Nickelback is a Canadian rock band formed in Hanna, Alberta in 1995, built around lead vocalist and guitarist Chad Kroeger, his brother bassist Mike Kroeger, rhythm guitarist Ryan Peake, and drummer Daniel Adair. Few bands of their era generated as much commercial success and simultaneous critical polarization as Nickelback — at their peak they were one of the best-selling rock acts in the world, with a formula of melodic post-grunge combining heavy verses, massive choruses, and Kroeger's instantly recognizable raspy vocals that connected with a global audience of tens of millions while becoming a running joke among rock critics and internet culture. The disconnect between their popularity and their critical reception became a cultural phenomenon in its own right.
The band broke through with the album Silver Side Up (2001) and its massive single How You Remind Me, which spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the most-played song on American radio in the 2000s decade. The Long Road (2003), All the Right Reasons (2005), and Dark Horse (2008) continued their commercial dominance — All the Right Reasons in particular sold over eleven million copies worldwide and produced five top-forty singles including Photograph, Far Away, and Rockstar, making it one of the best-selling rock albums of the decade. Dark Horse debuted at number one in multiple countries and produced the massive hits Gotta Be Somebody and If Today Was Your Last Day.
Despite the critical mockery, Nickelback's consistency and craftsmanship as a live act and recording band is difficult to argue with — they have sold over 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music acts of all time and the best-selling Canadian rock band in history. Their ability to write songs that connect emotionally with a mass audience, however unfashionable, represents a genuine commercial skill that their detractors rarely acknowledge. The band has continued releasing music and touring into the 2020s with undiminished audience enthusiasm.
