Behind the Legend: Who Created “Rush E” and How It Conquered the Internet

If you have spent any time on YouTube, TikTok, or gaming spaces over the last few years, you have undoubtedly crossed paths with “Rush E”. Boasting millions of views, a mountain of meme edits, and a reputation for being the ultimate piano boss level, the track is a modern internet phenomenon.

But who is actually behind the frantic, finger-breaking melody?

The Creators: Sheet Music Boss

“Rush E” was created by Sheet Music Boss, an Australian YouTube channel and musical duo consisting of composers and pianists Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson. Based in Brisbane, Queensland, the duo launched their channel in February 2017, initially focusing on accessible piano tutorials, video game covers, and classical arrangements.

Over time, Sheet Music Boss carved out a niche for creating original, hyper-fast, and comedic piano novelty tracks designed to push MIDI software—and human fingers—to absolute extremes. Among these, “Rush E” stands out as their crown jewel.

The Inspiration: Memes and Musical Origins

To understand “Rush E,” you have to look at its predecessor, “Rush B.”

Earlier in their run, Sheet Music Boss capitalized on internet and gaming culture by writing “Rush B,” a Russian-folk-inspired piano piece. The title was a direct nod to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) culture, where players constantly barked the meme phrase into voice chats.

When looking to follow up on that format, Wrangell and Dickenson decided to lean into another massive internet joke: the letter “E”. Specifically, they wanted to incorporate the deep-fried, surreal meme combining Lord Farquaad from Shrek and Markiplier (widely known as the “E” meme) into a musical composition.

Andrew Wrangell composed the piece around the note E, weaving the comedic internet culture directly into the structure of the song. Released in mid-2018, the track featured a relentless rhythm centered heavily around repeated hammering of the E key.

From Novelty Tune to Unstoppable Meme

When “Rush E” was first uploaded, it wasn’t immediately expected to change internet history. However, it hit a cultural sweet spot.

• The “Impossible” Nature: The original version of “Rush E” was composed digitally via MIDI, meaning it featured notes and hand distributions that required far more than the standard ten fingers to play live. It was deliberately designed to look terrifyingly chaotic on a falling-note MIDI visualizer.
• The Challenge Culture: Pianists and content creators across the globe immediately took it as a challenge. TikTokers and YouTubers began posting hilarious “parody” videos pretending to play it using their noses, cats, or massive contraptions, alongside genuinely talented pianists working out insane multi-hand arrangements to play it for real.
• Global Reach: From school talent shows to mainstream creators like Mark Rober featuring the song in their videos, “Rush E” seeped deep into youth and gaming culture, eventually rivaling classical masterpieces in terms of sheer brand recognition among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

The Legacy of Sheet Music Boss

Recognizing the monster they created, Sheet Music Boss leaned heavily into the success. They released official sheet music and MIDI files, produced follow-up arrangement versions (including more “playable” human-friendly adaptations), and cemented themselves as internet royalty.

What started as a silly joke built around a fried internet meme by two Australian musicians turned into a defining musical piece of the digital age—proving that with a bit of creativity, internet culture, and a whole lot of notes, you can write your way straight into history.