The band consists of Chad Kroeger (vocals, guitar), Ryan Peake (guitar, vocals), Mike Kroeger (bass) and Daniel Adair (drums). The band's original drummer, Brandon Kroeger, left the group in 1997, and was replaced first by Mitch Guidon from 1997 to 1998 and then Ryan Vikedal from 1998 to 2005. The band has released 10 studio albums: "Curb" (1996), "The State" (1998), "Silver Side Up" (2001), "The Long Road" (2003), "All the Right Reasons" (2005), "Dark Horse" (2008), "Here and Now" (2011), "No Fixed Address" (2014), "Feed The Machine" (2017), and "Get Rollin'" (2022).
Early years: 1995–2000
The band was formed in the early 1990s as a cover band called the "Village Idiots" by Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger, and Brandon Kroeger. The band performed covers of songs from Led Zeppelin and Metallica. Nickelback's first release was a seven-track EP called Hesher in 1996. In the same year, Nickelback recorded their first full-length album Curb. "Fly" was released on Hesher and Curb and was the first single produced by Nickelback. It did not chart and was only played on local radio stations.
The following album The State was recorded in 1998 and was released as an independent record the same year. Nickelback signed a record deal with EMI and Roadrunner Records. The State was then re-released in 2000 by EMI and Roadrunner Records. Two singles from the album, "Leader of Men" and "Breathe" were fairly successful and resulted in the album being certificated gold in Canada and the United States. It was certified Platinum in 2008.
Mainstream success: 2001–2007
In 2001, Nickelback released the Silver Side Up album, which propelled them into the mainstream. The single "How You Remind Me" was a huge success, peaking at #1 on both the American and Canadian charts at the same time. In the U.S., it was a #1 single on the Mainstream and Modern rock charts, as well as the pop chart. It also peaked at #2 on Adult Top 40. "How You Remind Me" became the Billboard Hot 100 #1 single of the year for 2002. The next single was "Too Bad", which also hit #1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart and had a small amount of success on the pop chart. The final single from the album was "Never Again", another #1 hit on Mainstream Rock.
In 2002, Chad Kroeger collaborated with Josey Scott and Gaige Corvo who played the lead guitar on the Spider-Man theme song, "Hero." This also featured Tyler Connolly, Mike Kroeger, Matt Cameron, and Jeremy Taggart.
In 2003, Nickelback released The Long Road. The lead single was "Someday" and the album went on to sell five million copies worldwide. The band also released "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" as a single, which peaked at #3 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. "Figured You Out" was also released as a single and topped the Mainstream Rock Charts for 13 consecutive weeks.
Nickelback's fifth studio album, All the Right Reasons, produced five U.S. Hot 100 top 20 singles: "Photograph", "Savin' Me", "Far Away", "If Everyone Cared", "Rockstar". Three of these became U.S. Hot 100 top 10 singles. All the Right Reasons has sold 7,163,130 copies in the US as of June 13, 2009. In total, All the Right Reasons has sold abut 11 million copies worldwide since its 2005 release. Aside from all the success of All the Right Reasons, lead singer Kroeger began his own label named 604 Records in 2005 and holds the position of executive producer.
Dark Horse 2008-2010
After taking much of 2007 off, the band started recording a new album in earnest. In July 2008, the band signed with Live Nation for three touring and album cycles, with an option for a fourth.
On September 4, 2008 Roadrunner Records announced that the first single from their upcoming album was originally going to be "If Today Was Your Last Day" and was to be released September 30, 2008. However, the song was scrapped as the first single, and "Gotta Be Somebody" was the lead single instead. The new album, titled Dark Horse, was released on November 18, 2008. The album was produced by Mutt Lange. Something in Your Mouth was released as the second single to rock radio only on December 15, where it reached #1. "If Today Was Your Last Day" was released as the second major single instead. Two more singles have been released, "I'd Come for You" and "Burn It to the Ground".
