibilty now after their R N’ R scandal regarding THE DAVE CLARK FIVE and GRANDMASTER FLASH.

R.S. is an American centric magazine and has about as much respect now as GEORGE BUSH JR. does.R.S. and the R N’R HALL are the music industries joke.

Rush is fifth behind the Beatles, Stones, Kiss and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. Lot of guilty people out there I guess.

Whoever wrote this list needs to either a) get a clue or b) die in a fire.

RS has always been a joke, don’t go changin’!

95% of my music-listening is spent on Rush. I have all Rush shirts, hats, posters, bumper stickers, you name it. Not many people I run into actually dislike Rush (most just don’t particularly know of them). It is not a “guilty pleasure”, its just a pleasure.
Rush has consistently put out amazing music for over 30 years, from the debut album right up through Vapor Trails (and, as it looks, Snakes and Arrows).
Not that it matters, but I’m tired of Rush being put down in the mainstream.

That being said, since when is Boston a guilty pleasure? Everyone who likes rock n roll likes Boston (or is that just because I live in Boston?)

Dead Or Alive

ELO is not a “guilty” pleasure, they straight up rule. Eldorado was arguably the greatest album of the ’70’s, not to mention all the other great albums they released during the ’70’s and the ’80’s.

Glad to see the Money Man on the list. I defy anyone to name a better song to roll the windows down to and play far louder than recommended than “Two Tickets To Paradise.”

Rush fans, chill. Why waste your energy explaining why Rush is your favorite band? You’re not going to win anyone over with your complaining. Don’t let anyone tell you what to like (e.g, Rolling Stone Magazine), and don’t tell anyone what to like. RS is an image magazine, everyone should know this, and so what? They have a right to be what they want to be, and so do you. Instead of complaining, do something constructive like create a better *music* magazine; one that is positive and celebrates good music of all kinds, and that’s it! No political brainwashing, no image conciousness – just a magazine for serious music lovers who have their own opinions and think for themselves. The mere fact that this article exists is evidence of this magazine’s fear of it’s image. “i like this band but i can’t admit it”. C’mon, grow up.

I’m with Beast44–let’s drop the Rush talk, and give it up for the sound of Money! The Money Man, or E-Mo (as I like to call him), is just happy to make ANY list, so let’s let him enjoy the moment! “Baby Hold On” to this moment, E-Mo! YEAH!

its always fun to listen to “more than a feeling” by boston on a nice summer day while cruisin around in your car with some old buddies. No? On the other hand Motley Crue should not be on that list. They are fun to listen to at a good party.

How did Van Halen and Def Leppard not make this list? As many albums as both these bands sold, and as cheesy as their music is, I figure they should both be in the top 5 (maybe top 2).

Maybe their music is just so bad that nobody even secretly listens to it anymore.

I do own music from four bands on this list and I’m not embarrassed to listen to them – Rush, Styx, America and Kansas. Dust in the Wind, although way overplayed, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written IMO. I do however avoid certain songs from these bands at all costs – like Babe, Don’t Let it End, and Muskrat Love for example.

I think Rush fans need to learn to take a joke.

is this even relevant? it looks like this list has only 2 artists from this century?

Creed is tops for this list – crunchy guitars, pseudo heavy uplifting lyrics – can’t get their songs out of your head. “Higher” is exhibit A.

The Monkees are not a guilty pleasure! And as long as we’ve brought them up, those tightasses from the R&R Hall of Fame should vote them in (along with the Turtles, Big Star, the Rasberries, and Badfinger)

new order

People…..love Rush aparently

Sorry Dave but most of us Rush fans are very vocal about them. We may be annoying but we will defend them until the end. However, the more I’m thinking about it, the more I think that it’s really not so bad that they are considered a “guilty” pleasure. At least they are still recognized in 2007.

NIRVANA

RUSH is a great band. Should be in R&R Hall of Fame. Some of their stuff is very dated (and therefore a guilty pleasure, rather than cool) and girls HATE them (most). Best way to listen to RUSH? In a car full of drummers who beat the hell out of the seats – at least thats how I always enjoyed RUSH.

Considering how Rolling Stone has sh!t on Rush for the past 30 years, I’m surprised they even printed this.

It’s official : Men in music chat rooms love RUSH…no big suprize.

This should be a cover story

Unbelievable!!! The lack of respect Rush gets is unbelievable. Talent-wise, they have more talent in the tip of their pinkies than all the other bands in this list combined. Neil Peart the greatest rock and roll drummer of all time. At 52 years old, he is twice as good as the drummers in today’s rock and roll are. Don’t believe me, listen to one of his drum solos. Alex Lifeson is the most underrated guitarists in rock. If any other guitarist played in a band with Neil on drums, and Geddy on bass they would also be underrated. Geddy Lee is rock and roll. Who is cooler than Geddy Lee. In the dictionary, under rock and roll star– there is a picture of Geddy Lee. He is also a fabulous bass player. Rolling Stone — you have really shown how little you actually know about music and talented, progressive, professional, people who take pride in their music!!!!!!!!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Rush!!! Great Band. Not a guilty pleasure. I know women who love them too. I saw them first in 1980 and have been going ever since.

A “guilty pleasure” is something you keep from your friends because you would be embarrassed if they knew about it. Anyone who knows anyone who likes Rush knows we are not embarrassed about it.

i just want to know how pariah dog made this a slam against the late doctor thompson. if you don’t understand what he has written don’t hate,maybe you could find a tutor or an intellect transplant

I’m sorry, but I don’t feel guilty about being a Rush fan. I just bought tix to their latest tour, their big compilation of tourbooks, a new Rush T-shirt, and I’m eagerly awaiting their new album. I just don’t understand why they don’t get the credit they deserve. Of the “arena” rockers, they’re among the only ones out there still selling out arenas. How guilty do you think their fans are exactly?

Rush blows.

#1 Guilty Pleasure or not, Rush is a great band that has set the bar for musicianship and professionalism.

I HATE RUSH FANS

Justin Timberlake and Common

There’s no reason to be ashamed of liking Rush- they’re a great band. I’ll tell you who should be ashamed- RS for not putitng them on the cover, and the RR Hall of Fame for ignoring them all these years.

As an older musician I can tell all of you Rush fans that in 10 years from now people will be talking more about Pete Wentz’s influence as a song writer than they will Rush. Pete Wentz’s style and honesty are unmatched. Why do you think Fender created a Pete Wentz bass for such a young player?Look how old Geddy was before Fender gave him a deal. This speaks volumes of the impact Fall Out Boy/Pete Wentz are having on music today. Pete Wentz has been recognized by many people/musicians as the Robert Smith of his day. I know that it’s easy to hate on such a young talent, but you must give respect where respect is do.

I agree that there is a common pre-conception pre-conception from what people say or right that Rush is uncool. They don’t look cool but most of their music and live performances are awesome.

How many bands still try to push their own boundaries (that does not necessarily playing more complicate music as one poster seems to think) most of the time successfully although like lots of other bands have a had a few dodgy moments. Some of their songs in fact, are pretty lean. All 3 are masters of their instruments and believe it or not, are not self-indulgent).

Part of their ‘problem’ is that they are hard to label – people will throw the ‘prog’ tag or ‘metal’ tag at them but that’s far too limiting to describe their output. I am psyched about hearing new ’snakes and arrows’ album.

It’s kind of a compliment to be on this list as people obviously still remember them, even though they might not like them…better this way than to be something forgettable.

I’m sure the band is doubled over laffing at all of this…if they even knew the mag was still around. Tell me how many bands could still sell out arenas across this country w/o even an album or airplay?

i am from canada and no one here like Rush thats for sure

If you can get used to Bob Dylan’s voice, you can get used to Geddy Lee’s too.

Boston also doesn’t belong on that list.

The whole idea of a “guilty pleasure” band makes no sense to me…are people that insecure that they would lie about genuinely liking a band’s music? I love Rush, but at the same time I know that they’ve done nothing to warrant induction into the HOF. Why? They’ve always been trend followers, never trend setters…simple as that. They did Sabbath/Zeppelin impressions on their first album, they did Police impressions on “Signals”, they did grunge impressions on “Counterparts”, etc, etc. But I will always buy their music because I’m a fan. And I’m not guilty about it at all.

Rush SUX!

Why on earth would you put Boston and Journey up there with the likes of Britney Spears?

Nice list…

I own zero of their albums.

