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

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

If you have spent any time on YouTube, TikTok, or gaming spaces over the last few years, chances are you’ve crossed paths with “Rush E.”

Famous for its absurdly impossible hand stretches, frantic pacing, and a middle section built entirely around the internet’s deep-fried “E” meme, it is arguably the most recognizable meme-song of the digital age. But who is actually responsible for unleashing this finger-breaking monster onto the internet?

The creators behind “Rush E” are Sheet Music Boss—specifically the Australian musical duo Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson.

Who Are Sheet Music Boss?

Based in Brisbane, Australia, Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson run Sheet Music Boss, a massively popular YouTube channel known for producing piano MIDI animations, tutorials, and original compositions.

Long before “Rush E” became a viral phenomenon, the duo built a following by creating accessible piano learning videos, converting video game soundtracks, classical pieces, and pop songs into colorful, cascading visual guides. However, they soon realized that the internet has a special appetite for chaos, humor, and extreme technical difficulty.

The Origins of the “Rush” Series

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

The title and concept were heavily inspired by gaming internet culture—specifically the classic Counter-Strike: Global Offensive stereotype where players aggressively spam the chat with instructions to “Rush B.” Seizing on the joke, Sheet Music Boss composed “Rush B,” a Russian-folk-styled piano piece that heavily emphasized the musical note B.

When “Rush B” proved to be a hit, creating a follow-up was a natural next step. But instead of moving forward alphabetically, they capitalized on another massive internet meme of the era: the surreal, distorted “E” meme (featuring a mashup of Markiplier’s face and Lord Farquaad from Shrek).

Thus, “Rush E” was born.

From a Joke Composition to a Global Phenomenon

Released on YouTube, “Rush E” was designed as a piece of “impossible piano music”—a genre of MIDI-generated songs meant to look hilarious and terrifyingly complex on a scrolling sheet music display, far beyond what any normal human could play with just two hands.

The song cleverly weaves the rhythm and pitch of the letter “E” into its chaotic melodies. However, the internet took the challenge personally.

• The Challenge: Pianists and content creators around the world began attempting to play the unplayable, leading to thousands of challenge videos, covers, and parodies.
• The Meme Explosion: People began posting satirical videos pretending to play it using kitchen utensils, noses, or impossible multi-hand setups.
• Mainstream Crossover: The track’s unmistakable intro even bled into mainstream culture, famously appearing in videos by mega-creators like Mark Rober.

Legacy of a Digital Masterpiece

What started as a quirky collaboration between two Australian musicians looking to mash up internet meme culture with piano composition turned into a viral monster.

Today, Andrew Wrangell and Samuel Dickenson continue to create music through Sheet Music Boss, but “Rush E” remains their crowning internet achievement—a testament to what happens when musical talent meets pure, unfiltered internet meme logic.