Nickelback, the Canadian band, has created a niche for themselves in the world of grunge music. Grunge is a music style that is based on alternative rock music that was popularized by bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. Nickelback, comprised of Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair, and Ryan Peak, has sold around 50 million copies globally and it has been nominated for several Grammy Awards.
Hate’em or love’em, @Nickelback are back. New tour, new album, and new single!???????????? #EROCKS https://t.co/ZF2yqGHplx pic.twitter.com/DANwtPYlG1
— Entertainment Rocks (@erocksonline) February 3, 2017
Their rock concerts have been popular, and the complete sell-out of their Madison Square Garden concert bears testament to their popularity outside Canada. The band initially established itself by performing covers of Metallica and Led Zeppelin songs before they thought about producing their own music album.
Given all this, it may be surprising to know that Nickelback is considered one of the most-hated rock groups of all time. In fact, it appears that it is considered trendy to hate Nickelback because there are people who claim to be Nickelback-haters even though they haven’t heard the band’s music. Even the band’s manager finds it strange to see internet news that reports about people hating the band for no apparent reason.
Win @Nickelback tix all nxt week at 7:40A! Why so much hate for NB? They’re not a fav, but they’re not terrible. What am I missing? pic.twitter.com/CKUKAvcRZi
— Sean Copeland (@TheSeanCopeland) February 4, 2017
Or maybe there really is an underlying reason behind all the hate for Nickelback. Karl Puschmann of the New Zealand Herald took it upon himself to listen to all 89 Nickelback songs in their entirety in an attempt to understand the global hate for the otherwise successful band.
Nickelback is one of the biggest bands in the world, having sold 50 million records worldwide, and having released eight albums with a ninth album – Feed the Machine – due to be released within the next few months. Yet, as Puschmann noted, he was easily able to relate to the lyrics of Nickelback’s song “Work up This Morning” which states “I’m hating all of this.”
Having listened to all 89 Nickelback songs in their entirety, the entertainment writer came to the conclusion that Nickelback’s songs are “basically interchangeable,” with a “mid-tempo rock chug that they occasionally speed up or slow down.”
“I can authoritatively state that Nickelback have 89 different titles for three songs.”
So perhaps it’s the band’s lack of authenticity and their inability to change and adapt over the years (or, how “resistant to growth or experimentation” they’ve been) that has so many people turned off.
(1/2) Not gonna lie. The hate that @Nickelback gets inspires me alot in my life. Cus they make $Millions & they don’t care about haters. pic.twitter.com/Um4mVgYZLe
— Luigi Cat Lover (@RespectPhenom) February 3, 2017
Nickelback is not the first music group to be ridiculed by the public at large. The Guardian reports that even legendary musicians like Sting and Phil Collins have also been subject to ridicule over the years.
Sting has been mocked as a “tantric sex god” ever since he admitted to undergoing seven-hour tantric sex sessions in 1990. Phil Collins has been pestered a number of times by curious media persons who wanted to know the reason the singer used a fax machine to send a divorce notice to Jill Tavelman, his second wife. Many critics believe that Nickelback is subject to criticism because the group does not produce genuine music and the band members are receiving more credit than they actually deserve.
love trumps hate (& nickelback) pic.twitter.com/gUQ1yOiXhw
— Abby Thompson (@abbythomps_) January 21, 2017
The joke against Nickelback even made its way to the police station in the Canadian town of Kensington, who warned the residents that people driving under the influence of alcohol would be tortured by Nickelback’s music. The Verge reported that a warning was posted on the Kensington police station’s Facebook page notifying residents that if they were caught driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, they would be fined and forced to listen to Silver Side Up , Nickelback’s third studio album.
According to the BBC , the Kensington Police Service’s Facebook post clearly suggested that intoxicated drivers would be “tortured” with Nickelback music after being arrested.
“We will catch you. On top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a year’s driving suspension, we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the office’s copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.”
Also, as the New Zealand Herald reported, a Finnish student published a paper on Nickelback that went viral, titled “Hypocritical Bullsh*t Performed Through Gritted Teeth: Authenticity Discourses in Nickelback’s Album Reviews in Finnish Media.”
@GeorgeTakei But this? I hate Trump and all; but Nickelback? This is going too far! Let’s not forget Donald’s a human being with feelings. pic.twitter.com/FLUOnZ0AUw
— Liberalanche (@GenericHeretic) January 21, 2017
Despite the global hate, it appears that Nickelback has finally found some supporters who are willing to take on the band’s criticizers, as a group of Canadians has attacked the Kensington police station for resorting to mockery while dealing with a serious issue like road traffic safety. Yet according to the BBC , other Canadians have suggested that the police feature a celebrity like Justin Bieber in their public messages because Bieber, another Canadian, has been earlier arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
[Featured Image by Mark Davis/Getty Images]
