Nickelback
Nickelback | |
|---|---|
| File:NickelbackMain.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Members | Chad Kroeger Ryan Peake Mike Kroeger Daniel Adair |
Nickelback is a post-grunge rock band founded in western Canada in 1995. The name derived from the nickel in change Mike Kroeger frequently had to give customers back in his job at a Starbucks coffee shop in which he would say, "Here's your nickel back."
History
The core of the band hails from Hanna, Alberta. They are now based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nickelback was helped early on by Cancon, the Canadian law requiring a certain percentage of music played on Canadian radio to be from Canadian musical artists. Their second full length album, The State, propelled them to the mainstream with two Top 10 hits (one being "Leader of Men") and the follow up album Silver Side Up, with 2002's most-played single "How You Remind Me", gave them superstar status, scoring multi-format smashes on every album since.
Silver Side Up was released on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. On that morning, they were on their tour bus traveling across Pennsylvania less than 10 miles from where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
They have received 6 Juno Awards and were nominated for 5 more in 2006. Their single "Photograph" was nominated for best single.
Style
Nickelbacks's style can be described as hard rock with a grunged up, modern arena rock sound (Many claim there are also a small amount of heavy metal and country influences). The frontman Chad Kroeger is the dominant element; his vocals sustain the songs through verse and hook.
Nickelback's style has been described by many well-known and well-respected critics as having a distinct lack of musical integrity and showing no respect for ethical and moral boundaries. Lead singer Chad Kroeger has been described as a blend Bjork and Yoko Ono.
As with many bands, Nickelback's lyrics deal mostly with either acquiring romance, the loss of romance, or the transition between love and hate in relationships. Earlier albums included songs discussing problems such as parental desertion and domestic abuse. They seldom if ever speak metaphorically.
Their fifth album, All the Right Reasons (2005), sees a change in their subject matter. Kroeger deals with nostalgia, friendships and the passage of time in one of the 2005 singles, "Photograph". "Rockstar" has the band reflecting on the consequences of their new status as recognized musicians.
Nickelback was the main support act for Bon Jovi on the European leg of the latter's "Have a Nice Day Tour" in 2006.
Criticism
Nickelback have often been tagged as grunge sell-outs, due to the heavy degree of radio-tailored music present in each of the band's albums and the similarity in sound between each full-length release. In addition, Nickelback are frequently panned by critics, who accuse the band of being generic, cliched [1], and 'depressingly bad.' [2] They have even been accused of self-plagiarism. [3]They're shit.
Members
Current
- Chad Kroeger - Lead Vocals and Guitars
- Ryan Peake - Guitar and Backing Vocals
- Mike Kroeger - Bass Guitar
- Daniel Adair - Drums and Backing Vocals
Former
- Brandon Kroeger - Drums (Album: Curb)
- Ryan Vikedal - Drums (Albums: The State, Silver Side Up & The Long Road)
Discography
Albums
- Hesher (Demo EP) (1996)
- Curb (1996) re-released (June 25, 2002)
- The State (March 7, 2000) #11 CAN, #130 U.S.
- Silver Side Up (September 11, 2001) #1 CAN, #2 U.S., #1 UK, #4 DE *6x Platinum(US)
- The Long Road (September 23, 2003) #1 CAN, #6 U.S., #5 UK, #4 AUS *3x Platinum(US)
- All the Right Reasons (October 4, 2005) #1 CAN, #1 U.S., #13 UK, #2 AUS *3x Platinum(US)
DVDs
- Nickelback - Live At Home (October 29, 2002)
- Nickelback - The Videos (September 23, 2003)
- Nickelback - Photo Album (October 4, 2005)
Original songs appear on
- The Scorpion King (March 26, 2002) Yanking Out My Heart *
- Spider-Man (May 3, 2002) Hero, feat. Josey Scott of Saliva (A very short sound clip is contained in the movie. The song received heavy video airplay and is featured on the DVD)
- Live At Home (DVD above) (October 29, 2002) It Ain't Like That (Alice in Chains cover, feat. Jerry Cantrell)
- Live At Home (DVD above) (October 29, 2002) Mistake
- Daredevil (February 4, 2003) Learn the Hard Way *
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (June 24, 2003) Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) (Elton John cover, feat. Kid Rock) *
- The Punisher (March 23, 2004) Slow Motion
* also available as bonus tracks on The Long Road
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Mainstream Rock | US Modern Rock | UK Singles Chart | AUS Singles Chart | Canadian Singles Chart | Dutch Top 40 | |||
| 1996 | "Fly" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Curb |
| 2000 | "Leader of Men" | - | #8 | #21 | - | - | - | - | The State |
| 2000 | "Breathe" | - | #10 | #21 | - | - | - | - | The State |
| 2000 | "Old Enough" | - | #24 | - | - | - | - | - | The State |
| 2000 | "Worthy to Say" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | The State |
| 2001 | "How You Remind Me" | #1 (4 wk) | #1 (13 wk) | #1 (13 wk) | #4 | #2 | #1 | #7 | Silver Side Up |
| 2002 | "Too Bad" | #42 | #1 | #6 | #9 | - | #1 | #16 | Silver Side Up |
| 2002 | "Never Again" | - | #1 | #24 | #30 | - | #1 | - | Silver Side Up |
| 2003 | "Someday" | #7 | #2 | #4 | #6 | #8 | #1 | #11 | The Long Road |
| 2004 | "Figured You Out" | #65 | #1 (13 wk) | #4 | - | #10 | #1 | - | The Long Road |
| 2004 | "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" | #48 | #3 | #23 | #39 | #40 | #2 | - | The Long Road |
| 2004 | "Because of You" | - | #7 | - | - | - | #3 | - | The Long Road |
| 2005 | "Photograph" | #2 | #1 (7 wk) | #3 | #29 | #3 | #1 | #4 | All the Right Reasons |
| 2006 | "Far Away" | - | - | - | #40 | #2 | #2 | #18 | All the Right Reasons |
| 2006 | "Animals" | #97 | #1 (5 wk) | #16 | - | - | - | - | All the Right Reasons |
| 2006 | "Savin' Me" | #19 | #11 | #29 | - | #18 | #1 | #25* | All the Right Reasons |
| 2006 | "Rockstar" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | All the Right Reasons |
*: current position.
See also
External links