The Canadian progressive rock band, Rush, have been playing together with the same lineup for more than 30 years. The power trio has just released a new “comeback” album (Snakes and Arrows) and has embarked upon a world tour that will take them from Brazil, throughout the continental US, to Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia.

Best known for their late 70s/early 80s classic rock standards like Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Free Will, and Bastille Day, Rush have never been exactly “cool” or trendy, but have always stuck to their guns and played exactly the kind of music they love. After all these years, this rock “purist” attitude has paid off, and the band now has a huge worldwide “cult” following.

But Rush are not just relying on their old hits to keep fans happy. The band has continued to progress and expand their sound, and their new album showcases some of the group’s best writing in their 30-plus year career in music. And so far the response from diehard Rush fans has been astounding. Their North American tour earlier this year is the sixth highest grossing concert tour of the year, and their new album has already been certified Gold.

But with such a long and distinguished career, it’s amazing how little is actually known about Rush. For example, the group is ranked fifth in the entire world for most consecutive gold and platinum albums sold, coming in very closely behind Mega-groups such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. And yet, Rush remains somehow a “cult” band, receiving very little media attention.

To give you an idea of just how big Rush is worldwide, their recent “Rush in Rio” concert DVD was filmed during a serious of Rush shows in Brazil where they played to more than 100,000 attendees per concert! Rush songs had been used on several popular Brazilian television shows, and the band’s following is nothing short of fanatical. And the same story can be told over and over again for many different countries. The band has a huge following in the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and of course at home in their native Canada.

But a new documentary aims to rectify rushes “media deficit syndrome.” Canadian filmmaker Scott McFadden is currently producing “Rush: The Documentary,” a $1.5 million feature documentary film about the legendary band that will be produced by McFadden and Sam Dunn.

Having sold more than 40 million records worldwide, it seems strange when average people know so little about them. Perhaps the new Rush documentary will shed some light on the “biggest little band in the world:” Rush.

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