The album also remained in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 for weeks after its release. The album was certified two times platinum in April 2009, and had by April 2010 sold over 3 million copies in the U.S. However, critical reception of the album has been mostly mixed to negative. In 2009, the band won three Juno Awards for Juno Fan Choice Award, group of the year, and album of the year; the band performed their single "Something In Your Mouth" at the ceremony. In 2010, Billboard year end charts listed Dark Horse as the top-selling rock and metal album of the year. The band was also listed at the top selling hard rock artist. On January 29, 2010 they released a Tap-Tap rhythm game for on the App Store, contrary to the band's prior comments against other music related video games such as Guitar Hero. On February 28, 2010, Nickelback gave a performance at the beginning of the concert portion of the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, performing "Burn It to the Ground". On October 2010 Nickelback finished their Dark Horse Tour.
Here and Now (2011-2013)
Chad Kroeger said in an interview with Billboard.com in September 2010 that songwriting for the next Nickelback album was planned to commence as early as February 2011 with "about four tunes" already in mind. Adair mentioned that the band wanted to go back to the musical style of All The Right Reasons, which he described as "more organic".
Nickelback announced their new album, Here and Now, on September 8, 2011, along with its two lead singles, "Bottoms Up" and "When We Stand Together". Kroeger said "We're four people who love making music, the way we like to make it. We entered the studio this year with a vision, and it all came together. We're extremely happy with the results, and can't wait to share them with our fans." The album was released on November 21, 2011, with the band calling it "Nickelblack Monday", a play on Nickelback and Black Monday. Two singles were released to radio stations on September 26, and September 27 for purchase on iTunes. Here and Now peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 226,714 copies in its first week of release, with Christmas by Michael Bublé taking #1 by a margin of only 419 copies.
As part of promotion for the album, Nickelback was booked to perform at the halftime shows for both an NFL Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field in Detroit on November 24, and the 99th Grey Cup in the band's hometown of Vancouver on November 27. Also, as a promotion the band played to Jimmy Kimmel upon the album's release. The band was nominated for four Juno Awards in 2012, and performed at the ceremony. Nickelback announced their Here and Now Tour on January 11, 2012, they are going to tour with Seether, Bush and My Darkest Days. The band released a music video for their fourth single off of the album Lullaby. The band officially announced the compilation album The Best of Nickelback Volume 1 through social media on October 3, 2013. Frontman Chad Kroeger had previously stated in an interview that the greatest hits album was to feature songs from previous albums along with new songs but the unveiled track listing ultimately contained only previously released material.
No Fixed Address and Feed the Machine (2014–2018)
According to an interview with Chad Kroeger on CFOX-FM, the band planned to release their eighth studio album before the end of 2014. The lead rock single was also announced, "Edge of a Revolution", was released in August 2014. The track was described as a "departure" for Nickelback and a political song. Frequent collaborator Chris Lord-Alge returned to mix some of the tracks on the album. It was also announced the band had signed to Republic Records. The lead single from the album was titled "Edge of a Revolution", and was scheduled to be sent for adds on Rock radio and be released to iTunes on August 18. The lead pop single, and second overall, was announced to be "What Are You Waiting For?", and was released in September. "What Are You Waiting For?" was released as a single on digital retailers on September 9, 2014. On August 22, 2014, Nickelback announced the album's title to be No Fixed Address, and released it on November 17, 2014.
No Fixed Address Tour was their fifth headlining concert tour, in support of No Fixed Address. The tour was announced on November 5, 2014, as well as The Pretty Reckless, Pop Evil, and Lifehouse as the support act for the majority of the shows in North American while Monster Truck was support act in Australia and Europe (2016). The second North American leg of the tour had to be canceled when lead vocalist Chad Kroeger required surgery for a cyst on his voice box. The entire leg of the European tour was postponed until Autumn 2016.
On August 19, 2016, Nickelback released a cover of Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry" to streaming services. On January 23, 2017, a new single, "Feed the Machine" was announced to be released on February 1, alongside specific details of a 2017 tour. On January 25, Nickelback signed with BMG Rights Management to release their ninth album, also titled Feed the Machine. The album was released on June 16, 2017. The band released their second single from the album, "Song on Fire", on April 28, 2017. Shortly after the release of the album, the band began a 44-city tour on June 23, 2017, in North America, co-headlined with Daughtry, Shaman's Harvest and Cheap Trick as supporting acts.
