Rush initially performed under her birth name Heidi Stern and released one studio album in 1979 which did not chart.

[2] The Jennifer Rush album reached top-10 positions worldwide and achieved platinum and multi-platinum certifications in Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Three German Top 40 hits were released from the album; "I Come Undone", "Flames of Paradise" (a duet with Elton John) and "Heart over Mind".

Her fifth album, 1989's Wings of Desire was less successful than her previous releases but attained a Top 20 peak in Germany and Switzerland, achieving a Gold certification in both countries.

The same year, Rush achieved a UK top-40 entry with "Till I Loved You", a duet with Placido Domingo.