In the same vein as “National Metal Day” and even “The International Day Of Slayer,” many fans, websites and even radio stations are declaring today “Rush Day.” In other words, February 1, 2012 is being dubbed the day where we’re supposed to celebrate the band Rush and the influence their album 2112 (hence why today’s date was chosen) has had on prog rock and metal. How you celebrate the band’s legacy today is really up to you, but at the very least blasting some Rush tunes (if not the entire 2112 album) on your speakers is a must.
But is a day where we put aside time to recognize the Canadian prog rock trio really necessary? Well in short, why not? Granted, it is a little weird for a metal website like us to uphold a holiday for a group that’s more classic rock. However, if you’ve seen the documentary Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, then you know how many in metal, rock and prog sight Rush as a major influence. Plus, is there really ever such a thing as showing Rush too much love? While they have an enormous base of loyal die-hards, Rush still continue to get ignored by many mainstream sources. That’s not to say we ever want to see “Tom Sawyer” performed by the cast of Glee, but why Rush continue to get ignored by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame baffles a lot of us.
Here are some fun facts about the album:
Ayn Rand’s Anthem served as the inspiration for “2112”
It was released on April Fools Day, 1976
The band’s label pressured them to write a more commercial album. Despite the fact that the title track is is one 20 minute suite that takes up the first side of the album, it was their first album to crack the Billboard Top 100.
It went platinum in 1981, 15 years after it was released.
If we’re going to play the numbers game, 2:112 is about the ratio of women to men at any given Rush show.
So why not use today as an excuse to show your appreciation for Rush and all they’ve done for music (especially prog)? Listen to the album 2112, and Happy Rush Day everyone!
