Black Sabbath VS Rush

Can't compare? Can't?! Of course I can.

Iommi invented metal as it is variously known today, Lifeson took his Clapton and Page influences and created his own guitar masterworks. Lifeson adopted other influences (Andy Summers and perhaps Fripp) and extended his palette.

Geezer's jazz style versus Geddy's Squire influence.

Bill Ward is not quite the percussion nerd virtuoso that Rush's drummer, wossisname ... is but was damn fine at putting incredible drum detail in the Sabbath structures. Peart just went so much more. Oddly in many ways toward later concerts he was probably closer to Ward in approach. That may have been due to his arthritis and he could no longer do the Bruford thing...

It is not easy to maintain a band never mind one with so many changes in line up. It's a tribute to his writing and band leadership that Sabbath put out many fine albums over many years. It's particularly dispiriting to have conservative fandom insisting a band is this and not that. Not exactly progressive here.

Singers. The usual point of contention among we pop fans. Ozzy, the most suitable sound but ... have you ever heard his just rehearsing with the guitar... Sabbath created the structures for Ozzy's wail. After that they had great singers turn up but because Ozzy's first he has to be the best.  (Sigh).

Geddy once had his vocal described as endearingly weak. But he made his odd voice fit the complex structures of Rush much in the same way Ozzy did. He managed to change in time (Imagine Moving Pictures with his prog scream) and become more versatile and effective. He doesn't have much of a voice (like Ozzy) but he does so much to make up for it (again like Ozzy).

So very comparable. No problemo.

Naturally voted both.

Sabbath barely passes Rush in this instance for me...

Black Sabbath for me. Because I grew up with their music, and I believe that they were a very important band once. (But only with Ozyy & Dio on vocals).

(facepalm)

Definitely not comparable. I wish I could give an answer but the two are different in too large of ways.

That's an understatement. When Ozzy got kicked out it was a dark day. I think that Never Say Die made it into the top 10. Saw Ozzy on his first tour and all he played was Sabbath songs. Only Rush song that I like is La Villa. Saw Rush 3 times. 

Two bands that never blew me away......I like the first two Sabbath over the first two Rush but the later Rush are better than the later Sabbath imho.

^ Gotta agree--  love them canucks but the Sabs were something special.