2112 (album)

2112
Studio album by
Rush
ReleasedMarch 1976 (1976-03)
RecordedJanuary 1976
StudioToronto Sound (Toronto, Canada)
Genre
Length38:42
LabelMercury
Producer
Rush chronology
Caress of Steel
(1975) 		2112
(1976) 		All the World's a Stage
(1976)
Singles from 2112
  1. "The Twilight Zone"
    Released: June 1976[7]
  2. "The Temples of Syrinx"
    Released: February 1977[7]
Alternative cover
40th anniversary reissue
40th anniversary reissue

2112 (pronounced "twenty-one twelve") is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in March 1976 by Mercury Records.[8][9][10][11] It reached No. 5 in Canada and became the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, peaking at No. 61.

The band was in financial hardship due to the disappointing sales of 1975's Caress of Steel, which also gained an unfavourable critical reception, and a decline in attendance at its shows. Mercury, their international label, considered dropping them but granted one more album following negotiations with manager Ray Danniels. Rush were pressured to deliver more commercial material, but decided to continue developing its progressive rock direction it had explored on Caress of Steel and made the 20-minute futuristic science-fiction title track occupy side one of 2112, with a collection of shorter songs on side two that display their hard rock roots.

2112 was released to favourable reviews from music critics and quickly outsold the band's previous albums. Rush toured the album extensively in 1976 and 1977, which culminated in their debut concerts in Europe. 2112 remains the band's second-highest-selling album behind Moving Pictures, with more than 3 million copies sold in the US alone. It is listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and ranked second on Rolling Stone's reader's poll, Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time.[12] 2112 has been reissued several times; a 40th Anniversary Edition was released in 2016 with previously unreleased material, including the album performed by numerous contemporary artists.

  1. ^ "10 Classic Prog Rock Albums". IGN. 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  2. ^ "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  3. ^ Greene, Andy (16 August 2013). "Weekend Rock Question: What Is the Best Prog Rock Album of the 1970s?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  4. ^ Thoroddsen, Arnar Eggert (2005). "Rush - 2112". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 362.
  5. ^ "'Metal Evolution' Makes Case for Rush as Prog Metal Pioneer". rush vault. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  6. ^ Freedman, Robert (2014). Rush: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Excellence. Algora Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 9781628940848. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. ISBN 9780862415419.
  8. ^ "Creem, March 1976, p. 25" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. ^ Wagner, Jeff (2010). Jeff Wagner, Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, Bazillion Points, 2010, p. 25. Bazillion Points Books. ISBN 9780979616334. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  10. ^ McParland, Robert (27 October 2017). Robert McParland, Science Fiction in Classic Rock: Musical Explorations of Space, Technology and the Imagination, 1967-1982, McFarland & Company, 2017, p. 142. McFarland. ISBN 9781476630304. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Mercury Releases Two," Record World, March 20, 1976, p. 61.
  12. ^ Greene, Andy (26 July 2012). "'Reader's Poll: Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.