My favorie bands are Creed, P.O.D, Limp Bizkit, and Bush. One of my very favorite songs is “Like Toy Soldiers” by Martika and there many others just like it that I also love. Songs to me are songs, I don’t care about trends or genres; although I will say that most music I discover comes through mass media. If I am “guilty” for this, then let he who is without sin cast the first stone…

i own all der albums eh? and youz can all hose-off…its beauty hosers!

Is that Neil Peart or Walter Matthau?

Mills, how can you – with a straight face – compare Geddy Lee to Pete Wentz as a bassist???!!!

Are you kidding?!?

That’s a lot like comparing Jimi Hendrix to Curt Cobain as a guitarist.

Geddy Lee is, perhaps, one of the greatist bass players of all time, and is a member of one of the most musically talented, progressive rock bands ever. Pete Wentz has a knack for writing emo pop tunes that sell to teenagers.

On top of that, I’d really like to know which artists compare Wentz to Robert Smith. Maybe Wentz, himself, would say something like that since he is a pompous, egotistical jackass. Otherwise, comparing him to Smith is a massive insult to all Cure fans.

I have a feeling Mills IS Pete Wentz, just fishing for compliments.

I think a lot people misunderstood the phrase “guilty pleasures.” It doesn’t make the artists bad artists. No one is accusing you of anything for liking them. Someone has to, otherwise they wouldn’t have record deals.

As a Rush fan, I’m okay with considering them a “guilty pleasure.” We have to consider the facts here folks. Rush doesn’t fit into the mainstream music scene, it’s as simple as that. Most of their songs, even their radio material, have something of a learning curve to them and the majority of listeners don’t generally like “thinking music.” I’m not just trying to be elitist either, it’s just a simple fact about the way their songs are written and performed. They’re certainly virtuoso musicians, but that doesn’t make them popular. The mainstream are generally turned off by Geddy Lee’s voice and singing style (as it’s so unconventional and often shrilly) and their music usually carries messages that either offend people (older songs) or that don’t appeal to them for whatever reason (the themes).

I think they clearly are a “guilty pleasure” band, and they just happen to be so damned talented that they are the best of the lot. But they still carry those unpopular elements that remove them from the mainstream, thus making them a “guilty pleasure” as opposed to what the status quo usually expect to be popular.

That said, even as a “nerd” band they are at the top of their game and are still commercially successful enough to be completely relevant no matter how much a guilty pleasure they may be in the general consensus.

Nickleback……….I feel dirty now.

Ugh…my energy level drains every time i hear one of Rush’s 20 minute long songs

I don’t think Rush is a guilty pleasure. I can’t tell you how many times I have a Rush song on, and someone who has never heard it before is amazed to know that it’s Rush. Their fan base is growing this way. I guess I would expect nothing less from a magazine that is named after one of the most overrated bands of all time.

I bet the Black Crows could beat Rush in a walkoff…..

W
A
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I love how utterly clueless many people who visit this site are. Speaks volumes for the people who read Rolling Stone.

spaceboy:
“my energy level drains every time i hear one of Rush’s 20 minute long songs”

Yes, go ahead equate everything to a video game. I’m sure if your attention span was longer you’d be able to appreciate more complex songs. Otherwise, go back to playing your X-box. You obviously don’t have the mental capacity to endure a song longer than 3 minutes. It’s not your fault though, I’m sure your parents are to blame, I’m sure you blame them too.

That’s true, girls hate Rush. If you’re a girl you should feel guilty about liking them. In fact, if I was dating a girl and I found out she liked Rush, I would probably be less attracted to her, thinking there must be something wrong here. Did a girl write this list?

Bob Seger is my guilty pleasure. “If I ever get out of here, I’m going to Katmandu”

Yes,my ultamate guilty plesure!

I consider The Jackson 5 to be my guilty pleasure. I know Michael Jackson’s child molestation incidents have lost them a lot of respect, but as far as pure bubblegum goes, it doesn’t get much better. Elton John’s another for me. Yes is a third.

First off the entire notion of guilty pleasures music is silly. Its a concept for people who are ashamed to listen to something not in the top 40.

As channel 4 in the U.K. recently said “Rush are a band who no ones heard of, but they can sell out the Birmingham NEC in 20 minutes.”

I think they are a great rock band, and apparently they are the 5th biggest selling rock act of all time, which makes the guilty pleasures thing a bit wrong.

Lighten up MMOO. If you hate the entire idea of a “guilty pleasure” band, then don’t read the list.

Rush are for boys too lame to talk to girls. Oasis is boring. Give me Skynard to rock my mullet out to!

Creed,anyone?

Notice how the RUSH fans write page long messages – Im just sayin, notice.

Not a bad list, but I do wonder why some of these bands are “guilty pleasures.” Three of my favorite bands happen to be on this list: Bon Jovi, Motley and Journey. While I can see Journey, I do not understand the other two. Bon Jovi still sells out arenas and have lasted longer than most musical trends. Their new albums also sell well. Dont agree with their placement. I have never come across a person that would be “embarassed” to be a Crue fan. Did you people see their reunion tour? T-LEE rules!! Replace Jovi with Firehouse and Motley with Warrant and you have yourself a quality list.

Fall out boy are about as good as Motly Crew, what a jackass comparision.

Get da f%”& used to Geddy’s voice, bitches!

Extreme and Violent Fems

It appears all Canadians, like Allman, are ignorant.

And Mills is on some serious drugs. Fall Out Boy more influential than Rush? Are you kidding me?

Mullet Man is my hero. But I bet he has a harder time geting women than Rush fans.

Pretty good list here RS…..RE:Rush…..I am a big fan of their musicianship and many of their songs, I have seen them in concert & it was one of the best I’ve ever seen…Geddy Lee is an amazing Bass player & how he sings & does keyboard licks while playing such complex bass parts at the same time will
always be a wonder to me as a musician….BTW, major props for Alex Lifeson & Neal Peart too….

That said, I do not think they belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, because as skilled as they are as musicians, they did not inpact the Rock & Roll genre as groundbreakers; they are craftsmen, not innovators (a la Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, bob Dylan, etc.)…..

Glad you put ELO & Journey on the list, I think they get a bad rap from many so-called “Real” Rock & Roll fans…..unfortunately, you left out some of my favorite 80’s bands, like Devo, Talking Heads & the Cars…..lots of great songs from these artists too….

..i was gonna say ‘haircut 100′(remember that one song thay had,”love + 1″)…..but as i’m writing this
’separate ways’ from journey came on the radio, and i’m enjoying it,
so i’ll have to say journey is definately a the guilty pleasure.

BTW: ‘Red sector A’ from Rush is the only guilty pleasure from them,
not the band in itself or there other songs (well I guess most of ‘em)

my name is Brian B and I love RUSH man!!!!!!

The only band I’d listen to on the list is The Monkees. And their only a guilty pleasure because most people don’t know how many truely excellent songs they have.

If you eliminate every Davy Jones song (except “Daydream Believer”) from their oeuvre, it’s right up there with other 60’s greats like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Beach Boys, if not quite up to the Beatles/Stones level.

They’ve got more good songs then just about every other band on that list put together.

For the people on the board who say that Rush is not influential or belongs in the R&R hall of fame, READ the board. Do you see all the people influenced by RUSH? Rush fans are loyal and know good music when they hear it. By the way, how influential is Bob Seger? He’s in the hall of fame and I don’t hear musicians naming him as an influence (aside from Kid Rock).

You may classify Rush as a guilty pleasure, especially since this is a corporate mag, but if they are a guilty pleasure then so be it, the list of people Rush influenced is staggering from Detroit Techno, to Math Rock to New Wave etc.
Rush has done fine without the support of Rolling Stone – from Wiki – “Rush has influenced various modern artists such as Metallica,[3] The Smashing Pumpkins[4] and Primus,[4] as well as many notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater[3] and Symphony X.[5]” AND “As a whole, Rush boasts 23 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records, making them one of the best-selling rock bands in history. These statistics place Rush fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, KISS and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band.”
That being said you can call them whatever you want, they don’t need no Rock Hall they don’t need no ass kissing corporate rag.

“It’s Really Just a Question of Your Honesty”

Mullets are for lesbians and pick-up driving hicks with 1/2 their teeth and a 30-pack of Stroh’s in a trashbag full of ice.

RUSH one of the best bands of all time? You could say best drummer and I would not challenge. You could say worst singer and I would say fo shore! Those who protest too much…..take a look at the list. RUSH is number 1! What about Kiss?

I have a list: It’s called stupid lists. And this guilty pleasure list is number one.

This list is retarded.

where’s Fall Out Boy and all the other crappy bands RS has covered lately. I don’t know who made this list, but man Rush is in no way worthy of being anywhere on this list as they can actually play their instruments with a high level of musicianship.

