As part of the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards – recognizing the biggest rock news stories and artists of the year - hennemusic is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the year.
Finalists for the 3rd annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: winners are determined by the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Friday, December 21 at hennemusic.com.
Rock News Artist Of The Year - TOP 10
#05 - LED ZEPPELIN
#06 - JIMMY FALLON
#07 – MOTLEY CRUE
#08 - AEROSMITH
#09 – SLASH
#10 – QUEEN
Rock News Artist of The Year - #4 – RUSH
2012 was a huge year for Canadian rockers Rush.
The band released their 20th studio album, “Clockwork Angels,” and received a range of honors, including confirmation of their entry into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
In April, Rush were honored with The Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th annual Revolver Golden God Awards in Los Angeles.
That same month, the forthcoming album’s lead single, “Headlong Flight,” arrived, giving fans their first taste of new music from project – beyond the two singles released in 2010: “Caravan” and “BU2B.”
In May, Rush were among the honorees at the 20th Anniversary Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. The annual event recognizes artists for their outstanding body of work and enduring contribution to the performing arts in Canada.
“Clockwork Angels” was released in June, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart with the band achieving its best sales week in 10 years as the album sold 103,000 copies in the U.S. in its opening week. The project debuted at #1 in the band’s home country of Canada.
Bassist Geddy Lee received another honor in his Canadian homeland in June, receiving a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee commemorative medal in Toronto to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.
Rush kicked off their Clockwork Angels world tour in Manchester, NH in early September, around the same time that a companion novel to the album – written by drummer/lyricist Neil Peart and bestselling sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson – was published. The book debuted at position No. 18 on The New York Times "Hardcover Fiction" best sellers list.
In early October, Rush were among the nominees for the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, with confirmation to follow in December.
The band released news of a year-end reissue of their landmark album, “2112,” that features 5.1 surround sound mixes, unreleased live tracks and the first-ever Rush comic book.
In the meantime, the Rush tour continued, with the group filming concerts in Phoenix (Nov. 25) and Dallas (Nov. 28) for an upcoming DVD set for release in 2013.
In late November, Rush were inducted into the Guitar Center’s RockWalk in Hollywood.
And then, on December 11, the news that fans longed to hear was announced: Rush were announced as inductees into the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
Joining the rock legends are Heart, Public Enemy, Donna Summer, Randy Newman and Albert King.
The public was allowed to vote for the first time in the history of the Rock Hall. Votes were taken online, and the result was a "fan's ballot" that was counted along with roughly 600 other ballots. Rush topped the ballot voting in an outpouring of support from fans.
2013 sees Rush continuing their Clockwork Angels tour, with a UK and European tour set to begin in May.
Before that, the group will enter the Rock Hall at an April 18 induction ceremony in Los Angeles.
Rush 