Rush (Big Audio Dynamite II song)

"Rush"
Single by Big Audio Dynamite II
from the album The Globe
Released	June 1991
Length	4:17 (album version) 3:11 (7-inch version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Mick Jones
Producers	Mick Jones Andre Shapps
Big Audio Dynamite II singles chronology
"Free" (1990) "Rush" (1991) "The Globe" (1991)
Music video
"Rush" on YouTube

"Rush" is a song by the English band Big Audio Dynamite II from their fifth album, The Globe (1991). A longer version of "Rush", entitled "Change of Atmosphere", had previously appeared on the group's 1990 album Kool-Aid .

The song samples several musical recordings, including the keyboard component of the Who's song "Baba O'Riley", the organ from the introduction to the Deep Purple song "Child in Time", a drum break from Tommy Roe's "Sweet Pea", drums and guitars from a break in Pigmeat Markham's "Here Comes the Judge", a line from the Sugarhill Gang's song "Rapper's Delight" where Big Bank Hank raps "a time to cry, a time to laugh", and a vocal sample from "You Keep Me Swingin'", from Peter Sellers' Songs for Swingin' Sellers . The shorter 7-inch version omits all the samples except for the "Baba O'Riley" keyboard and the "Sweet Pea" drums.

"Rush" was a number-one hit on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks in 1991, becoming the chart's most successful hit of 1991, and it also topped the Australian and New Zealand singles charts. In the United Kingdom, "Rush" was originally released as the B-side to the 1991 re-release of the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go". The A-side was popular due to its inclusion in a Levi Strauss & Co. advert, causing it to climb to number one on the UK Singles Chart. The sleeve art for the 7-inch and CD singles displayed the Clash on the front, and BAD II on the rear. The record label displays "Should I Stay or Should I Go" as side "A" and "Rush" as side "AA", making it effectively a double A-side release.

Track listings

UK 7-inch and cassette single [1] [2] "Rush" (7-inch original version) – 3:11 "Rush" (New York remix) – 3:55 UK 12-inch single [3] "Rush" (New York club mix) – 5:50 "Rush" (New York instrumental mix) – 5:51 "Rush" (New York 12-inch mix) – 7:57 "Rush" (7-inch original version) – 3:11 UK CD single [4] "Rush" (7-inch original version) – 3:11 "Rush" (New York club mix) – 5:50 "Rush" (New York 12-inch mix) – 7:57 "City Lights" (full length) – 7:47 US cassette single [5] "Rush" (edit) "Kool-Aid"

US 12-inch single [6] A1. "Rushdance" – 8:04 A2. "Rush" (club instrumental) – 9:08 B1. "Rush" (album version) – 4:17 B2. "City Lights" – 7:18 US CD single [7] "Rush" (album version) – 4:17 "Rushdance" – 8:04 "City Lights" – 7:18 "Rush" (live) – 5:45 Australian 12-inch, CD, and cassette single [8] [9] [10] "Rush" "E=MC2" "Medicine Show"

Personnel

• Mick Jones – vocals, guitar
• Nick Hawkins – guitar
• Gary Stonadge – bass
• Chris Kavanagh – drums
• Andre Shapps – keyboards, sampling

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Rush" Chart (1991–92) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [11] 1 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [12] 73 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [13] 1 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [14] 50 US Billboard Hot 100 [15] 32 US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [16] 1 US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [17] 36 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [18] 40

Year-end charts 1991 year-end chart performance for "Rush" Chart (1991) Position Australia (ARIA) [19] 16 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) [20] 1 1992 year-end chart performance for "Rush" Chart (1992) Position New Zealand (RIANZ) [21] 16

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Rush"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [19]	Gold	35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [22]	Gold	5,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
• List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1990s
• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (New Zealand)

References

1. Rush (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Columbia Records. 1991. 657640 7.
2. Rush (UK cassette single sleeve). Columbia Records. 1991. 656978 4.
3. Rush (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Columbia Records. 1991. 657640 6.
4. Rush (UK CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1991. 657640 2.
5. Rush (US cassette single sleeve). Columbia Records. 1991. 38T 73987.
6. Rush (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Columbia Records. 1991. 44 74134.
7. Rush (US CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1991. 44K 73844.
8. Rush (Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Columbia Records. 1991. 656978 6.
9. Rush (Australian CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1991. 656978 2.
10. Rush (Australian cassette single sleeve). Columbia Records. 1991. 656978-4.
11. "Big Audio Dynamite II – Rush". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1666." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
13. "Big Audio Dynamite II – Rush". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
14. "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 18 January 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
15. "Big Audio Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
16. "Big Audio Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
17. "Big Audio Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
18. "Big Audio Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
19. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1991". ARIA . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
20. "The Year in Music 1991: Top Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. 21 December 1991. p. YE-41. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
21. "End of Year Charts 1992". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
22. "New Zealand single certifications – Big Audio Dynamite – Rush". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.