Everything starts to get old after a while, right? After decades of being one of the most scrutinized bands in rock ‘n’ roll, Chad Kroeger says that the hate for Nickelback has been “softening” as of late, which has been a nice change for them.
Whether you’re a fan of Nickelback or not, it’s undeniable that they’ve gotten a lot of heat over the last two decades, mainly because of how much commercial success they achieved once they started formulaically writing songs that they knew would appeal to the mainstream. They already had two albums out by the time they released Silver Side Up in 2001, but the success of the hit single “How You Remind Me” helped that third record explode, and as the years went by, hating Nickelback basically became a meme.
The rockers have released another seven albums since then, with the most recent being 2022’s Get Rollin’. Fortunately, Kroeger believes that some of the hate toward Nickelback has died down, though he admitted he understands why people may have felt disdain toward them in the first place.
“That kind of used to be a thing. I shouldn’t say ‘that kind of used to be’ — that was definitely a thing for a long time. And I think there’s been a softening, there really has, thankfully. I’m not sure if it’s because we receive a ton of love on TikTok or whatever the hell it is, but for whatever reason the teeth have kind of been removed. It’s really nice, it’s really nice to not be Public Enemy Number One,” the singer told Arizona radio station KFMA-FM.
The vocalist further explained that because the band’s songs have had so much crossover into other genres, including pop and even country, he feels that people got sick of them because they couldn’t escape them.
READ MORE: 10 Nickelback Lyrics That Would Fit in Any Metal Song
“And if you’re trying to switch the radio station three times, and it’s just, like, ‘Ah, there they are. There’s their rock song on the rock station. There’s their pop song on the pop station. And oh my god, I can’t even go to the country station and get away from these guys.’ That type of over-saturation could piss people off. But at the end of the day, we’re just a band that makes music,” he continued.
Despite the amount of people who claim to hate Nickelback, their album and ticket sales prove that they do have a massive fanbase. Thus, one of their newer pieces of merchandise is a T-shirt that reads, “Fan or liar?,” according to the singer.
Check out the full interview below.
We recently learned that Lizzo is a big fan of Nickelback — in fact, she believes the only reason the group has gotten so much hate over the years is because of the curly blonde perm Kroeger used to sport.
Nickelback are heading out on a North American tour with Brantley Gilbert starting next month. See all of the dates and get tickets here.
Chad Kroeger Says the Hate for Nickelback Has Been ‘Softening’
13 Bands Other People Make You Feel Bad About Loving
No matter what you listen to, there will always be someone out there who will shame you for listening to certain bands. There’s no explanation for it, but it’s happened time and time again throughout the decades.
Don’t be ashamed and let others dictate your life — that’s not what rock and metal is about. Smash all those who oppose these 13 Bands Other People Make You Feel Bad About Loving, as listed below.
