Rush

Neil Ellwood Peart was born in 1952 in Ontario, Canada. In 1974, he joined Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, keyboards) and guitarist Alex Lifeson (guitar) to form the current line-up of Rush. Musically, the band has always been defined by Lee's high, soaring voice and the complicated interplay of instruments. Early Rush albums were influenced by British blues/rockers like Led Zeppelin and The Who, while later albums became more "progressive," with longer, more ambitious songs, heavy use of synthesizers, and a greater variety of instruments ... Rush was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 ...

In 1937, Rand penned the novella Anthem, which depicts a dystopian collectivist future where even the word "I" has been forgotten. The book was published the following year in England, not appearing in the United States until 1945. The Canadian rock band Rush would later adapt the story for their album 2112.

Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have been the lifeblood of the band ever since. Their first album with Peart at the drums, "Fly by Night," ... marked a definite departure from the band's previous incarnation as a 1960s-issue heavy metal clone band. Considered "art rock" at the time, the group's new sound featured a more structured, complex musical style ... The lyrics became more thoughtful as well, addressing themes of politics ("Bastille Day") and philosophy ("Anthem"), and reflecting such literary influences as J.R.R. Tolkien ("Rivendell") and Samuel Taylor Coleridge ("Xanadu").

• Song: Something for Nothing
• Artist: Rush
...

The song that best exemplifies liberty is "Something for Nothing," written by Neil Peart (who is a Libertarian). The lyrics begin by pointing out how most of us are waiting for someone or something to come along and change our lives ...

• Song: The Trees
• Artist: Rush
...

There are any number of songs by Rush that express libertarian ideas; I am tempted to choose 2112 instead, especially since it is an interpretation of a book [Anthem] by my favorite libertarian author, Ayn Rand. But 2112 really doesn't qualify as a single song.