I could very easily play devil’s advocate when it comes to Nickelback and all of the unequivocal hatred surrounding its members. However, after constantly hearing a particularly poignant list of “reasons” for the band’s supposed amount of suck, I find myself more leveled with defending what is, without a doubt, one of the decade’s most successful acts.
Statistically, Nickelback accounts for a huge part of the successful music in the 2000s. Based on Billboard chart success, here are the facts:
•Ranked seventh top artist of the last decade
•More than 50 million albums sold worldwide
•“All the Right Reasons” was certified eight times platinum
•Nineteen Hot 100 singles
As for the many proclaiming that the band’s music is “unoriginal,” or that the band uses the same chord progressions (have you LISTENED to anything on Top 40 radio?), the exact same can be said about practically any artist on the Hot 100 today. Nickelback may not be in the same realm as Ke$ha or Usher, but all three have a major commonality: They use a formula. A formula for success, which after all, has them on the charts for a reason. But a big difference between Nickelback and the other Top 40 artists is that the band has co-written or solely written every one of its songs, including each of its 19 hit singles. This is a feat the majority of today’s acts has not accomplished.
This repetitious style has kept acts on the top charts for ages. But the hatred toward Nickelback can get out of hand and is borderline ridiculous. I mean, a petition to prevent the band from performing at the NFL halftime show on Thanksgiving 2011 in Detroit? Again, this is not abnormal. But why waste time trashing a moderately acceptable act when there are legions more waiting for your well-deserved ridicule?
Admit it: Just about everyone has sung “Rockstar,” “Photograph” or “How You Remind Me” without a care. The cool thing about Nickelback is that it is at least a bit likeable to most. I’m not saying it is everyone’s style, but it has made sing-along anthems that have stuck around. Sure, the band may be lackluster to many, but Nickelback set the proverbial stage for its contemporaries in style and success.