Hoobastank. My brother-in-law used to play base in that band, so I guess it’s a guilty pleasure.

Olivia Newton John and Kylie Minogue

What is Simply Red doing on this list? I thought there were two criteria: 1) bad bands, 2) crank at full volume. When I picture someone doing 80 with the top down the phrase “Holding Back The Years” doesn’t leap to mind at all. And — sorry people — Rush and The Grateful Dead are the two most horrible bands ever.

i am an older musician and i think panic! at the disco will be far more influential than Rush, but all of you are jealous of their skills

Tatu

and

Hinder

I don’t feel guilty about anything! It’s great that so many people hate Rush. It allows me to get great seats to see them on the upcoming (probably close to sold out)tour. It’s like finding a great vacation spot that few know about. Why share it with idiots?

OH! I AM OFFENDED! What exactly is wrong with Rush, ELO, Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Motley Crue, Poison that would make people be embarrassed to tell their friends? I agree that Kiss should be on the list and STYX should be higher.

Chicago and Hall & Oates do not belong on this list!!!!!!!!1

Ice T! and Insane CLOWN POSSE! ——
i notice that all almost all the bands here are, for the most part, disparaged and hated on by rock critics. once again, the elites in NYC and LA club scene seem to dictate what is good and what is trash, with very few exceptions (the re-evaluation of black sabbath, for instance).
thing is, i don’t like most of these bands listed (most of them have a handful of mediocre radio friendly hits that sound like each other), so i’m agreeing with these critics. suddenly guilty pleasure is defined as something that ‘hip’ people hate, as if liking these bands should make you feel bad. so am i a slave to the critics’ advice, or am i ‘in touch’ and ‘with it’ for agreeing with them? is there some platonic form equivalent of good music that everyone can reach and should attain to? are we to worship david fricke and anthony decurtis and read their reviews like scripture?
what if the rock critics are always right?

I heard that if you play Rush’s classic “2112″ along with the “Wizard of Oz”, nothing significant happens, unless you are really stoned.REALLY STONED,really.

Rush is touring for Snakes & Arrows starting June 13th in Atlanta. It’s going to be great.

Go to rush.com
or
rushisaband.com

I listen to Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears. They rock!

I agree with you completely Roy…Chicagos older stuff is truly great…

rush is more than a guilty pleasure and way more talented than any of those listed guilty pleasure bands.

why isn’t guns and roses a guilty pleasure, sleaze bag rock and axl can’t sing any more than geddy lee

Rush, Chicago, ELO, and America -even Abba- have made an amount of quality music at one time. It’s a shame they get lumped in with these other artists.

I think it’s undisputed that this list is not “undisputed.”

Today’s Tom Sawyer, he gets high on you and the space he invades, he gets by on you.

Are you kidding me? Rush should by no means be on a guilty pleasure list let alone the number one choice. These guys are amazing and still kicking it. Have a listen to their new album.

I only find it hilarious that mainstream media ignores Rush. It only makes the band more fascinating. A “cult band” that has sold out humongous arenas for decades and sold almost 50 million albums worldwide.

They have never played the “media game”. Rush was offered to headline the Donnington in the eighties, but Peart refused. His answer was “We don’t want to treat our fans like cattle.”

Today’s pop stars would sell their own mother to get some cheap publicity in the mainstream media. Rush has never cared. Only their fans do (apparently).

I can’t think of a band that deserves people’s respect more than Rush.

Funny to see people writing that Rush songs “often include science fiction” and complaing about 20 minute long songs and excessive time changes. Are you people stuck in the 1970’s?

Rush has not been that band since the late 1970’s. Rush themselves will admit that being technical players was important to them early on, but since the early to mid 1980’s they’ve focused much more on being songwriters.

I heart Tom Sawyer.

For the record, I’m female and I LOVE Rush! Their musicianship is AMAZING! If you’ve never truly listened to one of Geddy’s intricate bass lines or dropped your jaw in amazement upon hearing Neil’s solos, or heard Alex’s virtuoso playing, then you can’t really voice an opinion on Rush’s music.
Sure, some of the songs need to be heard more than once to be truly appreciated, but that also means you can get something out of them each time you hear them. I know some people don’t appreciate Geddy’s voice, and that’s ok, but dang, folks–Bob Dylan’s voice makes me want to bang my head against a wall to make it stop and look at all the accolades he’s been given!

Rush is an amazing band, and my family (hubby and kids too!) will enjoying seeing them at the Hollywood Bowl this summer!

Rust {no mistke} is the worst band of all time. If youre looking for guilty pleasures what about Kiss?

Supertramp is the most underrated band of all time.
Motley Crue and Bon Jovi are the most overrated.

ABBA is responsible for some of the finest craftest pop songs of all time. Sure most people smirk when I mention that I like them, but, I feel in no way guilty about it.

This list is just more evidence that RS has no clue about music. RS is a fashion mag, not a music mag. Putting RUSH at the top of this list is a backhanded compliment.

Thank God I found this. All this time, I was wondering: Where can I find a blog that will enlighten me as to what music is good and what sucks? And to think, I thought Rush was such an awesome band. Boy, was I wrong. Shame on them for being such crappy musicians and having absolutely no integrity whatsoever! And those over the top arrangements. Man those guys must have such an ego and be so pretentious. I mean, that’s the only way they could have stayed together all this time: Be full of themselves and feel much more important than everyone else.

Thankfully, all the musical experts congregated here, so my search for good taste in music is finally over! Wohoo!!!!

RS again proves it is a complete joke. Haven’t looked back since I cancelled my subscription 22 years ago.

RUSH is equil to greatness with Led Zeppelin. and they’re still at it! name even one band who, after 30+ years still has the same 3 origional guys and have never broken up, still make great albums, try new things (unlike the stones, skynyrd, ac/dc, etc who make crap albums or the same album over and over) and not only can play as well as “back in the day,” but are constantly pushing themselves!! RUSH rules, rolling stone magazine is garbage

Then why are you looking at the website? .. Forever Eddie Money!

Rush is a guilty pleasure? So people should be embarassed that they listen to music that is intelligent and features members who can actually play their instruments properly? The fact that this list classifies Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears as rock is further proof that Rolling Stone is in no position to try to come across as being an authority on the subject of music. I guess Rolling Stone can continue sucking up to Bob Dylan and Michael Moore. Of course, this is the same magazine that gave St. Anger a good review. This list is almost as bad as Guitar World’s top 100 guitarists. It’s official, Rolling Stone knows absolutely nothing about music.

Being a Rush fan since 1980, and attending every tour since that time, and being a musician … I can say they aren’t a guilty pleasure, they are a guiltless pleaure.

Their new single is #4 on Radio and Records and #3 on Mainstream Media, with a listing on R&R as most increased listenership.

Watch for this new album it looks to be something akin to Moving Pictures. Though Rush getting recognition is kind of scary, I like it better when the masses hated them.

Amit, rushjerzee and Geoff know what they are talking about. The comment about pete wentz was hilarious. He should just go marry ashley simpson and then they can both retire from making crappy music and just be lame together.

panic at the disco will also never be as influential as rush…because pnic is a hideously awful excuse for a band

The Cowsils

Honestly, the fact that everyone is so angry about this list makes it’s point. Not a single band on here is recognized for artistic credibility, whether they posess it or not, and as someone who owns albums from 11 artists on this list, I know that you may get funny looks when those songs come up on shuffle. Being a real music fan means acknowledging that most people don’t like them but loving them anyway. I could never fault someone for saying Lionel Richie was too cheesy for them to appreciate, but I love him nonetheless.

And I’ve seen Rush. Fantastic live band. I own their catalog. But some songs are cheesy, especially lyrically (i.e. “The Trees”). I can admit it, and it doesn’t make me love them any less.

And I’m pretty sure I’m the only person here who has seen both Rush and Fall Out Boy live on more than one occasion. Broaden your horizons everybody, nobody will hate you for liking more than one genre…

Oh, and where’s Dan Fogelberg? I’m pretty sure that, for me, he’s got the largest differential between how much I love him and how much the general public hates him. Maybe there aren’t enough people who actually do like him to count it.

Wham? you have Wham on the list? Thats not a pleasure I want to be guilty of.

I think most of the bands on this list do not qualify as guilty pleasures. If, for example, one had a secret affinity for Barry Manilow, the Village People, or Menudo – a group that it would be really embarassing to like – this would be a guilty pleasure. I would say few of the bands on the list fall under that criteria.

