Power Windows Songs Ranked
Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on October 29, 1985 by Anthem Records. After touring in support of their previous album, Grace Under Pressure (1984), the band took a break and reconvened in early 1985 to begin work on a follow-up. The material continued to display the band’s exploration of synthesizer-oriented music, this time with the addition of sampling, electronic drums, a string section, and choir, with power being a running lyrical theme. Power Windows was recorded in Montserrat and England with Peter Collins as co-producer and Andy Richards on additional keyboards. The album reached No. 2 in Canada, No. 9 in the United Kingdom, and No. 10 in the United States. In January 1986, the album reached platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million copies sold in the United States. Rush released two singles from the album, “The Big Money” and “Mystic Rhythms”. The band supported the album with their 1985–1986 tour. Here are all of Power Windows songs ranked.
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8. Grand Designs
“A soaring track which revolves around the power of talk and how the public uses it to display “style over substance”. But when something “real” pops up, very few people discover it because of distracting talk. This track is a hidden gem in itself.”
7. Territories
“A driving, yet melodic mid-paced song about the power of inhabiting land and the different viewpoints of a country conquering another one. Contains mostly synths, but Alex’s guitar shines every once in a while. Not bad at all.”
See more: Rush Albums Ranked
6. Middletown Dreams
“Definitely the most progressive track on here. Though the weakest song on the whole album, it still manages to be a masterpiece compared to other music that came out at the time. It’s about the power of dreams and their ability to take a person away from normal everyday life. Fairly uneventful, but areas of it do stand out, such as the section after the second chorus”
5. Emotion Detector
“This song picks the pace of the album back up, starting off with a synthy intro and choruses, followed by a phenomenal guitar solo later on. This song talks about the power of emotions and that the only way for other people to see who you really are is by taking a chance and opening yourself up to them.”
4. Marathon
“Another amazing epic and perhaps PW’s strongest track. It’s about the power of persistence and how a lot can be achieved in a lifetime if you don’t burn out too quickly. Like the last song, Marathon could easily pass as a long epic, if not for its brevity. Excellent use of fast drum-pacing and background choirs.”
3. The Big Money
“This concert favorite kicks off with a blast of guitar and synths and steadily evolves into a fine rock number. This song talks about the power of money and how it can be used for good, and then turn completely around to be used for bad.”
See more: Rush Songs Ranked
2. Manhattan Project
“If not for the shorter length, this track could pass for an epic. This song is about the power of weapons (talking specifically about the atom bomb) and how they can affect everyone in the world. It alternates between slower synth backdrop beat verses, and a faster guitar-driven chorus.”
1. Mystic Rhythms
” PW’s final track is by far the least complicated and the synthiest, yet it also manages to be both truly captivating and otherworldly all-in-one. It talks about the power of the unknown, and how there is a huge world out there which we know nothing about. Simply POWERFUL.”