In Defense of Nickelback: Why It’s Time to Stop Shitting on Rock’s Easiest Band to Hate
Two Fridays ago, Nickelback released their 11th studio effort, Everything Under the Sun (Virgin), which will surely add to the nearly 65 million albums that the band has already sold across the globe since forming 31 years ago. Each band member apparently has a new worth in the double-digit millions of dollars, with frontman Chad Kroeger valued at $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But as staggering and nauseating as those numbers may be, Nickelback have also born the butt of more jokes about a rock band than any other over the years.
It’s time for the ridicule (we won’t go so far as to call it abuse) to stop. Here’s why.
Anyone even fleetingly familiar with The Bad Penny knows our views that the ultra-rich have largely become the enemy of the people and are clearly the villains who must be held to account if there is to be any hope for democracy to survive in the US and across the globe. It’s a theme that runs through virtually every installment of our long-running series On Tyranny.
Anger over the fact that the 900 US billionaires own more wealth than the bottom 50 percent of American households combined should be directed at those pigs – and action needs to be taken quickly, because time is running out for substantial systemic changes to be made to our economy, government and society.
But let’s not go down that rabbit hole and focus instead on why Nickelback – authors of 52 singles, including “Photograph,” “How You Remind Me,” “Rockstar” and loads more – should be absolved of taking flak after decades of relentless mockery. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. They’re from Canada, and right now, Americans have zero grounds for making fun or criticizing anyone who resides in that lovely country, given Trump’s crushing tariffs, and his and his cabinet’s ceaseless antagonism toward the kindest neighboring country on the planet.
2. Nickelback hate, or at least don’t like, Trump. They sued him in October 2019 for using “Photograph” in an election attack ad against Joe Biden – and won.
3. There are countless bands that make music far worse than Nickelback. To name a few: Creed, Limp Bizkit, Evanescence, Mushroomhead, Spineshank and Hollywood Vampires. The list would be very, very long.
4. Nickelback donated $50,000 to the B.C. (British Columbia) Children’s Hospital in 2011 to help the daughter of a member of little-known band Pardon My Striptease – from the same area where Nickelback reside – fight brain cancer at the age of just 1 year old.
5. Like stereotypical Canadians, Nickelback take criticism in stride and not to hear. Case in point: They put out a self-effacing documentary called Hate to Love: Nickelback in 2024.
6. They tapped George from Seinfeld (Jason Alexander) to star in their video for “Trying Not to Love You.”
7. Nickelback have toured and are pals with Bon Jovi. And who doesn’t like them?
8. Nickelback gave another quality musician, fellow Canadian Sam Roberts, a boost by letting him open for them on tour.
9. Like every good Canadian, Kroeger seems like a jolly fellow, has a sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He told The Pulse of Radio in 2014 in response to the public bashing: “I love [the] more controversy that surrounds either myself, my personal life, the band, whatever – I think it’s hilarious.”
10. Nickelback aren’t responsible for high gas prices, the ever-increasing costs of living, starting wars with other countries … and Kroeger isn’t mentioned in the Epstein files – at least not in the ones that have been released:
The Bad Penny doesn’t endorse Nickelback’s music. We’re just sayin’.
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