10 Best Hard Rock Album Covers Of All Time
9. 2112 - Rush
2112 was the album that finally gained Rush their massive fanbase. Though the band had made great albums before like Fly By Night, it wasn't until this conceptual masterpiece that every element of their sound fully came together. Since the centerpiece of the record was a 20 minute space epic, the band knew the artwork had to be just as eye-catching as it was ear-catching.
Going along with the lore of the story, artist Hugh Syme created a cosmic visual piece to compliment the dystopian atmosphere of the epic. With the entire plot centered around a priesthood that has outlawed music, the star on the album seems to represent the totalitarian mindset of the priests' ways, while the actual text of Rush ushers in something more nuanced and hopeful.
Even when compared to the rest of the album's cuts like "Passage to Bangkok" and "the Twilight Zone," the backdrop of the night sky fits perfectly with these songs' slightly off-kilter atmosphere. Being one of the first prog rock masterpieces, this cover guarantees that you will be taken on an auditory trip through the stars. It has adorned the bedroom walls of thousands of prog fans since its release, and will continue to be passed down for years to come.