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Nickelback is a post-grunge/hard rock band formed in Hanna, Alberta, Canada in 1995 by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger and Ryan Vikedal. Their hit single "How You Remind Me" from their third album, Silver Side Up reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, making them the second Canadian band to accomplish this, the first being The Guess Who with "American Woman".

The band has sold over 13.5 million albums in the United States and over 1.7 million albums in Canada, their worldwide albums sales counted near to 20 million.

Nickelback's latest release, All the Right Reasons has already sold more than 3.9 million albums in the United States and over 5.5 million albums worldwide.

History

Although the core of the band hails from San Francisco, California they are now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The name derived from the nickel in change Mike Kroeger's brother frequently had to give customers back in his job at a Starbucks coffee shop in which he would say, "Here's your nickel back".

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.

The band was playing their second song at the Ilha do Ermal festival in Portugal on August 19, 2002, when singer Chad Kroeger was suddenly sprayed with a full bottle of water, hurled from somewhere within the audience. Kroeger immediately tore off his guitar and confronted the crowd. As he turned away, he was pelted in the back of the head with what looked like a large rock. "See ya," he replied with a wave. With that, the entire band followed him off the stage. Both Kroeger and drummer Ryan Vikedal gave the audience the finger as they strode off. It is thought Kroeger was unharmed by the rock.

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 six Juno Awards and were nominated for five more in 2006. Their single "Photograph" was nominated for best single.

In May and June 2006, Nickelback supported Bon Jovi on the European leg of their Have A Nice Day Tour, playing in Germany, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and finishing in the UK.

Nickelback with their latest album, topped the nominees with three, the nominations including Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group, Favorite Pop/Rock Album (All the Right Reasons) and Favorite Alternative Artist, for the 34th American Music Awards which are going to be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2006. Also Nickelback won a World Music Award for best rock group on Novemeber 15 2006

Style

Nickelback are a stylistic derivative of the Northwest's grunge scene and are most frequently described as arena rock or post - grunge. Appropriately, the band is sometimes accused of relying on mediocre composition and being driven purely by commercialism. Criticism is heard loudest from fans of bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden, who were ground-breakers of the grunge movement and are vocal critics of the cookie cutter format Nickelback subscribes to. The band is not noted for groundbreaking stylistic or artistically contributions, does perform more than a handful of formulaic compositions, and is not widely acclaimed artistically. The fans, on the other hand feel the band has much to offer, and sales worldwide seem to back them up. The frontman Chad Kroeger serves as the soul of the band, buttressed by the highly competent, solid musicianship of the other bandmembers.

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 enjoying the stereotypical "rockstar" life (drugs, women, money, etc.) and celebrating commercialism at the expense of integrity.

The album has received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with a Metacritic average of 38. All Music Guide called Nickelback "unspeakably awful" in the album's critical review..

Also since Silver Side Up was released, only 2 of 12 singles have not made the Hot 100. These were "Never Again" from Silver Side Up and "Because of You" from the Long Road

Criticism

In 2003, an internet meme pokes fun at the similarities between the song How You Remind Me and Someday, referred to as "How You Remind Me of Someday".

Nickelback is often the target of jokes and criticism by comedians such as Brian Posehn, and Tony Martin

In a press conference, bassist Mike Kroeger said to the Cleveland Free Times, "I think that's remarkable for someone to notice that there is a hit quality. If all hits sound the same, then sorry. When you are a band that has a distinct style such as us or AC/DC, that happens. When you have a distinct style, you run the risk of sounding similar.".

Chad Kroeger has on several occasions lashed out at his band's detractors in television interviews and during concert appearances by stating the "Nickelback doesn't suck" citing sales figures of their albums as proof.

Nickelback was also a victim of concert bottling while playing a show in Portugal. A popular Portugese news clip diplays the band walking off stage after two songs because the crowd was throwing rocks, among other things, at them.

Members

Current members

• Chad Kroeger — vocals, rhythm guitar
• Ryan Peake — lead guitar, backing vocals
• Mike Kroeger — bass guitar
• Daniel Adair — drums, percussion, backing vocals

Former members

• Brandon Kroeger — drums (1996 — 1997)
• Ryan Vikedal — drums (2000 — 2003)

Discography

Albums

• Hesher Demo (1996) Hesher Demo (1996)
• Curb (1996) re-released (June 25, 2002) Curb (1996) re-released (June 25, 2002)
• The State (March 7, 2000)
  Gold
• Silver Side Up (September 11, 2001)
  6x Platinum
• The Long Road (September 23, 2003)
  3x Platinum
• All the Right Reasons (October 4, 2005) 3x Platinum All the Right Reasons (October 4, 2005)
  3x Platinum

DVDs

• Nickelback - Live At Home (October 29, 2002)
• Nickelback - The Videos (September 23, 2003)
• Nickelback - Photo Album (October 4, 2005)
• Nickelback - Pictures (September 12, 2006)

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

"Someday" appears in the movie - Torque

* also available as bonus tracks on The Long Road import versions

Singles

*: current position.

Awards

Grammy Awards

Nickelback Grammy Awards History

Chad Kroeger's Grammy Awards History

American Music Awards

Trivia

• Chad is frequently referred to by the Australian nationally syndicated radio program Get This by the nickname of the "Paddlepop Lion", in reference to his long hair and general similarities in looks to the popular Australian ice cream icon. The entire band are also referenced due the hosts' dislike particularly of their song lyrics.

See also

• Music of Vancouver
• List of bands from British Columbia
• List of bands from Canada

External links

• Official website
• Official website at Roadrunner Records
• Nickelback Animals lyrics

References

1. Nickelback Biography AMG
2. Namely Nickelback MusicMatch Guide
3. Nickelback Get Pelted By Rocks In Portugal ChartAttack.com
4. All the Right Reasons review AMG
5. The synchronisation can be heard online where one song is played through the left speaker and one through the right.
6. The NPR Broadcast on the issue as well as quotes can be found here
7. Portugese broadcast on concert bottling in a Nickelback concert

• Semi-protected
• 1995 establishments
• 1990s music groups
• 2000s music groups
• Post-grunge groups
• Hard rock
• Rhythmic Top 40 acts
• Canadian rock groups
• Juno Award winners
• Roadrunner Records artists
• Canadian country rock groups
• Musical groups with siblings