Would Tim Drake Listen to Rush?
Date: 2025-02-20 | Topic: DC Comics | Character: Tim Drake
All of this is going to be based on the 1990s & 2000s because I might die if I have to research more than two decades. I am not arguing that modern day tim drake would listen to Rush because I do not know enough about him to do that.
Part 1: Popularity of Rush
Since Tim was generally supposed to be relatable to the average teenage boy reading Robin (1993), and this is reflected in his hobbies and interests, we can guess that even if it isn't explicitly stated on page, it is likely that he would be interested in popular music at the time.
If we assume that comics are always supposed to be vaguely contemporary (so if Tim is 15 in an issue that came out in 1996, then he was born around 1981, and if he's turning 16 in a comic that came out in 2003 then he was born around 1987) (I am making this assertion based on the fact that the comics often make references to popular music, games, shows, etc. and other events with real-world years associated with them, as well as how technology, culture, and politics in comics typically reflect that of the real world at the time of the comics writing), then he would have been vaguely both a child of the 80s and 90s depending on the comic.
This means that he missed what a lot of people consider to be Rush's best years, having not been alive for the release of Rush and Fly By Night and being too young to remember the release of Signals and Moving Pictures, but he was alive during the peak of the CD so there's no real reason he couldn't have picked up those CDs after the fact.
And it isn't like Rush wasn't popular still during the '90s. Rush held the billboard mainstream rock number one song four times throughout the '90s, with their longest run in the top spot being for four weeks in both 1993 (Stick It Out) and 1991 (Dreamline). They were putting out albums (albeit at a slower rate), that were still preforming well.
Rock as a whole was also incredibly popular at the time, specifically alternative and hard rock in the '90s (which is what Rush was putting out). Hard rock remained popular in the 2000s, but was overshadowed by more popular forms such as emo, punk, and grunge.
While Rush definitely experienced a decline in later years, a Tim Drake who grew up in the '80s and was a teenager in the '90s would likely be exposed to Rush at some point simply because a lot of the people around him would have been listening to it. This is not necessarily the case for a Tim born in the '90s and a teenager in the 2000s, but still very possible.
Also depending on how old Jack is, which I'm going to put him at around 24 years older than Tim, as that was the average age of mothers at childbirth in the '80s, and Jack seems to be about the same age as Janet, if Tim was born in the '80s then Jack would have been a teenager in the '70s and would have likely listened to Rush. As music sharing is a common bonding activity, it wouldn't be odd if Jack had shared the music he liked with Tim, especially when he was trying to mend their relationship.
Part 2: Tim's Canon Taste in Music
There are actually a lot of instances where Tim is shown to like specific real-world bands, and he likes rock music!
Robin (1993) #152 | Teen Titans (2003) #14
We see that he listens to both The Clash and Depeche Mode, so we know for sure he has an interest in rock music, including alternative rock. However, he also has a diverse taste in music.
Robin (1993) #22 | Robin (1993) #40
We see that he listens to Enya (new-age and celtic), rap, and Dog Eat Dog (hardcore punk/metal fusion, ska). He's clearly willing to listen to a lot of different music regardless of genre. It seems likely that he just kind of listens to what is popular or whatever he comes across.
It should be noted that the Teen Titans (2003) scene where Kon is going through his music has Tim saying that the Enya CD was a gift, which is possible, but could also be interpreted as him lying because he's embarrassed. I personally have always thought it seemed like the latter.
Tim listening to The Clash also indicates that he is willing to listen to "older" music, The Clash was only active until 1986, and Robin (1993) #152 was released in 2006, 27 years after London Calling came out.
Because of all this it is reasonable to conclude that not only would Tim be likely to come across Rush at some point as a child or teenager, but that it would also make sense within his pre-established music taste. While it is not confirmed that Tim listens to Rush, it is not unreasonable to say he is likely to be a fan.
TL;DR
1. Tim was a teenager around the time Rush was popular, it is reasonable to believe he was exposed to them through the radio, school life, or even his father
2. Tim has an interest in other rock bands such as The Clash and Depeche Mode
3. Tim has a varied music taste and seems willing to listen to whatever is popular/whatever he comes across
4. Tim is willing to listen to music that is somewhat old, expressing that he loves The Clash, and specifically London Calling which came out 27 years before the issue this was printed in
5. I am confident making the assertion that Tim was likely into Rush based on his '90s comic appearances. I am slightly less confident that 2000s Tim would be into Rush, but by no means do i think it would be unlikely