Are RUSH actually Prog?

I grew up listening to Rush on my radio stations in the US in the late 70s and early 80s. These radio stations called themselves "AOR" (album oriented rock), and then in the 80s, "classic rock." The music these radio stations played side-by-side with Rush were tunes by Pink Floyd, Yes, Supertramp, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Led Zeppelin, Styx, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, early Sabbath, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan.

Rush's genre was 'album-oriented rock.' That was the industry term; that's how they were marketed, to radio stations that played music by 'album-oriented rock bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, and Led Zeppelin. Rush's big breakthrough was when the Cleveland radio station WMMS played "Working Man" on their station, and championed the band on air. WMMS also played David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, helping them attain wider attention in the US. WMMS played Rush tunes side-by-side to tunes by King Crimson, Soft Machine, MC5, the Velvet Underground, and glam band the New York Dolls (whom Rush performed with). From Wikipedia: "WMMS during this period would play a key role in breaking several major acts in the U.S., including: Rush, Roxy Music, Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Fleetwood Mac, Meat Loaf, The Pretenders, the New York Dolls, Lou Reed, Mott the Hoople, Boston, and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Of special note was the early support of Bruce Springsteen by Kid Leo and others, prior to the release of the Born to Run album. For the station's tenth anniversary in 1978, WMMS hosted and broadcast a live Springsteen concert at the Agora Ballroom independent of his concert tour."

Here's an interview with singer/bassist Geddy Lee in 1979 during their Hemispheres tour, a year before Permanent Waves came out. The interviewer asks Geddy who he listens to, who he's influenced by. Geddy Lee answers, "Right now, I'm really in love with Bill Bruford; he used to be with Yes and Genesis." (Bruford was the drummer of Yes, then joined King Crimson, then joined Genesis briefly on tour; then released a fusion album with guitarist Alan Holdsworth (who played in Gong and Soft Machine), which was Geddy's favorite music at this time. [It's at the 8 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDZUqwlu-7Q]

I remember Rush was on the cover of Circus Magazine a few times in the late 70s and 80s. Other Circus covers included Hall & Oates, Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Jimi Page, Yoko & John Lennon, Queen, Carly Simon, David Bowie, Kiss, etc.

Rush a "hard rock band"? No. They were certainly marketed to people who enjoyed 'hard rock." But they were mainly marketed to people who listened to AOR rock (much of it what we call prog today). And Rush themselves were influenced by fellow prog acts, particularly Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson.

Good I am glad we agree!  It's the papers back that that confused things often.  If something did not fit into a pop chart they listed it as progressive.  But it probably did good for sales either way.  I actually bought Commander Cody because it was listed to find out after I listened to it that it was Southern Rock a band from Texas i believe.  Not really progressive at all but I still kinda liked the album back then for getting a taste of what people in Texas liked to hear.  I guess from someone in the UK that might have been seen progressive by the paper that listed the chart as it was unlikely that something similar was sold at that time.

None of that is what I said! 😄

I am not trying to put anything into boxes at all. All I said was that what the progressive box meant then is not what the progressive box means now, because latter generations are making the pretty little pink bows. If anything, everything you’ve said matches what I believe and think.

So, you’re not actually disagreeing with anything I’ve said. 🤷🏻‍♂️

(Although, I guess it could be another Nick you are replying to?)

...Then it shouldn't surprise you that some (certainly not me) indeed don't consider any of what you listed as prog, lol.