Get Rollin' (2019–present)
In early 2019, band members spoke of recording a tenth studio album, though Chad Kroeger conceded there was no timetable or rush for the band to complete it. Mike Kroeger spoke of his personal desire to move in more of a heavy metal direction, or wanting to do an album of Slayer cover songs.
On August 14, 2020, the band released a cover of The Charlie Daniels Band song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", featuring Dave Martone.
In a July 2021 interview bassist Mike Kroeger commented when asked about the band's progress on new music saying "That is happening right now, music is being composed and recorded up in Canada. We were out there, and something came up and our producer had to take some time off. So I took that opportunity to return home to Los Angeles with family and spend a little time at home but I'll be headed back up there in a couple of weeks to pick it up again." When asked about a potential timeframe for a release date, Kroeger said "it'll be done when it's done", explaining that the band would rather not be confined to a timescale for fear of making "a shitty record". "Release dates are primarily arrived at by business interests, like record labels and whatever. We don't have one of those", he said. "We've been managing ourselves for about a year. So, the answer is no. We're doing it on our schedule, at our own pace, and it'll be done when it's done. 'Cause we've blown up deadlines in the past lots of times. Because we feel that you can make a good record and be late, but you can't, or you shouldn't, make a shitty record to be on time. So we won't be pressed for time.
In August 2022, Nickelback began posting small snippets and teasers of new music via their official social media accounts with the date "09.07.2022" being branded on the posts.
On August 26, 2022, students attending school at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia received a newsletter stating they were invited to attend and participate in a video shoot Nickelback would be hosting on August 30, 2022, for their single, outside the Convocation Mall on campus.
The album title was revealed to be Get Rollin'. The lead single "San Quentin" was released on September 7, 2022. The band is set to embark on its "Get Rollin' Tour" with opening acts Brantley Gilbert and Josh Ross. They will perform on 38 dates in Canada and the United States from June to August 2023.
List of Nickelback band members
Current members
* Chad Kroeger – lead vocals, lead guitar (1995–present)
* Ryan Peake – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1995–present)
* Mike Kroeger – bass guitar, backing vocals (1995–present)
* Daniel Adair – drums, backing vocals (2005–present)
Former members
* Brandon Kroeger – drums (1995–1997)
* Mitch Guindon – drums (1997–1998)
* Ryan Vikedal – drums (1998–2005)
Next Contestant
Nickelback Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just how many heads I'm tearing
Off of assholes coming on to her
Each night seems like it's getting worse
And I wish she'd take the night off
So I don't have to fight off
Every asshole coming on to her
It happens every night she works
Find out just what would she say
If they all tried coming on to her
Don't they know it's never going to work
They think they'll get inside her
With every drink they buy her
As they all try coming on to her
This time somebody's getting hurt
Here comes the next contestant
Is that your hand on my girlfriend?
Is that your hand?
I wish you'd do it again
I'll watch you leave here limping
And I wish you'd do it again
And I'll watch you leave here limping
There goes the next contestant
And I even fear the ladies
They're cool but twice as crazy
Just as bad for coming on to her
Don't they know it's never going to work
And each time she bats an eyelash
Somebody's grabbing her ass
Everyone keeps coming on to her
This time somebody's getting hurt
Here comes the next contestant
Is that your hand on my girlfriend?
Is that your hand?
I wish you'd do it again
I'll watch you leave here limping
And I wish you'd do it again
And I'll watch you leave here limping
There goes the next contestant
I'm hating what she's wearing
Everybody here keeps staring
Can't wait 'till they get what they deserve
This time somebody's getting hurt
Here comes the next contestant
Is that your hand on my girlfriend?
Is that your hand?
I wish you'd do it again
I'll watch you leave here limping
I wish you'd do it again
I'll watch you leave here limping
And I wish you'd do it again
Each night seems like it's getting worse
And I wish you'd do it again
This time somebody's getting hurt
There goes the next contestant
The song "Next Contestant" by Nickelback is about a man who is protective of his girlfriend who works as a bartender or a dancer in a club, as many men try to hit on her and he constantly has to fend them off. The singer is tired of watching other men come up to her and buy her drinks in an attempt to win her over, as they do not seem to understand that it is not going to work. He is angered by the fact that some men cannot take a hint and continue to try to get with her, even though they have no chance. In the chorus, the singer refers to these men as "the next contestant," implying that they are participating in a competition that they cannot win.