I’m with crazy runner. RS’s taste in music, and their reviews are consistantly way off base.

My guilty pleasure is running across articles like this one and after reading them confirming once again that they are as consistant as ever.

I’m curious. Do the writers at RS even bother to listen to the music before writing a review or crap articles like this?

JB

the who!!

ELO was my very first “best band ever” back when all the other kids were listening to KISS, (who are a disgusting joke) – and i still feel no guilt jamming to J. Lynne and the boys.
RUSH were my second “best band ever” and have stayed there. although i do have issues with a couple of their albums from the nineties.
hell, those three goofy canadians have influenced everybody from Metallica, (who give thanks to them in the liner notes of one of their albums), to Sinead O’Connor, who admitted in the late eighties that she was a Rush fan…but she seemed to feel a little guilty about it.
i can see them fitting in this list – i can see them laughing their old asses off about it – all the way to the $$$$ bank!
nice work, R.S.!

Considering that the majority of the bands you selcected had their hayday in the eighties then what about Mr.Big & Extreme?

i post the best comments…dickweeds.

There is only one band –

THE CLASH

enuf said………..

I’ve never listened to Rush, but eventually planned on it. Now I refuse to listen to them. Rush fans have bothered me to the point that even if they turn out to be a good band it’ll just be too late. Stop complaining and just let it be. They don’t seem that great anyway.

I honestly think all of Canada has come to complain about this list. Avril Lavigne, Nickleback, and SUm 41 are all Canadian. Rush is not in good company, and I don’t blame Canada for defending the only creditable band they’ve produced. But please stop.

How do you not include Iron Maiden on this list?

Neil Diamond hehe

Attention all planets of the solar federation…Attention all planets of the solar federation….Attention all planets of the solar federation….We have assumed control….we have assumed control….we have assumed control…

I think the list is pretty accurate… although there are quite a few acts missing from the list…

So, listening to quality music is a guilty pleasure now?

Never heard of Pete Wentz. I highly doubt The Fall Out Boys will last 30 plus years…..

F**kin Slayer!!!

RUSH = Best band in the universe

Guilty pleasures are for narrow minded people and “Magazines” who can’t seem to look and listen beyond the current flavor of the month. Look ahead 25 years from now and I’ll bet you’ll find FOB & PATD on this list.

Naming Rush the #1 Guilty Pleasure just shows how out of touch RS with music, musicians and fans overall. Christ, look how long it took Pink Floyd to get a cover.

Hey B-man checked in! Yo B! Been a Rush fan since 81 – never even dawned on me to feel guilty for even a second. If Rush wasn’t on this list there would be 80% fewer comments. Snakes and Arrows – May 1 – get off your ass and jump around! Jump around!

http://www.rushisaband.com
http://www.rush.com
http://www.rushguy.ne t

Probably the only way Rush is gonna get a mention in RS these days. Hands down one of the greatest bands on the planet…”different eyes see different things, different hearts beat on different strings”. Nuff said.

Rush a guilty pleasure?!?! Good god Rolling Stone, stop trying so hard to be hip a la’ TRL.
If you were serious at all about music, you would recognize, well…music.
There is a whole world of expression outside of shit-talking hip hop and eye make-up wearing poppy-”punk” bands.

The Rolling Stones should be on this list. Most overrated band of all time. I do not believe they even play all of the music on their studio albums. Did the recent RS article on the making of Exile on Main Street not state that they had to bring outside musicians into that project? I do not get people’s infatuation with this group. They should have quit in the early 80’s. Keep lowering your reputation boys. You suck.

Rolling Stone are you crazy? Definitive?? Rush is a excellent band! Who made this list? Is he/her 16 years old? There’s a difference between Classic Rock and guilty pleasures(granted there are a few that deserve to be on the list)….

To even put Rush on the same list as these other bands is absolutley pathetic. Are you kidding me? These guys are some of the best musicians that ever played. Lack of talent sums up 90% of this list. Oh, but wait, being a good musician isn’t important when judging ones talent as a band any more. Bring on American Idol! That will get us what we need. Good God.

This is a joke. Rush?

Rush is one of the best bands ever.. I’m chilean and I guess RS magazine is one of the reasons why people around the world think american people are morons.

Why don’t you create a survey about the most popular but horrible and overrated magazine ever?

My vote is yours.

(Please, avoid this embarrasment… next time, prepare yourself before talking about things you don’t know, like music)

Once again, the industry just doesn’t get it. No rush fan has ever felt guilty for worshiping them. They’ve felt pride. Pride to the point of egotism, like me. Because they ARE cool, and DO produce quality music. Not the opposite like the article suggests. There is none higher. They are the holy trinity of rock.

Yes…this IS a joke. RS knows better. Jame, go back to your Justin Timberlake CD’s and get a real opinion.

Geddy, Neil and Alex have influenced just about every rockster in the business today, and are 3 of the best rock musicians in the world today, period!

Where is DMB?

Look at those old b*startds! and they still rock! Too bad I can’t think of any band today that will be around for thirty years, or be as infuential as Rush….

Never heard of Rush but Randy and I like Britany.

Name one band that has a better live show than RUSH?

where oh where are the Spin Doctors? Come on everybody! OOOH ONE TWO PRINCES KNEEL BEFORE YOU, thats’a what I said NOW

TOM SAWYER BITCH!!! Rush rules, I have never felt the least bit guilty for sayin it.

What I was saying was that Pete Wentz’s songs speak to people much more than songs by Rush. Have any of you actually taken the time to listen to Fall Out Boy? If you did you would hear how much emotion and conviction Pete Wentz has, and that’s what really matters. Like I said before, it’s easy for people to hate such a young talent.

Once again your magazine and website disrespects the best band of that, this, and the next generation. Guilty Pleasure?? I think not. Always a pleasure. Put them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now…it’s way past due.

fall out boy are not good enough to be roadies for rush!

For you Rush bashers, your comments are laughable. Call them geeks, whatever. Those are three guys who’ve made their livings doing what they love to do. How many of us can say that? How many of those flash-in-the-pan musicians are now, computer programmers, babysitters, sous chefs, etc? (take no offense to the occupations I chose) Rush have always made music their way, never acquiescing to anyone. They’ve never made any bones about not really caring how anyone has perceived them; even their fans, to a certain extent. They’ve never sold out (other than arenas) and they make music we fans enjoy and blare out the car or house windows. There are musicians out there who would give a left nut to work with any one of the band members. Look at Nick Raskulinecz. Did he lower his street credibility by working with Rush? Doubt it. Are the Foo Fighters now lowered in status because Nick R. produced their album too? Doubt it.
Let’s now look to the new “talent”. FoB, for example, is just another band getting by with their whining vocals and three-chord thrashing. Currently, if bands aren’t whining into the mic, they’re screaming instead. Wow, that’s some serious talent. Also, look at all the other bands going on tour together. What, FoB is touring with something like 5 bands? They will all be one incarnation of the other. You know, it’s really nice to go to a show that starts on time and then get to listen to your favorite band for three-plus hours. I don’t think anyone else is doing that. That’s called staying power and a huge music catalog. Rush fans aren’t the haters, the rest of you are. For those of you who don’t get it, no one really cares anymore than you care why we do get it.

In an undeserved defense of Rolling Stone magazine, this list can be blamed on the readers of the mag – not the mag themselves.

Reading any article printed in the Rolling Stone about Rush, their shows, or their albums proves that no one there no a damn thing about the band.

Don’t blame the ignorant, blame the people who read them…

Preach the truth NEcromancer. Brood in that tower and gaze into your prizm. They bow defeated!

Say it loud and say it proud: Color Me Badd!!

How the hell do you link a URL here??????

In responce to Starman, The Who had a better live show. As did the Grateful Dead, and many more.

Dont know where they get this list from…
Rush have been respected forever it is not enough to whine about “geekyness” (about half of modern indie-rocks fan base AND bands are geeks) or his vocals (old, so old, havent we moved beyond that by now? arent we now living in 2007 where there is enough space for all interests / tastes in the music scene?)this list screams “conformist pop lemming looking for back-up”.

Er….Ja-ame…how would you know???? You said this earlier, “I’ve never listened to Rush, but eventually planned on it. Now I refuse to listen to them. Rush fans have bothered me to the point that even if they turn out to be a good band it’ll just be too late. Stop complaining and just let it be. They don’t seem that great anyway.”

How can you compare something else to something you’ve “never listened to”??

I think your “opinion” is slightly biased and very misplaced. You admitted that you won’t even “want” to like their music even if you secretly did! Sheeesh!!

