NICKELBACK FACTS:
Members: Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair
Genre: Post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative metal
Hometown: Hanna, Alberta, Canada
Awards: 1 American Music Award
Albums: Curb (1996); The State (1998/2000); Silver Side Up (2001); The Long Road (2003); All the Right Reasons (2005); Dark Horse (2008)
Hits: "Photograph", "Far Away", "Rockstar", "If Everyone Cared", "If Today Was Your Last Day", "This Afternoon"
Commonly Mispelled as: Nickleback
Other: Ranked 7th on Billboard Magazine's list of "Artists of the Decade"
Canadian rockers Nickelback burst on the scene nine years ago with a string of hits, but the band has showed no sign of slowing down. Over much of the last decade, they attracted a loyal following of fans and earned significant play on the radio - all while being one of the most successful touring bands in recent memory.
Although they may have gained widespread popularity in 2001, Nickelback had been around for several years before that. The group, comprised of Chad and Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair and Ryan Peake, formed in 1995 and released their first album, Hersher, just a year later. The seven-track disc attracted little attention outside of Canada, but the single "Fly" found a niche audience on a Vancouver radio station. Nickelback soon followed that up with Curb, which was more successful than their debut but still failed to gain traction.
While their first two releases were not particularly well known, their third album, The State, was more successful. A pair of singles, "Leader of Men" and "Breathe," generated considerable buzz about the band, and the album was certified gold in Canada and in the United States.
While The State was popular, their next album, Silver Side Up, would make them a household name. The release's first single "How You Remind Me" was an instant hit and reached number one on the charts in the United States, and was later named the Billboard Hot 100 Single of the Year for 2002. The next two singles from the album, "Too Bad" and "Never Again," also reached number one, and as of 2009 the album has sold more than 5.7 million copies.
The hits did not stop with Silver Side Up, and 2003's The Long Road helped the band to continue their success. Its first two singles, "Someday" and "Feelin Way Too Damn Good," both reached the top 10. The band's fifth album, All the Right Reasons, was released in 2005 and featured five songs that would break the top 20. "Photograph," "If Everyone Cared" and "Savin' Me" led to the album selling more than 7 million albums by 2009.
The band's most recent album was released in 2008 and Nickelback continued their impressive string of radio-ready hits with "If Today Was Your Last Day." To date, the group has sold more than 21 million albums worldwide and they are widely considered to be one of the most successful band of the 2000s. With an album expected to be released in 2011, Nickelback may continue the trend into the next decade.