Limelight

Rush, 1981. Solo by Alex Lifeson.

A floaty, whammy-bent solo on Moving Pictures.

Alex Lifeson's solo floats over the song's odd-meter groove with long, bending phrases that swoop into and out of pitch, much of it coming from subtle work on the vibrato arm of his modified Stratocaster-style guitar. He wanted a soulful, elastic, unstable character, and the result sounds almost weightless. Lifeson called it his favourite solo to play and admitted he never quite recreated its elasticity on stage. It shows a different side of Rush, where feel beats complexity. Listen for how the notes seem to slide between pitches rather than landing firmly; that wavering gives the solo its dreamlike quality.

Limelight by Rush is ranked #83 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Alex Lifeson and the song was released in 1981. It appears on 6 lists, placing as high as #15 (TopGuitar.pl).

The story of Limelight

By 1980 Rush had become a major arena act, and Neil Peart, the band's drummer and lyricist, was finding the attention hard to live with. Geddy Lee later explained that the song reflected Peart's struggle with the sudden loss of privacy and the constant demands on his time. Rather than celebrating fame, Limelight is an honest, slightly uneasy look at what it feels like to be watched all the time.

Peart's lyric borrows from the famous opening of the speech in Shakespeare's As You Like It about the world being a stage, a phrase Rush had already used as the title of their 1976 live album, and it nods to The Camera Eye, the song that follows it on Moving Pictures. The title itself comes from the old theater lamps that heated lime to throw a bright, concentrated beam onto performers.

The music came together during the Moving Pictures writing sessions at Stony Lake in Ontario, with Lee and Alex Lifeson writing the music. Rush then road-tested the new material at a string of warm-up concerts in the US in September and October 1980, and Limelight and Tom Sawyer were both played live for the first time on those dates, giving the band a chance to tighten the arrangements before recording.

Rush recorded Moving Pictures at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, during October and November 1980 with their longtime producer Terry Brown. Limelight was issued as the album's lead single in February 1981, reaching No. 4 on Billboard's rock chart and No. 55 on the Hot 100. Record World praised its buzzsaw guitar and dynamic vocals, and Cashbox singled it out as a standout cut.

The solo

Alex Lifeson played the solo on his Hentor Sportscaster, a heavily modified Fender Stratocaster fitted with a Floyd Rose vibrato and a humbucking bridge pickup; Guitar World traces its Veneman-built form to a shark neck, a Floyd Rose and a Bill Lawrence L500 pickup. He said the guitar was the ideal choice to give the solo its soulful, elastic, unstable character. The break floats over the song's odd-meter groove with long, bending phrases that swoop into and out of pitch, much of the effect coming from subtle work on the vibrato arm, with reviewers describing it as dripping with whammy. Lifeson cited Allan Holdsworth as an influence, called it his favorite solo to play, and admitted he had never quite been able to recreate its magical elasticity on stage. Guitar World ranked it No. 26 among the greatest guitar solos.

Legacy

Limelight became one of Rush's most beloved songs and a concert fixture for most of their career. It was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010 and ranked No. 435 on Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs. Its appearance in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man brought new fans, and it has featured in Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. Guitar World's No. 26 ranking made its solo a benchmark for expressive, whammy-bar-driven playing.

Top 10 facts about Limelight

Geddy Lee said the song dealt with Peart's struggle with the sudden loss of privacy that came with Rush's success.
Wikipedia
The lyric echoes Shakespeare's As You Like It, the source of the title of Rush's 1976 live album All the World's a Stage.
Wikipedia
The word limelight refers to early stage lighting in which heated lime produced a bright, focused beam.
Songfacts
Limelight and Tom Sawyer were first played live at warm-up shows in September and October 1980, before the album sessions.
Wikipedia
Lifeson played the solo on the Hentor Sportscaster, a modified Stratocaster with a Floyd Rose vibrato.
Wikipedia
Lifeson said the Hentor suited the soulful, elastic and unstable character he wanted for the solo.
Guitar World
The red Sportscaster from Lifeson's 1981 Guitar World cover was later given away to a left-handed tennis pro.
Guitar World
Lifeson has said he has never been able to recreate the solo's elastic, magical quality live.
Songfacts
Guitar World ranked the solo No. 26 among the greatest guitar solos, and the song entered the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.
Wikipedia
Geddy Lee noted that after I Love You, Man, fans began climbing on each other's shoulders during the song at concerts.
Songfacts

Live versions

Exit...Stage Left (concert video) (1982) Filmed on the Moving Pictures tour and issued on VHS and Laserdisc; later reissued in Rush Replay X 3.
Different Stages (Tinley Park, Illinois) (1998) Recorded June 14, 1997 at the World Music Theatre during the Test for Echo tour.
Rush in Rio (Maracanã Stadium) (2003) Recorded November 23, 2002 before a huge Brazilian crowd on the Vapor Trails tour.
Snakes & Arrows Live (Rotterdam Ahoy) (2008) Recorded October 2007; the song opens both the CD and DVD versions.

Notable covers

Partner (2019) Canadian band's exuberant version commissioned by the Polaris Music Prize and SiriusXM Canada.
Kip Winger (2022) Recorded for the compilation An All-Star Tribute to Rush.
Billy Talent (2025) Recorded for Prime Monday Night Hockey broadcasts.

In our lists

Sources

Who played the guitar solo on Limelight?

Alex Lifeson played the solo on Rush's Limelight (1981).

What guitar was used on the Limelight solo?

A hentor sportscaster (modified stratocaster), according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Limelight rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#83 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 6 of them.

What is Limelight by Rush about?

Neil Peart wrote it about his discomfort with fame, the loss of privacy and the pressure of constant public attention.

Who wrote Limelight?

Neil Peart wrote the lyrics, and Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson wrote the music.

What guitar did Alex Lifeson use on the Limelight solo?

He used his Hentor Sportscaster, a modified Stratocaster with a Floyd Rose vibrato and a humbucking bridge pickup.

What album is Limelight on?

It is on Rush's 1981 album Moving Pictures, recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec.

What movie features Limelight by Rush?

It appears in several films, most famously the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man, as well as Fanboys and That's My Boy.