Ditto NEcro! A tireless 3 hour concert by guys who are in their mid-50’s! I didn’t have that energy 18 years ago when I was 30!

Explaining Rush to these Timberlke and FoB fans is like trying to explain evolution to creationists. All you do is bang your head against a wall……..

There are a few mistakes in your list to say the least! Motley Crue should be #14 and Eddie Money should be in a tie (tie!) for #8 with Bread! And you shouldn’t put Lionel Ritchie so close to Poison because he might drink it ha ha ah!Also America should be next to Bread because everyone likes a good American Bread sandwich!Chicago Boston and Kansas all need to be under America, at least in terms of Nations and then states! (and by this accounting who should be last! I’ll tell you! Foreigner! ha ha ha!!How come there’s never been a band called Texas!And why the fuck – oops bad word – are ABBA and STYX all capitals! and you forgot the exclamation mark (!!!!!!) off of the end of Wham!!!!! And ELO Speedwagon isn’t a band! and the Monkees are the only non-human band in the list, what about the Animals! or the Byrds! And Dave Alvin has or had a band called the Guilty Men so come on!

Jame, Never heard Rush, eh? That’s quite incredible. Do this: Buy a “radio” and turn it to a “rock n roll” station. It won’t be long before you’ll be treated to the magic of their music.

I know this girl, i used to know here anyway, she drove an ambulance and she slept (e.g., had “sex”" with Geddy Lee! Talk about guilty pleasure! Then she had a two headed baby but it wasn’t Geddy’s it was Roky Erickson’s. I wonder whatever happened to her?

Well Secular, have you seen every band live. I doubt it. So it’s pretty hard to declare one band the best live performance. I’m sure you heard some magazine or website declare that so you’ve formed your opinion around it. And if Rush is so great why must you all defend them to the point that it gets annoying. If they’re that great just let it be. I’ll find out if they’re good soon enough but if they are good I’m not gonna cry about them being a guilty pleasure.

I know this girl, i used to know her anyway, she drove an ambulance and she slept (e.g., had “sex”) with Geddy Lee! Talk about guilty pleasure! Then she had a two headed baby but it wasn’t Geddy’s it was Roky Erickson’s. I wonder whatever happened to her?

1- I want you to go far away, Peter Frampton.

2- The Fray, the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ band with one of the mumbliest singers ever.

3- I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna see you put the Spice Girls on this list

4- ‘Geogrpahy bands,’ groups whose names also happen to be locations on maps {Boston, Kansas, Europe-’The Final Countdown’ is absolutely Godawful}

Yes Yes Yes! Geography bands are the best! Kansas! New England! Boston! Grand Coulee Dam! Oregon! French Lick! Mormon Penis Utah! Fuck You! (I believe this is in New Zealand?)

RS, try talking to some musicians and see what they think of this list. Prepare to be laughed at. You guys are clueless.

My mother was in the Rolling Stones; does that count?

Bubbles tells me that Alex is the greatest of all time, but can you trust someone who hangs out with Julian and Ricky?

Jame..I never said they were the best live show, so I don’t have to defend that statement. But I’ve been to enough concerts since 1974 to say that, IMHO, they are one of the best live shows going, period. YOU claimed that others were better than they were without even listening to their MUSIC!! That is called a “Gratuitous Assertion”. It is backed by nothing!

And, no, I don’t have to defend the band against the opinions of people like yourself who simply don’t want to accept that others love this band and their music and their legendary status among rock performers. This is an accepted fact, you can’t take it away from them any more than you can take their 19 albums away from them.

The “fact”, not opinion, that they are already icons in the industry, albeit often disrespected by know-nothing lemmings like Rolling Stone magazine, does not need myself or any other fan to defend against. If you don’t like them, go back to Britney Spears and K-Fed!! But please don’t pontificate about how annoying Rush fans, or any other fans are, for that matter. It serves no purpose other than to demonstrate your whiny nature.

I agree with all the Rush fans–Geddy, Alex and Neal are incredible. I’m also a huge Journey fan. Steve Perry IS the greatest vocalist in Rock history,an unparalleled talent. Neal Schon is a fantastic guitarist, for sure. Just because Journey songs have a melody doesn’t mean the songs have no substance. Besides, true Journey fans love the band more for the deep cuts than the Top 40 songs anyway.

Jame, I apologize if I was being “annoying” to you. My posts to you were not “Closer to the Heart”.

If you really want to see what they are about, pick up the DVD “Rush in Rio”, watch Disc 2 first, a 45 minute documentary of their tour in Brazil, then wacth the concert on Disc 1. If yo don’t “get it” about Rush by then, I’m afraid you are a lost “rock” cause.

Nori Lumpia, u-r-nuts! Please come over to the Secular Web so we can have fun with your posts!

Um, Jame, I saw both bands you mentioned and the shows were ok, not as good as a Rush show. Next time you go see a Who or Dead show stay off the dope and you will then see how both bands aren’t that good live. That’s if they are still touring.

i still pee the bed

No…they are either too dead or too tired to tour.

You know, this all doesn’t matter anyways…I have a friend that swears Def Leppard is the greatest band of all time. Who cares! In my world Rush is the greatest band and thats all the matters.

“i still pee the bed”

So your guilty pleasure is “Wham”?!

Starman, the line from Far Cry says it all about this “honor” by RS magz, “Pariah dogs and Wandering Madmen, Barking at Strangers and Speaking in Tongues.”

Rush is such a footnote in rock history that I can’t believe there’s this much disgussion on it. What a joke. All you Rushers please get out of your parents basement into the sunlight, there’s been lots happening in the world recently…

Rush What, there is a lot happening in the world. And Rush has been a constant in that world for over 30 years. Unlike whatever flash in the pan you’re a fan of. Nice job on calling us geeks. Real original.

Footnote?? More like the Title Page in Bold letters. Most Rush fans ARE parents now with kids living in the basement grooving on your Rush-inspired music.

Typical Rush fan profile: aged 28-50, working professional, children, houses, and two cars in the garage. We even take our kids to the concerts so they can see “REAL” talent.

Sorry….we haven’t lived in our parents’ basements since 1980, and thereis no reason to stop listening to a band that has more energy and more originality than most bands around today.

People can always fall back on the word “snapshot.” It has no meaning. I am at war with the obvious.

Rolling Stone mags attempt to rip on Rush has exposed the rag for what I’ve always thought it was. A total joke. I haven’t looked at the puplication in over 20 years because I knew their staff was a joke and this just confirms it. A rock radio station in Cleveland is currently ripping Rolling Stone and it’s readers for this attempt to rip a band that has more class and talent than anyone associated with the magazine and it’s readers will ever have. I only went on this web site because the station told me to. The joke is on you Rolling Stone. Your attempt to once again rip on Rush has blown up in your face. You are finally exposed as a journalistic fraud

Well…..where is Starland Vocal Band??

Eggleston, what thread do you belong to??

As a big time metalhead (pantera, slayer) my guilty pleasures are… gulp… Limp Bizkit, Creed, P.O.D., and Nickleback.

PS, I have never met anyone who is ashamed to be a Crue fan, hell most them including me are proud of the fact, so how are they a guilty pleasure

Indeed, there has been a lot happening lately worth listening to. Like Britney, Ashley, Justin? Give us a break. Rush still matters and is an example of what true talent sounds like.

What the heck man?!!
Rush are rock gods…
Have you NEVER seen the XYZ solo?
freaking art
geddy is Amazing at bass
and Neil is underscriable.
im going to see them in June on the 20 in raleigh
so SCREW this list

haha i listen to 9 of those on the list, my worst (most guilty) ones being journey bon jovi and foreigner(haha, most addicted to foreigner)

I see no point on discussing about music with “american idol” eaters. I don’t blame you, all you know about music is what you have been exposed to.

For me, the really annoying thing is that a so-called musical magazine can do such a poor research, if they did any.. shame on you boys.. Were the music critics on vacations when you did this and you let your 12 year-old daughters do it?

that makes sense…

again, let’s vote for the most popular and yet amateur and overrated magazine ever… RS will kick asses on it!

Dallas……”XYZ”?? (Xamine Your Zipper?). You mean YYZ my friend. Freakin’ incredible, yes.

Rush is the worst band in the history of time.

Rolling Stone should offer Rush a cover story with the heading: Greatest Band in the Galaxy! I wonder if Rush would accept.

Better change your name to “LIES”, Truth.

Mike & the Mechanics

Another list for everyone to get worked up about…surely these polls are RS’ guilty pleasure.

i said this earlier but they deleted it.