The lyrics also mention that the singer is beginning to resent the attention his girlfriend receives, as everyone in the club seems to be staring at her. He wishes that the men hitting on her would just leave her alone, so he wouldn't have to resort to violence to protect her. The song uses aggressive and violent language to convey the singer's feelings, as he is fed up with the constant harassment his girlfriend faces.
Overall, "Next Contestant" is a song about jealousy, overprotectiveness and the frustrations that come with having a partner who is constantly hit on by other people.
Line by Line Meaning
I judge by what she's wearing
The singer observes the outfit of his girlfriend to evaluate the number of men who will try to hit on her.
Just how many heads I'm tearing
The singer knows that he will have to confront and fight with many men trying to approach his girlfriend.
Off of assholes coming on to her
The people who attempt to hit on his girlfriend are not respectful and decent people.
Each night seems like it's getting worse
Every time his girlfriend works, the situation becomes more challenging and the number of people coming on to her increases.
And I wish she'd take the night off
The singer wants his girlfriend to take a break from work so that he doesn't have to worry about people hitting on her.
So I don't have to fight off
The singer always ends up confronting and fighting the people who hit on his girlfriend.
Every asshole coming on to her
The people trying to hit on his girlfriend are not respectful and decent people.
It happens every night she works
The situation of people hitting on his girlfriend happens every night that she works.
They'll go and ask the DJ
The men attempting to hit on his girlfriend will even ask the DJ about her.
Find out just what would she say
These men want to know what his girlfriend would say if they tried to hit on her.
If they all tried coming on to her
These people think that by acting as a group or team, they will be able to attract his girlfriend.
Don't they know it's never going to work
The singer believes that no one can take his girlfriend away from him, and these attempts are futile.
They think they'll get inside her
The men trying to hit on his girlfriend think that they will be able to get into a romantic relationship with her.
With every drink they buy her
These men think that by buying her drinks, they will be able to buy her affection.
As they all try coming on to her
These men come at his girlfriend one after the other, trying to hit on her.
This time somebody's getting hurt
The singer has had enough and will not let anyone try to take his girlfriend away from him by hitting them.
Here comes the next contestant
Another person is trying to hit on his girlfriend, and the singer is ready to confront them.
Is that your hand on my girlfriend?
The singer is calling out the person who is touching his girlfriend without permission.
I wish you'd do it again
The singer wants the person to try hitting on his girlfriend again so he can fight them.
I'll watch you leave here limping
The singer will beat the person up so badly that they'll leave with a limp.
And I'll watch you leave here limping
The singer is implying that he enjoys beating up the people who hit on his girlfriend.
There goes the next contestant
The singer has won the fight, and the person is walking away with injuries.
And I even fear the ladies
The singer is even afraid of some women who hit on his girlfriend.
They're cool but twice as crazy
These women may seem calm and collected, but they are crazier and more dangerous than some men.
Just as bad for coming on to her
Women can be just as inappropriate as men when it comes to hitting on his girlfriend.
And each time she bats an eyelash
Even when his girlfriend blinks or bats her eyelashes, someone is trying to hit on her.
Somebody's grabbing her ass
People can cross boundaries by acting inappropriately and disrespectfully with his girlfriend.
I'm hating what she's wearing
The singer is resentful of his girlfriend's outfit as it attracts unwanted attention from others.
Everybody here keeps staring
People are staring and gawking at his girlfriend, which makes the singer feel uncomfortable.
Can't wait 'till they get what they deserve
The singer wants the people staring at his girlfriend to suffer for their inappropriate and disrespectful behavior.
Each night seems like it's getting worse
The situation of people hitting on his girlfriend is becoming more intense and troubling night by night.
This time somebody's getting hurt
The singer is warning people not to try and hit on his girlfriend, or else they will get hurt.
Lyrics © Regard Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Daniel Adair, Michael Kroeger, Chad Kroeger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind