10 Sci-Fi Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear
2. 2112 - Rush
One of the first notably "out there" concept albums that helped showcase how powerful prog rock could be, Rush's masterpiece 2112 spins the tale of an oppressed, post-apocalyptic society living without creative freedoms or artistry.
Locked under the rule of various high-ranking priests who take their orders from computers inside temples, the city of Megadon is even devoid of music, as that is outlawed too. The album follows a nameless person discovering a guitar left inside a cave, only to have it broken by the priests, who claim this entire medium is a waste of time.
The whole thing was written by drummer Neil Peart, and there's more than a little commentary on the clashing ideologies of best-selling record label drivel, vs the storytelling and world-building efforts the band were trying to put together.
2112 culminates with our hero realising he'd rather kill himself than live in a world that doesn't recognise the freedom to create music, which went on to endear Rush as the figurehead for progressive hard rock and metal.