10 Legendary Musicians Who Fought Against The Music Business
6. Rush
When prog rock started taking over the airwaves in the '70s, no one could really claim that it was the most radio friendly genre known to man. For all of the giants like Yes and Genesis that were filling stadiums all around the world, the mainstream was more interested in blues rock, with bands like Bad Company getting a lot more time on the charts than the likes of Jethro Tull. If the original prog giants were a bit of tough sell, Rush were a nightmare for making radio friendly songs.
For the first string of albums in their discography, Rush were met with one disappointment after the next, with the label insisting that they start thinking about some singles or they would be dropped from their roster. After their manager lied to the label by telling them they had singles in the can, Rush went ahead and made one last plea for their independence, crafting 2112 with a 20 minute long conceptual piece based around sticking to your guns and not doing what the establishment tells you to do.
While the label might have been pissed to hear something like this, the public latched onto it immediately, relating to the story of the underdog and earning Rush their freedom, with the label never questioning their judgement ever again. The records sold whether they got on the radio or not, and Rush started their journey as the world's most popular cult band.