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

The Minds 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 was blasting through a viral TikTok, being attempted by a brave pianist, or playing on a robotic self-playing piano, this chaotic track has cemented itself as a legendary internet meme.

So, who is actually responsible for creating the ultimate impossible piano song?

Meet Sheet Music Boss

“Rush E” was created by Sheet Music Boss, a popular YouTube piano duo made up of Australian composers and musicians Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson.

Based in Brisbane, Australia, the duo launched their channel to create fun piano tutorials, MIDI visualizations, and creative original arrangements ranging from video game themes to classical pieces.

The Inspiration: Memes and Multiplayer Gaming

The story behind “Rush E” is deeply tied to internet culture.

1. The “Rush B” Origin: Before “Rush E,” Sheet Music Boss gained traction by composing themed pieces like “Rush B.” That title was a nod to a popular tactical meme from the multiplayer shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where players would aggressively yell at their teammates to “Rush B”.
2. The Letter “E”: When looking for their next project, Wrangell and Dickenson leaned into the absurdist humor of the late-2010s internet. Specifically, they were inspired by the deep-fried “Markiplier E” meme (which fused YouTuber Markiplier’s face onto Lord Farquaad from Shrek).
3. Building the Song: They decided to build a Russian-style folk composition centered entirely around the musical note E, weaving the famous meme format directly into the arrangement’s rhythm and melody.

From a Niche Video to a Global Phenomenon

When Sheet Music Boss uploaded “Rush E” in June 2018, they programmed it as a MIDI composition—meaning it was written to look cool on screen and sound incredible, but was physically impossible for a single human to play with just two hands.

Instead of fading away, the internet turned the song into a massive challenge:

• Pianists began filming themselves attempting to adapt, arrange, or physically play parts of the track.
• Creators across YouTube built animations, robot contraptions, and remix variations (like “Rush E 2” and “Rush E 3”).
• It quickly transformed into one of the most recognizable meme-songs of the digital age.

What started as a quirky inside joke between two Australian musicians turned into a cultural milestone, proving that sometimes, the most ridiculous ideas make the best internet history.

The original Rush E video

This video is the original upload by Sheet Music Boss, where the viral phenomenon first began.
http://googleusercontent.com/youtube_content/1