RS is so out of touch with music. they are nothing put a pop magazine for 14 boys and girls. anytime there is a flavor of the month, RS jumps on in hopes of selling magazines by riding on the crap artists curtails.

Rush is by far one of the greatest bands of all time. a real guilty pleasure would be listening to what RS has to say.

as someone stated earlier:
“People who hate Rush simply don’t understand their music… They’ve been around for decades, sold 50 million albums and still sell out huge venues without almost ZERO support from mainstream media.”

rush get so little media coverage and still manages to topple over the bands who would sell out in a heartbeat even if it meant killing their own family.

in conclusion the writers and editors at RS are completely out of touch with good music and need to be removed ASAP.

RS has never has never had anything good to say about Chicago, and this only continues the trend. JW has kept them out of the RRHOF and this inclusion only proves what a smarmy worm he is.

I love Rush, but I have to agree, I HATE RUSH FANS. SHUT THE F UP AND JUST ENJOY THEIR MUSIC. STOP TRYING TO CONVERT PEOPLE.

This is the best quote on the site. A person that would deny themselves possible pleasure to spite a group of people he/she knows nothing about.

“I’ve never listened to Rush, but eventually planned on it. Now I refuse to listen to them. Rush fans have bothered me to the point that even if they turn out to be a good band it’ll just be too late. Stop complaining and just let it be. They don’t seem that great anyway. “

Hey Rolling Stone! If you can’t stand criticism get out of the music business. Stop deleting legit posts, you look like a bunch of amateurs.

Hey, Leahey – tell Randy to go eat a cheeseburger if he doesn’t like Rush. Rush rules!

harvard’s band of the millenium. let’s start with some good ‘ol fashion spite: why did the list not include vivaldi’s four seasons? the ultimate guilty pleasure for centuries. apparently the author of the list does not quite possess the open mind about music that they may think they have. enough useless spite, i’m just a rush fan trying prop up the old guys who have never cared about rs. it’s a shame that so many rush fans actually care what rs thinks. rs smells of corporate open sores. i would just assume stay as far away as possible to prevent infection.

TAKE A Breath said,
“I love Rush, but I have to agree, I HATE RUSH FANS. SHUT THE F UP AND JUST ENJOY THEIR MUSIC. STOP TRYING TO CONVERT PEOPLE.”

Yes, our apologies. Evangelism is most certainly annoying in any form; however, it is difficult to resist the temptation to enlighten the unenlightened. The guilty pleasures that await your musical cravings in Rush heaven are a small price to pay for being proselytized by those with genuine musical taste and appreciation. May the Lord of Music bless your soul.

You know, amongst people with ears, (and brains, and an IQ of over 120) Rush aren’t a guilty pleasure, they’re required listening. Geddy’s voice may grate sometimes, I can see where some would say that… BUT has far as musicians go, name three people in the same band for 30+ years that still continue to tour, sell out arena’s -by themselves- sell millions of cd’s, dvd’s and have ALL at one time or another been voted best at thier instrument…. Multiple times… OH, that’s right! THERE ISN’T ANYONE THAT FITS INTO THE ABOVE CATAGORIES EXCEPT RUSH. I can hardly wait to see the RS review on Snakes and Arrows… RUSH RULES!

I have no guilt in the pleasure I derive from listening to Bon Jovi. I listen to them loud and proud! To quote my favorite rockers, “100 million fans can’t be wrong.” Keep on rocking boys! I, along with millions of others, will be at the store bright and early on June 19 to pick up the newest release from Bon Jovi. OH YEAH!!

All I have to say is where are all of rs great bands. rem, new kids on the block, depeche mode, blink 182…you take your pic of the flavor of the month band. If a couple of them are still around they don’t make any relevant music….play summer tours…ALONE. So take your guilty pleasure crap, your blaring rush music in the car comment and see me when your fav band has been around for 30+ years and still has a fervant fan base like RUSH does. Obviously the guilty pleasure is working.

long live RUSH….

MY guilty pleasure is reading RS on the can…….you never have to worry about running out of Tp.

Chicago and ELO fans have nothing to feel guilty about…… Well, at least not for the first dozen years or so.

The author responsible for this obviously has no taste in music. Rush, Kansas, the Crew….c’mon! Who’s next for your list; Metallica, AC-DC, The Who, Led Zeppelin …..

Eddie Money lives in my garage.

IMO, If you don’t “get” Rush, you are likely irrelevant. My guess would be that the only “musical instrument” you can play is a radio.
This list has helped me understand why I’ve never spent a dime on a RS rag. It’s like the National Inquirer of the music biz, eh? Hey, just more cash for Rush CD’s. Ah… I savor the guilt!

It’s official!!! My country is changing it’s name to Brazyyl!!!!

If you didn’t laught, put on a paper bag on your head (so you won’t be recognized)and go to a Rush concert once in your life… this summer!!!

ps. the Who rocks but Rush rocks too…

I’ve been taking some flak for buying tickets to see Toto next month, but I refuse to be ashamed of any band I like.

Also: Rush rules!

It’s not a point of Rush fans trying to convert everyone. It’s a point of RS naming the poll and then getting the very defintion of it wrong! Or rather the readers, which goes to prove my point….RS and it’s readers are totally out of touch with music, period.

I am sure there were more to add, but how could you put The Monkees before Three Dog Night. Just a thought!

Absolutely N O T H I N G beats listening to Meatloaf at full volume in your car. I double dare you to not sing along!

Why the hell isn’t Manilow on this list? BRITNEY FREAKIN’ SPEARS? Give me a break. She’s not worthy.

Oh, and thanks for the ABBA nod. Sweet.

Jeff Lynne was ELO, and admiring his genius is certainly nothing to feel guilty about. “He stole from the Beatles!” Who cares! What musician hasn’t stolen from some legend before them? You mimic what you love, add your own spin, and make it your own. He certainly did that, and did it amazingly well. And who else has worked with a list of legends that includes Orbison, Dylan, Cocker, Harrison, Petty, McCartney and the Beatles? Amazing. He is long overdue for the R&R Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame should feel guilty – not me.

While I do agree with most of the 25, may I suggest expanding that list to 26 and adding Rick Springfield? Trust me, He is the ULTIMATE guilty pleasure…go to one of his concerts and find out! The man is a master at engaging an audience..and at nearly 58 he is still rockin’ even after detractors declared him dead and buried in the 70s! He’s still an excellent guitarist and an amazing songwriter to boot…with probably one of the most dedicated and loyal fanbases that a star could ask for.

What’s there to feel guilty about? Thats the problem with kids today,so worried about looking cool. None of them can just sit back and enjoy pure awesomeness like Rush, ELO, Hall and Oates, and Boston without being “ironic”. Pull your head out of your ass and realize that the big sounds of people like Arcade Fire wouldn’t exist without Jeff Lynne. And how do you reconcile the fact that 90% of those bands are some of the biggest bands ever. I doubt most of the cool bands today could fill a stadium. So clearly they were doing something right.

Rush SUCKS!!! Their only song I like is a cover. They aren’t even a guilty pleasure cuz they suck so much.

Most of the bands on the list do suck and are guilty pleasures. The crew suck!!!

It was nice to see the list not only include hair metal bands.

Gotta agree with all the folks who say MEAT LOAF belongs on this list. I would go so far to say any artist who performs songs by Jim Steinman belongs here. Rocking out to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” as performed by Bonnie Tyler has to be one of the guiltiest pleasures EVAH!

Will finally get around to seeing Rush this year!!! Yeah, gotta include Kiss

Road-trip of guilty pleasure – A Summary:
Once, Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Ritchie and Britney Spears went on a Journey across America with a Motley Crew of Monkees. They loaded up in their R.E.O. Speedwagon, which was crimson or Simply Red, and hit the road. All they had were Bread Styx and a New Edition of the American Bed and Breakfast Associations (ABBA) guidebook. They had forgotten the Meatloaf.
They traveled from Boston to Chicago and on to Kansas. Then to Los Angeles where the Air Supply was so noxious it was like Poison. The smog was so thick and they were in such a Rush, they didn’t see the truck that was Hall’n Oates (cut me some slack!) suddenly pull out in front of them… then “Wham!” they smashed right into it. A Foreigner leapt from the truck and, while thrusting his middle finger into the air, shouted “Bon Jovi”, which, roughly translated means “Eddie Money lives in my garage” (thanks Deuce). Just then a minivan carrying the East Lothian Orienteers (ELO) pulled up and wrestled him to the ground.

