Ayn Rand and Rock Music - A Love Story

Ayn Rand’s novels 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged' helped shape a generation, but it was a lesser-known work, Anthem, that shaped one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time: 2112 by Rush.

We also talked to Matt Kibbe, President of Free the People and lifelong Rand reader and Rush fan about the impact of both writer and band on his life and on each other. He tells the story of a band that dared to be different — in their musical style, in the concept of their albums, and even in the length of their songs.

Comment below with a time when you thought differently from everyone else. Were you lauded for it? Were you ostracized for it? How did that reaction make you feel? If Ayn Rand or Neil Peart were here, this much is for sure: they’d stand for your right to go against the grain.

#AynRand #Rush #thinkdifferent

LEARN LIBERTY:

[markellison]

"Keep on looking forward, no use in looking 'round
Hold your head above the crowd and they won't bring you down." - From the song Anthem, Rush

[CLanzetta-]

RUSH GALAXY FOREVER BABY…..❤❤❤❤! NEIL “THE PROFESSOR” PEART….You are gone, but never ever will be forgotten. I thank you for your wisdom, your music, words and love for your fellow man. I thank you….❤❤❤!

[nutt]

This is the BEST INTRO to any Learn Liberty video I’ve ever

[BlackCatLover]

I am an Ayn Rand fan having read all of her books, both fiction and Objectivism philosophical treatises. Ms. Rand’s philosophy depicted in her novels focused on capitalism and how the individual should not give his intellect and the fruits of his work over to a collective organization of people who cannot do what he can do, without the recognition of his own value and compensation for his work. Capitalism is the best economic system over collectivism to foster competition and excellence for the good of society.

In her philosophical book “The Virtue of Selfishness” Ms. Rand comments on the values that an individual holds that will ensure his survival and to appreciate what life offers to his existence. In “Objectivist Epistemology” Ms. Rand teaches that an individual must examine everything objectively and determine what is true based on the facts that he has experienced himself, not to accept what someone else tells him to believe.

RUSH has been my favorite band since 1973. Their music is exceptional and the lyrics reflect the ideals that are found in Ms. Rand’s works.

I am absolutely disgusted by the blatant use of their intellectual gifts by libertarians for propaganda purposes to justify vaccine disinformation and misleading people to not rationally think objectively for themselves. This is the essence of collectivism an the negation of the value of the individual - the psychological war that has been waged against man for thousands of years by the rich and powerful to maintain their authoritarian control.

You may be able to fool some of the people by presenting your immoral positions in a tribute to Ms. Rand and RUSH but there are other people who have studied Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism and will call you out on your deception and fraud!

[teddykgb]

Andy Greene: You were interested in the writings of Ayn Rand decades ago. Do her words still speak to you?

Neal Peart: Oh, no. That was 40 years ago.

- Rolling Stone, 6/12/2012

[josephbifulco]

Mr. Peart read so much, and was inspired by his reading. Rush fans were the beneficiaries of that fact.
Rush’s music grew exponentially over their careers, as did their ideas. I’ll be a fan forever.
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album was awash in “The Hobbit”….their later albums awash in God knows what.

[robtaylorrolls]

2112 introduced me to Ayn Rand, they are my heroes and Rands philosophy is my life

[coryb]

2012: workplace incident led to sensitivity training for admin. The prompter had us say aloud the words we found offensive, as the youngest in admin I was last and said there weren’t any words. When pressed I said, a word is just a word, it only has the power you give it. We can’t control what others say, only how we choose to receive and respond to it. Needless to say, the promoter didn’t much agree with my view, though she was in the market to sell an idea which a more eloquent take on my view would have rendered unnecessary.

[ameswallace]

Read fountainhead my senior year of hs and became a rush fan the next year…. I saw where Neil spoke highly of rand and it all made sense

[freesk]

I'm a Libertarian, and a huge Ayn Rand fan. I love the music of Rush, too! :)

[ernestbuckley]

Unfortunately many here have been misled. Yes, Ayn Rands book "Anthem" definitely influenced the writing of Neil Peart, specifically the first side of 2112 but her philosophy was her own. NP went on to write several books about his own life and where he stood politically. I suggest anyone interested in the music & philosophy of Rush, read those books! As Peart matured, he saw the bigger picture and SPOILER ALERT:





He outgrew Ayn Rand.

[earthwax]

Aren’t a lot of libertarian bands anymore. Rush so happens to be my favorite band ever. I’m also a drummer so naturally peart is my favorite.

[amc]

Fucking amazing band, thank you so much for the video

[logiman]

"He held up his riches to challenge the hungry... purposeful motion for one so insane."

[kirkkelley]

“There is a level of cowardice lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist. ”

― Ayn Rand

[johnnynephrite]

Don't get too carried away. The Rush fascination with Ayn Rand didn't make it out of high school. It was short but sweet just like a summer crush.

[rickdiaz]

Who would've thought a drummer from a rock band was a true visionary. Everything he wrote about conformity and groupthink has materialized. We now see the picture Neil warned us about over 30 years ago. The cancelists have tried to paint the band Rush with the stain of " antisocial " thoughts and crimes against their groupthink. Just as Neil predicted in the song...

[JackT]

I don’t respect Ayn Rand’s philosophy whatsoever but that doesn’t detract from my adoration of Rush. If music sounds good, it sounds good- regardless of the underlying motives of a song

[MsKalachakra]

This is hilarious, whenever Neil Peart was asked about Rand, he claims that was what he was reading at the time as an impressionable young person, he eventualy grew out of it. He felt embarrassed about it as a grown man. All three Rush member are known to be liberals (were in the case of Peart). Of course libertarians love to claim Rush as "their band" since there isn't any major band with "libertarian ideas".

[CaryHawkins]

Like many modern-day libertarians, Ron Paul showed me how terrible the Republican Party is when he ran for President. I've been an anarchist ever since.