Nickelback is a rock band which formed in Hanna, Alberta, Canada in 1995. N… Read Full Bio ↴Nickelback is a rock band which formed in Hanna, Alberta, Canada in 1995. Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold 50 million records worldwide. Nickelback ranks as the 7th best selling music act of the 2000s and the 2nd best selling foreign act in the US behind The Beatles for the 2000s.

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)

Too Bad
Nickelback Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fathers hands are lined with dirt
From long days in the field
And mothers hands are serving meals
In a cafe on Main Street
With mouths to feed
Just trying to keep clothing on our backs
And all I hear about
Is how it's so bad, it's so bad

It's too bad, it's stupid
Too late, so wrong, so long
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind
Let's walk, let's talk (let's talk)

You left without saying goodbye
Although I'm sure you tried
You'd call the house from time to time
To make sure we're alive
But you weren't there
Right when I needed you the most
And now I dream about it
And how it's so bad, it's so bad

It's too bad, it's stupid
Too late, so wrong, so long
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind
Let's walk, let's talk, it's so bad
It's too bad, it's stupid
It's too late, it's so wrong, so long
Too bad that we had no time to rewind
Let's walk, let's talk (let's talk)

Fathers hands are lined with guilt (guilt)
For tearing us apart

Guess it turned out in the end
Just look at where we are
We made it out
We've still got clothing on our backs
And now I scream about it
And how it's so bad, it's so bad
It's so bad, it's so bad

It's too bad, it's stupid
Too late, so wrong, so long
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind
Let's walk, let's talk, it's so bad
It's too bad, it's stupid
It's too late, it's so wrong, so long
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind
Let's walk, let's talk

No time
Let's walk, let's talk

Overall Meaning

The song "Too Bad" by Nickelback is an emotional and personal exposition of the band's lead singer Chad Kroeger's life experiences. The song seems to be about the complex family relationships, feelings of abandonment, and the struggle to cope with the consequences. The song's opening lines talk about the hands of the father being lined with dirt and the mother serving in a local café while trying to feed their family. The next few lines show that the family is struggling to get by and they are just trying to keep the clothing on their backs. The children in the family are growing up and trying to cope with the harsh realities of life. Despite their best efforts, all they hear are negative comments about how bad their situation is.

The second verse is about Kroeger's father leaving the family when he was young. The pain of abandonment is evident in the lyrics. Kroeger's father would occasionally call, but it was too little too late. The absence of a loving father figure in his life, when he needed it the most, has been painful for him. The song's chorus and refrain bring out the sense of regret, loss, and the impossibility of going back to change things. The last verse mentions the father's hands are lined with guilt for tearing the family apart, and Kroeger ending up screaming about how bad it is.

The song deals with the themes of broken families, grief, and misunderstood pain. It is a deeply personal song that strikes a chord with many listeners who have gone through similar experiences. With its powerful and emotional lyrics, "Too Bad" has become one of the most popular and enduring songs in Nickelback's catalog.

Line by Line Meaning

Father's hands are lined with dirt
Father's hands are rough from working hard in the field

From long days in the field
His hands are rough from a long period of hard work in the fields

Mother's hands are serving meals
Mother works in a restaurant serving meals to customers

In a cafe on Main Street
The cafe is located on the main street of town

With mouths to feed
With the family to feed and support

Just trying to keep clothing on our backs
Struggling to keep clothes on their backs due to difficulty in earning money

And all I hear about
All I hear is negativity about our situation

Is how it's so bad, it's so bad
Everyone keeps talking about how terrible things are

You left without saying goodbye
You departed without saying farewell

Although I'm sure you tried
Even though I believe you did attempt to say goodbye

You'd call the house from time to time
You occasionally phoned us at home

To make sure we're alive
To confirm that we were still breathing and healthy

But you weren't there
But you were not present when I required you the most

Right when I needed you the most
Exactly when I needed you the most

And now I dream about it
Now I dream about that moment

Father's hands are lined with guilt
Father is filled with regret for splitting the family

For tearing us apart
For causing the family to be separated

Guess it turned out in the end
I suppose it all worked out eventually

Just look at where we are
We should be grateful for where we are now

We made it out
We succeeded in overcoming adversity

And now I scream about it
And now I express my frustration about our past struggles

It's too bad it's too bad
It's a pity that things turned out this way

Too late, so wrong, so long
It's too late now, and it's all so lamentable and protracted

It's too bad we had no time to rewind
It's a shame we cannot undo the past and start over

Let's walk, let's talk
Let's go out and converse

No time
We don't have a lot of time left

Let's walk
Let's take a walk together

Let's talk
Let's discuss things

Lyrics © Regard Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chad Kroeger, Michael Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Ryan Vikedal

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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