I will create a new list and feel no guilt.
Been a metal girl since 1979, been a Maiden, Priest, and Blk Sab fan for 20 years but I LOVE, LOVE My Chemical Romance and P.O.D. Seen My Chem twice. Really the only two somewhat “new” rock bands I believe, truly, that I can rock out to.

klaus nomi anyone?

No one should feel guilty for
liking Rush.

i won’t argue with these. opinions differ. but poison should definitely be number one.

Aw come ON! The BEE GEES! How could tthey forget the undisputed kings of guilty pleasure?

Rush is a must listen. I am forever amazed at their talent. Coheed and Cambria is a prime example of today’s comtemporaries that are influenced by Rush.

I am surprised that Cheap Trick did not make the list. They are pure pop genius.

Jeff Lynne of ELO is amazing, too. His Beatles influence shines through and his work with the Traveling Wilburys was classic. He meshed with George Harrison flawlessly.

And yes, I also love classic punk bands like Husker Du and Bad Religion.

What does all of these have in common? Excellent musicianship!

Being a connoisseur of all things 90’s-00’s/Nickelodeon/Disney Channel, I was surprised that there wasn’t more teen pop on the list. For instance, there was the spunky ABBA tribute group, the A*Teens, who are much more of a guilty pleasure than ABBA themselves.

Oh well. At least Britney made it.

I went to High School with David Gate’s sister from “Bread”. A lot of young people have never even heard of them and you never even hear their old stuff on the radio!

Def Leppard. Guilty in all the ways imaginable. Also, I agree with the Bon Jovi listing. Britney Spears must have something with someone from RS. The Who should have been up there along with Van Halen and AC-DC.

One more, the Eagles!

i’d suggest the beatles, but then we’d have to change it to the “can’t figure out why they sold any records at all” list. but britney made it, so i guess they would be in the company of they’re peers. u2 and coldplay, too.

hmmmmmmm……guilty pleasure. Doesn’t that usually refer to foods that taste great but make you fat, you know, like chocolate? So Rush is like chocolate and Panic At The Disco and FOB are what? Spinach (good for you but puts a bad taste in your mouth)? Personally, comparing bands to food is a bad idea….nice job RS, you have managed to dis these artists while liking them at the same time. How do you do that??????
Im confused….

PS I like Rush, and I should feel guilty because…

I am more proud now than ever to be a RUSH fan that they are considered the guiltiest pleasure band! Not only have I loved their music since I was a kid but its great to know that they are considered so “uncool” by trendy posuers.

I have 20 of these bands in my collection………born in 61……16 in 1977…this is classic stuff…minus britney, new edition and air supply….

long live Rush…the best concerts of my youth….Rush with opening act Max WEbster and the Toronton exibition stadium….

Well, my concert line-up for the summer consists of The Police, Head East, Three Dog Night, Toto, RUSH, and The Steve Miller Band. From the looks of this list I should be absolutely SICK from guilt. But no, I will only be sick from puking up the vast amounts of alcohol after I ROCKED OUT and HAD FUN at all these classic shows. Fuck Rolling Stone! This has got to be a joke! RUSH THE NUMBER ONE GUILTY PLEASURE? There is no fun in rock anymore, just everyone trying to out-cool each other. Fuck that, give me some Tom Sawyer and Africa any day over these eyeliner smeared, anorexic, whiny fucks that are supposed to pass for music nowadays. I’ll take the beer-gutted, balding old dinasours of my parents’ youth and I will have a fabulous summer because of it!

Also, in another attempt to call bullshit on this list, I have heard many, many people who despise Rush grudgingly admit that they are still amazingly talented musicians. Even though I love most of the bands on this list, I can see why many of them are on there, but Rush honestly does not belong. And I’m not even a rabid fan. I just like rockng out in my car to them occasionally and I think they will put on a kick ass live show. This list is just lame.

elo are simply brilliant. jeff lynne is a complete genius check the fan club, face the music. jeff we need a new cd and tour, show them now how its done.

Chicago is among the top 10 most successful American Pop/Rock bands of all-time, so if they are a guilty pleasure then there must be an awful lot of guilty people in the world.

After scanning the list, I’d like to rename it: Bands people actually like but will never be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because Jann Wenner and the rest of the “committee” that “votes” doesn’t like them.

Anyone who feels guilty about liking rush needs to come out of the rush closet. Rush kicks ass, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. ps ill be seeing them in 2 months

The best part of the list is the grudging recognition that terms like “best” “good” and “classic” are more defined by the listeners than by the critics and pundits, no matter how often Rolling Stone tries to cover its characteristically trend-pandering editorial-self by spearheading the R&R Hall of Fame, etc. (I’m a long-term subscriber: I both have learned to live with the mag’s marketing to the shifting winds of popular “tastes” and to recognize and pay similar attention to the plethora of other valid editorial voices at other media.)

The worst part about the list is the word “Undisputed”. I dispute the list alot – as do a lot of other commenters, it seems. I take little or no pleasure, guilty or other wise, in 19 of the list’s 25. Of some of those, one has one exceptional song, two I literally like three of their songs. Foreigner, Chicago and Boston are the only three I sometimes feel something akin to guilt about because they are so overplayed / overexposured in relation to their talent. One, Rush, I generally like; The other three: E.L.O., The Monkees, Hall & Oates, I’m an unabashed fan of – I would not have been embarassed to be seen at a concert of theirs in support of albums I liked or loved of theirs.

But like Will said a little while ago, they seem destined to not be included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And the only reason I can fathom why is that the voters just don’t like them, or perhaps they are seen as not having had the same proportion of impact on Rock Music versus amount of albums of mediocre or worse quality. Then I think of Bob Seger’s career of about 10 noteworthy songs out of more than that many albums, and whatsisname’s only noteworthy song, When A Man Loves A Woman. And I can’t understand why any of the bands I’ve named aren’t worthy.

So there’s plenty to dispute.

For me, a *real* guilty pleasure is The Four Seasons or Melanie.

Guiltless, but not-included choices which popular and critical opinion too often overlook and far under-value include Joe Jackson, The Turtles/Flo & Eddie, Yes, Meatloaf, Johnny Rivers, Devo, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Leon Russell, Steeleye Span, Gladys Knight, Laura Nyro, Phil Ochs, Blood Sweat & Tears, Tito Puente, Holly Near, David Bromberg, Living Colour and The Moody Blues.

—
re: Will’s 4/17/2007, 10:11 am comment:

After scanning the list, I’d like to rename it: Bands people actually like but will never be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because Jann Wenner and the rest of the “committee” that “votes” doesn’t like them.

Rush Rules!!

kljhgjhkg

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush rules.

I must be soooo guilty Rush & ELO are the 2 bands I Have the most of in my CD collection. Add My Styx & Boston Plus not named Meatloaf & Pink Floyd & you havve 1/4 of my cd collection. AHH for the teenage years of the mid 70’s once again. There I go being guilty again !!!

listening to Kelly Clarkson or Britney isn’t a guilty pleasure it’s a damn shame!

How in the name of all that’s holy can you possibly compare Pete Wentz to Neal Peart!! Give me a break. This is someone who titles a song “I feel like I’m a lawyer, with the way I’m always trying to get you off” Yeah right, have a listen to “Animate” or “Red Barchetta” or “mystic Rythm” The man is a genius songwriter and their deliver is nothing short of Magic…

BLONDIE
B52′S
HALL AND OATES
ROXETTE
MONKESS

Wow, I guess thousands of bands that were influenced by Rush and actually picked up an instrument and learned how to play because of Rush should all be embarrased. If loving Rush is a guilty pleasure, then I guess I’m serving a life sentence.

Wow, I’m disappointed that RS took my last comment down. I guess they can’t handle any negative comments about their magazine? Let’s try this one more time.
I won’t harp on the merits of the actual magazine this time, so maybe they’ll let this comment stay up. All I’m trying to say here is that Rush is one of the most influential bands in rock history. Countless musicians, including myself, have been influenced by them in some way. They have stirred the creative juices of so many talented artists. Calling them a guilty pleasure is like calling the wheel a frivolous invention. Now go listen to Staind and continue to pretend that they are awesome.

Is reading RS while pinching a loaf considered a guilty pleasure?

RS IS GOOD FOR ONE THING WIPING YOUR ASS/DOES ANYONE STILL READ THIS RAG?

I can completely understand why Rush made the top of the list. It’s Rolling Stone magazine, after all!

