10 Hard Rock Albums That Were A Nightmare To Make

Rush's 2112 was a real watershed moment for the prog rock genre. Even though bands like Yes and Genesis were thriving in the scene, this was a record that had the same complexity, but with the pure musical power of a band like Led Zeppelin. People might see it as a classic now, but the band's opus was almost not created at all.

After the band came off the commercial bomb Caress of Steel, their label was leaning on them to deliver some more accessible material. So how do you get your label on board with an album that will feature a 20 minute epic title cut? Simple: lie to their faces.

As the band's manager Ray Danniels went to the label to discuss the band's future, he convinced the corporate suits that they would be delivering something much more radio-friendly, all while they were at work crafting a prog rock masterpiece. Geddy Lee also recalled that the band was convinced that the label would hate the record, but were determined to go out doing what they loved rather than water it down. With this album becoming the definitive Rush record, it's abundantly clear that the band made the right call.