Zager and Evans

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Zager and Evans were a Lincoln, Nebraska rock-pop duo of the late 1960s and early 1970s named after its two members, Denny Zager and Rick Evans. Artists Dave Trupp and Mark Dalton backed up the duo.

Zager and Evans are best known for their immensely popular "In the Year 2525", written by Rick Evans. The song warned of the dangers of technology, portraying a future in which the human race would at length be destroyed by its own technological and medical innovations and Divine wrath. The last stanza of the song intimates a continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth of mankind.

"In the Year 2525" hit number one on the pop charts in 1969. Coincidentally, it was number one on 20 July 1969 in USA, the date of the first manned moon landing by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. It was nominated for a special Hugo Award that same year.

The band signed with RCA records, who claimed they were "The Next Big Thing", but follow-up singles, such as "Mr. Turnkey" achieved only minor success. "In The Year 2525" was their last top 40 song.

[edit] Trivia

"In the year 2525" claimed the #1 spot on American pop charts for six weeks, a remarkable achievement. "2525" also topped the charts in the UK.
The song was originally written in 1964 and recorded and released in 1967 on the Truth Records label. After a radio station in Odessa, Texas popularized the two-year old record, RCA Records distributed the song nationwide.
Sales of the original #1 hit recording of "In The Year 2525" (including singles sales, album usage and compilation inclusions) now total over 10 million units worldwide.
Paul Solecki, a singer-songwriter from Kansas residing in Cork, Ireland, wrote an ode to Zager and Evans that appears on his 2005 CD release Paul and Me.
Denny Zager and Rick Evans no longer perform as a duo, but they both remain in the music business and remain friends.
Denny Zager now builds custom guitars.
"In The Year 2525" has been covered by both industrial frontrunners Laibach as well as gothic rock frontrunners Fields of the Nephilim. In addition to these two bands, Project Pitchfork also covered it in the early 90's on their CD "Dhyani".