The_Spirit_of_Radio:_Greatest_Hits_1974–1987
The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987
2003 greatest hits album by Rush
The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987 is a compilation album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 11, 2003. It includes many of the band's most popular songs from their Mercury Records era, but does not feature any material from their third album Caress of Steel. A special edition of the album included a DVD containing music videos for several songs, including "Mystic Rhythms" (which does not appear on the album itself).
| The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | February 11, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 1973–1987 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 79:47 | |||
| Label | Anthem | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Rush chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [2] |
| Q | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
| Uncut | [5] |
"This 16-track Best Of skips over the early years…" noted Paul Elliott in Q. "The '80s brought shorter songs, better tunes and even a Top 20 UK hit with 'The Spirit of Radio', one of the great rock singles and perhaps the only song ever to feature a Simon & Garfunkel reference, a reggae breakdown and the word 'unobtrusive'."[6] Following Neil Peart's death in January 2020, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 45.[7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Working Man" | Lee, Lifeson | Rush (1974) | 7:11 |
| 2. | "Fly by Night" | Fly by Night (1975) | 3:22 | |
| 3. | "2112 Overture / The Temples of Syrinx" | 2112 (1976) | 6:45 | |
| 4. | "Closer to the Heart" | Lee, Lifeson, Peart, Peter Talbot | A Farewell to Kings (1977) | 2:53 |
| 5. | "The Trees" | Hemispheres (1978) | 4:42 | |
| 6. | "The Spirit of Radio" | Permanent Waves (1980) | 4:57 | |
| 7. | "Freewill" | Permanent Waves | 5:23 | |
| 8. | "Limelight" | Moving Pictures (1981) | 4:20 | |
| 9. | "Tom Sawyer" | Lee, Lifeson, Peart, Pye Dubois | Moving Pictures | 4:33 |
| 10. | "Red Barchetta" | Moving Pictures | 6:10 | |
| 11. | "New World Man" | Signals (1982) | 3:43 | |
| 12. | "Subdivisions" | Signals | 5:34 | |
| 13. | "Distant Early Warning" | Grace Under Pressure (1984) | 4:58 | |
| 14. | "The Big Money" | Power Windows (1985) | 5:35 | |
| 15. | "Force Ten" | Lee, Lifeson, Peart, Dubois | Hold Your Fire (1987) | 4:32 |
| 16. | "Time Stand Still" (featuring Aimee Mann) | Hold Your Fire | 5:09 | |
| Total length: | 79:57 | |||
All tracks are written by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Closer to the Heart" | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Tom Sawyer" | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Subdivisions" | 5:33 |
| 4. | "The Big Money" | 4:57 |
| 5. | "Mystic Rhythms" | 5:20 |
Rush
- Geddy Lee – bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals
- Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizers, vocals
- Neil Peart – drums, percussion, lyricist
* John Rutsey – drums and percussion on "Working Man"
Additional personnel
- Terry Brown – production (tracks 1–12)
- Peter Collins – production (tracks 14–16)
- Peter Henderson – production (track 13)
- Aimee Mann – additional vocals on "Time Stand Still" and "Force Ten"
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[8] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 45 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
- Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
- "Rush - The Spirit Of Radio". Uncut: 113. May 2003. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- "Rush Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "Rush Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "British album certifications – Rush – The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 17, 2022.