A legendary Canadian band that has had more impact on music than RS ever had must be put in it’s place by those that “know”. When I was a child, they performed free shows at Ontario Place, etc. Sucks to be me, I guess…

Kudos to the long-time subscriber mentioning Devo. I doubt that word crossed RS’s pages more than three times before 1985, if that (Replace “Devo” with 99 percent of any punk band names of reknown of that era in this statement as well). It is a small wonder that an RS reader even knew they existed, and to the great misfortune of the remaining readers who never heard or saw them. They truly were great entertainers, and innovated as much on stage as off.

Rush is the worst band in the history of rock and roll (though Styx is a close second). Geddy Lee sounds like (as an early RS review said) “a aguinea pig with an amphetamine addiction.” Their song lyrics are the definition of pretension. Lee and Lifeson may be slightly better than average when compared to fellow rock musicians, but fall far short of average when compared to the jazz/rock musicians Rush ripped off(predominately the Mahavishnu Orchestra). Even Neal Peart, who is a cut above Lee and Lifeson, would be fortunate to be Billy Cobham’s roadie if he were part of the jazz world. Rush has never been innovative (see previous comments) and to my ears has influenced no one of any significance. Before the hate comments start coming from tunnel-visioned, pseudo-intellectual, non-musician metal heads, I should note I’ve been a guitarist for 25 years.

Bill Stella said:

Guiltless, but not-included choices which popular and critical opinion too often overlook and far under-value include , The Moody Blues.

Bill, I can’t agree more. The Moodies have had so many incredible songs- many of them hits, some not- in every decade from the 60’s and forward, that I can’t believe they’re not in the Hall of Fame. There is obviously an agenda with the people who run the thing…

BTW, I like some of the bands on the list and dislike others. But one thing I will *never* agree with is feeling guilty for loving a band. I used to get made fun of all the time for loving the Monkees… but to each their own! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and shouldn’t be belittled because of what music they listen to.

One last thing- someone here (can’t remember who now) mentioned Rick Springfield. Let me tell you- my band, the Wag, has opened for him twice. You wouldn’t believe the audience response he gets- he’s got very loyal fans, as well he should have. He’s a great musician & entertainer, and I’ll bet the people who wrote this list wish they were half as good as he is! To see a photo of us with Rick (as well as Bruce Springsteen, Peter Tork, John Cafferty & others) please go to our website at http://www.thewagband.com.
-Alicia
http://www.thewagband.com

If it sounds good to your ear, why do you need to feel guilty?

This list should actually be titled – “The Worst 25 Bands in the History of Rock and Roll”
And of course RUSH heading the list is apropos, they’re undisputedly the Worst Band Evvvvveeeeerrrrrr !!!!!!!
Their sound somehow attracts white trash american’s from all corners of the country, they’re Pied Pipers of bad taste.

You evil bastards. How could the authors of such standards as “The Analog Kid”, “Between the Wheels” – which, incidentally, namechecks some important modernist fiction — and the immortal “Time Stand Still”, be cast amid such a dismal lot?? Peart is an untouchable lyricist, as are his counterparts unimpeachable players. You’re the same people who consider the Sex Pistols to be influential. Check the lyrics to “Natural Science”, you cynical swine. (By the way, you forgot Marillion.)

As a “rock and Roll” magazine, to feel GUILTY about liking Rush, Kansas, E.L.O. – It’s like a straight guy feeling guilty about liking girls.

Any one who calls Rush pretentious (usually are themselves) needs to look up the definition of the word and see that it pertains more to mediocre artists who dabble in music and think they look cool while striking a pose (head cocked to the side) donning sunglasses with an obligitory cigarette dangling from their lips. Sorry RS if Rush doesn’t fit this outdated and preconceived idea of what YOU think is cool(pretentious). This is post millenium 2008 and Rush has not only set the bar but they define the modern progressive sound. Obviously, by the looks of their audience a whole new generation is discovering their UNDISPUTED talent. Oh yeah it’s very unlikely that any of them will die of a heroin overdose either. That’s soooooooo UNCOOL!!!! Are you listening great scott! RUSH ROCKS, DEAL WITH IT!!!

i find it odd that Cher is never mentioned anywhere on this thread. She epitomizes the term “guilty pleasure”. She’s someone of little musical substance but has a lot of fun songs to listen to.

The problem is RS is not realy a music magizine but more like teen beat. When I was young everything was Kiss this and Rush that but RS never cared about that becasue they were to busy writting about Bob dylans latest comback. I mean these guys were sucking up to Extreame and had GNR on their cover about 80 times to even notice bands like Rush. Who the hell is Fall out Boy and why are they even mentioned in the same sentance as Rush, truly a sad state of arrairs over there at RS.

… is that Rush fans read it and expect that irrelevant pompous American crap to be relevant and taken seriously. Granted, Peart can drum, but that’s where any quality ends: pompous compositions with squeaky-toy vocals and imbecile lyrics, delivered with a fool’s conviction that its art, something only Americans, dumbed down by STYX and Boston and such can buy into. Rush is a pile of crap no one with serious musical and cultural background can stand. Get over it.

3grvvv U cool ))

6kCYmr U cool ))

Isn’t guilt for Catholics?

*heh* I do so love reading these comments. It’s like someone stuck a big stick in the hornet’s nest of music snobs.

Enjoy what you enjoy.

As RS editors are very likely lazy and incompetent, I will do the honors of force feeding them some of the lyrics of Peart’s “Natural Science” – referenced by another commenter.
“Computerized clinics for superior cynics – who dance to a synthetic band. In their own image, their world is fashioned – no wonder they don’t understand….”

Sounds like Neil, Alex, and Geddy had the editors of Rolling Stone figured out way back when they wrote Natural Science in 1979. Maybe that’s where this “guilty pleasure” BS all started.

But then I suppose it’s only natural for purveyors of hyped up pop to belittle and deride true artists that overshadow them. Bands like Rush come along once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. While Yes and King Crimson have had flashes of brilliance, no one has come close to achieving the level of musical and lyrical expression that Rush has – NO ONE.

Rush kick ass like no other band I can think of when you factor in all the shows..all the well-played shows…and their tendency to not give a fuck about what FM radio wanted to hear..they did it their way and have done so for over 30 years, album after album..tour after tour…Rush is like a really rare and fine wine that anybody can afford because they cost the same as maddog 20/20 or inglenook but those without taste can’t find the bargain…

I can’t believe you people that are bashing Fall Out Boy. Have you even listened to their music? Honestly, listened? Probably not…If you did, you would have heard the lyrics and realized how amazing they are. They speak to many people in a way you not imagine. You may not like their style of music but it’s not a guilty pleasure. I proudly tell people I like them and I’m not going to feel guilty for liking them. You should learn to appreciate all music even if it’s not your style. By the way…if Pete Wentz is so talentless, why WOULD Fender design a guitar for him? He must have paid them to with all the money he makes from people not listening to their music. Just like I get paid for people not listening to my music…oh wait,they don’t pay you for that.

I never heard of anyone being ashamed of listening to Rush. Ever.

I think that honor should go to Elvis. And anything associated with him.

I love Rush and I never felt guilty about that, I felt and always will feel PROUD of that. I’m proud that I love Rush and I feel of someone who despise them as of someone extremely ignorant that knows nothing what the good music is all about…

I hate to say it, but as for today Michael Jackson appears to be one of the most ‘guilty’ pleasures… I mean his music is great and all, but you really CAN feel guilty while listening to him right now, after all this accusations (true or not), apperance change and all the weirdness he’s done during the past decade or so…

unfortunately for us wiggers , most rock bands are truly influenced by rushes INTEGRITY above all …YO

I doing a priject about Rush.
And i have a questio i cannot answer and i cant find it.
So can someone please aswer it?
the question is : Who and How has Rush ifluenced?

someone PLease help me

I doing a priject about Rush.
And i have a questio i cannot answer and i cant find it.
So can someone please aswer it?
the question is : Who and How has Rush ifluenced?

someone PLease help me

I doing a priject about Rush.
And i have a questio i cannot answer and i cant find it.
So can someone please aswer it?
the question is : Who and How has Rush ifluenced?

someone PLease help me

Just Remember Rolling Stone that Rush will always have more talent musically than The Ramones, The Clash, and The Sex Pistols combined.

Anyone that says Rush tries to hard IS LIKE THAT DB THAT TRIES TO HARD TO HATE ACT COOL. Rush encompasses three men who are MASTERS of their instruments and musical form. THEY DON’T HAVE TO TRY HARD AT ALL TO ROCK THE **** OUT. Which is a lot more than you can say about most bands. Try listening to the music, it’s as strong as life.