Who Created Rush E? The Story Behind the Viral Piano Song

The Masterminds Behind the Madness: Who Created “Rush E”?

If you have spent any time online over the last few years, you have almost certainly heard “Rush E.” Whether it appeared as a background track in a chaotic YouTube short, a challenging obstacle in a rhythm game, or part of a viral pianist challenge where musicians pretend to grow extra hands, the song has achieved absolute legendary status.

With its ridiculously frantic tempo and impossible arrangements, it feels like something composed by a caffeine-fueled computer program. As it turns out, it basically was.

“Rush E” was created by Sheet Music Boss, an Australian YouTube duo consisting of Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson.

From MIDI Experiments to Internet Royalty

Based in Brisbane, Australia, Sheet Music Boss launched their channel with a simple, clever concept: publishing piano tutorials, MIDI visualizations, and fun arrangements of video game soundtracks, classical pieces, and pop songs. They built a loyal following by making piano music accessible and visually engaging, using cascading falling-note graphics that made even complex pieces look like a video game.

However, they also had a penchant for internet culture and meme-inspired compositions.

Before “Rush E,” they created “Rush B,” a track rooted in online gaming culture—specifically a stereotype from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive where players aggressively yell instructions to “Rush B”. That track heavily featured the musical note B wrapped in a dramatic Russian folk style.

Tying the Note to the Meme: The Birth of “Rush E”

Following the success of “Rush B,” Wrangell and Dickenson wanted to tackle a different internet joke: the surreal “E” meme.

The “E” meme originated from a bizarre, “deep-fried” image combining the face of YouTuber Markiplier with the body of Lord Farquaad from Shrek (often referred to as Lord Marquaad), captioned simply with the letter “E.”

Capitalizing on this absurd piece of internet history, Sheet Music Boss decided to construct a piano piece centered around the musical note E, mirroring the chaotic energy of their previous “Rush” track. They engineered the song to escalate from a standard-sounding classical composition into an unplayable, multi-layered wall of sound containing over 30,000 notes, complete with a vocalized echo of the deep “E” sound woven right into the melody.

Why “Rush E” Took Over the World

Released on YouTube, “Rush E” rapidly transcended typical piano tutorial videos. It became a viral phenomenon for a few key reasons:

1. The “Humanly Impossible” Challenge: The song was deliberately written to require more fingers and speed than any human pianist possesses. This sparked a massive trend across YouTube and TikTok where real pianists attempted to play portions of it using rulers, noses, or elaborate multi-person setups.
2. Meme Integration: Because it started as a joke based on a meme, internet creators felt free to remix, parody, and scale it up into infinite variations (like “Rush G” or orchestral horror versions).
3. The Visual Appeal: The flashing, cascading notes on Sheet Music Boss’s MIDI display made it look like a terrifying boss battle in a video game, captivating viewers even if they didn’t play the piano.

Legacy of Sheet Music Boss

What started as a cheeky nod to a weird internet meme turned into one of the most recognizable viral music tracks of the digital age. Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson proved that with a mix of musical talent, internet literacy, and a heavy dose of absurdity, you can write a song that forces the entire world to try and keep up.