Headlong Flight

"Headlong Flight" is the lead single from Rush's 19th studio album, Clockwork Angels, and the third song released from the album after "Caravan" and "BU2B" were released in June 2010. "Headlong Flight" debuted at #1 on April 22, 2012, the band's second song to debut at #1 following "Caravan" and their fourth consecutive #1 hit.

When the atmosphere of Jessica's Top 40 changed in early 2008 and classic hard rock and heavy metal bands began charting alongside top 40 and alternative hits, Rush emerged as one of the greatest successes of the era, with three long-lasting chart-toppers under their belt. So when the band finally began promotion for their 2012 album Clockwork Angels after their extensive Time Machine Tour, I was extremely excited for what they would do next.

Clockwork Angels was described as a concept album about a young man's quest to follow his dreams as he travels through a world of steampunk including lost cities, exotic carnivals and pirates. The album was also adapted into a novel by science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson, a friend of the band's lead songwriter Neil Peart.

"Headlong Flight" was released as the lead single to promote the album, debuting on Rolling Stone's website on April 18, 2012. When it was confirmed to be released as a single in late March, several DJs had reported hearing the song and described it as a return to Rush's heavier rock sound from their 1970s albums, receiving comparisons to their 1970s songs "By-Tor And The Snow Dog" and "Bastille Day".

Lead singer Geddy Lee told Rolling Stone that "Headlong Flight" came about as a result of a jam session with guitarist Alex Lifeson: "'Headlong Flight' was one of those songs that was a joy to write and record from beginning to end. Alex and I had blast jamming in my home studio one day before the second leg of the Time Machine tour, and I did not revisit that jam until a year later. Alex and I assembled the song to be an instrumental and its original title was 'Take That Lampshade Off Yo Head!," but once we saw the lyrics Neil had written, I knew that the spirit of the lyrics matched the instrumental perfectly and it was just a matter of making them fit and writing the melodies."

Due to heavy anticipation, "Headlong Flight" arrived on Jessica's Top 40 at #1, becoming the band's second to debut straight on top. It also became their fourth consecutive #1 as well as the third from Clockwork Angels, and one of the biggest hits of all time in chart history. The song has once again proven why Rush is one of my top core artists.