Rush Goes Liberal?

I've written before over at Fraters about the fact that the entertainment industry loves to give awards to liberals.

I am also a fan of the Canadian rock and roll power trio Rush.  Rush has been around for four decades and has over a dozen studio albums.  While they have not had chart topping hits, they have been successful enough to have dozens of songs receiving regular airplay on album oriented rock (now known as "classic rock") stations.

Rush has achieved a level of success similar to bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, or AC/DC, whether you define success by record sales, tour sales, longevity or radio airplay.  However, the other examples the I mentioned are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor that has alluded Rush.  One has to ask why?

Like many bands of the progressive genre, Rush sang songs about mythology and heroes and monsters in concept albums that revolved around a theme.  One topic unique to Rush was the literature of Ayn Rand and libertarian thought.  Their album 2112 contains many references to Rand's novel "Anthem."  Perhaps the Hall of Fame has held this against them?

This year, Rush was named to the list of inductees to the hall.  I wonder what they did to earn that honor?  Perhaps they reworked their classic song "The Spirit of Radio"?  I'd imagine it would be easy to make it into "Spirit of Right Wing Talk Radio"!

Begin the day with an angry voice
A companion so abusive
Same old song that's not inclusive
And the right wing news that makes your morning blue

All of the day, how they love to goad
Beck and Limbaugh  point their fingers
Hannity and bitter clingers
Unwilling to listen in their group think solitude

[Chorus:]
Racist dog whistles crackle with life
Attack machines bristle with the energy
Dumb caller feedback across the wavelength
Oh, what a shame that their speech is still free

All this machinery serving corporate interests
Is always so cold hearted
Your outrage is charted
With no regard at all for their honesty, yeah
Their honesty
One would like to believe in the doctrine of fairness
But corporate prizes that disdain compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrity

[Chorus]

Talking points of Koch brothers were written on the studio wall
Repeat them all!
And echoes with the sounds of Goldline salesmen