Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian alternative rock band that originated in the 1990s, known for their commercial success despite mixed critical reception. The band comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Chad Kroeger, bassist Mike Kroeger, guitarist Ryan Peake, and drummer Daniel Adair, who joined in 2005. Nickelback's name derives from Mike Kroeger's previous job at Starbucks, where he frequently returned a nickel in change to customers.
Initially starting as a cover band, they began creating original music, leading to the release of their debut EP, *Hesher*, in 1996. Their breakthrough came with the album *Silver Side Up* in 2001, which featured the hit single "How You Remind Me," recognized as one of the most played songs on U.S. radio throughout the decade. Subsequent albums, including *All the Right Reasons* and *Dark Horse*, solidified their popularity, with multiple songs achieving significant chart success.
The band continued to produce music and tour, releasing their tenth studio album, *Get Rollin'*, in 2022, which featured new singles and a North American tour in 2023. Nickelback's enduring presence in the music scene reflects their ability to resonate with a broad audience despite the polarizing opinions surrounding their work.
Nickelback
Music group
Daniel Adair
- Born: February 19, 1975
- Place of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia
Mike Kroeger
- Born: June 25, 1972
- Place of Birth: Hanna, Alberta
Ryan Peake
- Born: March 1, 1973
- Place of Birth: Brooks, Alberta
Chad Kroeger
- Born: November 15, 1974
- Place of Birth: Hanna, Alberta
- Chad Kroeger
- Singer and guitarist
- Daniel Adair
- Drummer
- Mike Kroeger
- Bassist
- Ryan Peake
- Guitarist
Chad Kroeger
Occupation: Lead vocalist and guitarist
Mike Kroeger
Occupation: Bassist
Ryan Peake
Occupation: Guitarist
Daniel Adair
Occupation: Drummer
Contribution: Nickelback is an alternative rock band from Canada that emerged during the 1990s. Although music critics love to hate them, the best-selling band has had numerous hit singles and was named Billboard’s top musical group of the decade in 2009.
Background
The original members of Nickelback grew up in Alberta. Chad Kroeger, lead vocalist and guitarist, was born on November 15, 1974, and raised in Hanna, Alberta. His brother, bassist Mike Kroeger, was born June 25, 1972. Guitarist Ryan Peake was born on March 1, 1973, and raised in Brooks, Alberta. With drummer Ryan Vikedal, also from Brooks, the quartet formed Nickelback in 1996. The band’s name was inspired by Mike’s former job at Starbucks, where he frequently gave his customers a nickel back in change. In 2005, Vikedal was replaced by Daniel Adair (born February 19, 1975), a Toronto-based drummer formerly of the band 3 Doors Down.
Career
Nickelback began as a cover band, but after tiring of playing other people’s music, the band started to write original material. In 1996, Chad Kroeger borrowed money from his stepfather and relocated to a friend’s studio in Vancouver. That year, Nickelback produced the EP Hesher, as well as Curb, the band’s first full-length album. The band members began to manage themselves in 1998: Chad Kroeger tracked down radio stations, Mike Kroeger handled distribution, and Ryan Vikedal did the booking.
Nickelback’s next album, The State, was released in early 2000. Due to increased content requirements, Canadian radio stations were looking for more homegrown music to play. As a result, the single “Leader of Men” became popular in Canada, and the group toured locally for The State. The album was subsequently released in the United States; between Canada and the United States, it sold about 500,000 copies.
The group did not truly reach the mainstream until the following year, with the release of Silver Side Up, which featured the hit single “How You Remind Me.” This was the band’s first album recorded for a major label, and the first to be produced with Rick Parashar, who had also worked with Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. “How You Remind Me” reached number one on the Billboard charts and went on to be the most played song of 2002, according to Airplay Monitor magazine (a sister publication of Billboard magazine). Additionally, Nielsen SoundScan listed the song as the “most played song on US radio of the decade.” Silver Side Up sold more than nine million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Nickelback released The Long Road, which sold more than five million copies worldwide. This album featured the hit single “Someday,” which reached number seven on the Billboard charts. In 2005, after Daniel Adair replaced Ryan Vikedal as drummer, the band released All the Right Reasons, which contained hits such as “Photograph,” “If Everyone Cared,” and “Rockstar.” The album won the American Music Award for favorite pop/rock album and reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2013. The band’s sixth album, Dark Horse, was released in 2008, and included the hit single “If Today Was Your Last Day.” The album topped several charts in 2008 and 2009, and eventually went multiplatinum.
Nickelback released two singles—“Bottoms Up” and “When We Stand Together” in advance of their seventh album, Here and Now (2011). The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 in 2011 and 2012.
The year 2014 brought the release of the band's eighth studio album No Fixed Address. It featured singles "What Are You Waiting For?" and "Edge of a Revolution." The band toured in support of the album in Australia, Europe, and North America, but the tour was cut short when Kroeger needed throat surgery.
Following the January 2017 release of the single "Feed the Machine," the band announced a new tour as well as an album with the same name as their newest single. This took place at the same time Nickelback signed with BMG Rights Management. After a long spell during which the band was writing new music and released a cover of the Charlie Daniels classic "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," Nickelback released their tenth studio album, Get Rollin in 2022. It included the singles "San Quentin" and "Those Days" and was accompanied by a short North American tour in 2023.
Bibliography
Bliss, Karen. “Nickelback.” Canadian Musician Sept./Oct. 2003: 34+. Print.
Leahey, Andrew. “Nickelback: Artist Biography.” AllMusic. AllMusic, 2013. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
McCollum, Brian. “A Nickel for Band’s Thoughts on Fame.” Fredericksburg.com. Free Lance-Star Publishing Co., 29 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. “Oft-Maligned Nickelback Serious about Charity Work.” Chicago Tribune 30 Mar. 2007: 4+. Print.
Paynter, Ben. “Genius: The Nickelback Story.” Bloomberg Businessweek 12 Nov. 2012: 86–90. Print.
Paynter, Ben. “Love to Hate Nickelback? Joke’s on You.” Interview by Guy Raz. Weekend All Things Considered. NPR, 12 Nov. 2012. Transcript.
"US: Nickelback release highly-anticipated new album Get Rollin’." BMG, 18 Nov. 2022, www.bmg.com/us/news/Nickelback-release-highly-anticipated-new-album-Get-Rollin.html. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
USA Today. “More Cheers Than Jeers for Nickelback at NFL Game.” Spectator [Hamilton, ON] 26 Nov. 2011: G10