Henry’s Music Blog

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everybody. Now, I was originally planning to do something about Madonna, due to her singing in the half time show, but there was something I have to say for everyone. We’ve all been guilty of this in the past; it’s just something that we all seem to fall into from time to time. So now, I am going to say this.

Nickelback, I apologize for the internet.

In case you want to hear a back story, Nickelback is one of the biggest bands on the planet, started in the 90s, and is led by Chad Kroeger. And they are despised. A band hasn’t been this widely hated and yet still huge since Grand Funk Railroad. If people need to immediately come up with a synonym for terrible music, they just say Nickelback. Even the Black Keys in a recent interview have said that they are an example of how the music scene has gone downhill. And it honestly makes me sad.

Nickelback isn’t a terrible band. They’re an average band. There is a difference between average music and the spawn of Satan. But to the internet, it’s the same thing. The internet doesn’t like anything unless it’s good, or terrible. So if something is average, it’s simply bad in people’s eyes. This is not a fair way to judge media. Nickelback isn’t a BrokeNCYDE or an Insane Clown Posse, who make legitimately awful music. But you never see anyone complain about them anymore. All they want to hear is how awful Nickelback is. But maybe this isn’t the reason the internet hates them.

Sometimes, a band is hated due to the behavior of the members of the band. Limp Bizkit would be far more respected without Fred Durst’s regular behavior. But I can’t find anything like this for Nickelback. To me, they simply sound like they’re decent human beings. Scott Stapp, of Creed, is a genuinely terrible person who makes genuinely terrible music. He preaches religion at every moment it’s convenient, then shows up to a performance drunk, then tries to pass it off as a “statement”. Nickelback realizes that they are essentially your standard Post-Grunge rock band, and they don’t try to be anything else. And that’s what makes me sad. They are humans. They weren’t just created by aliens to make music. They have feelings. How do you think they feel of being called “the worst thing since Hitler”? I have a feeling that that doesn’t feel all that good.

But then there’s what everyone says; all their songs sound the same. You want to know something? Coldplay’s one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the 2000s, and they’re even more repetitive. At least Nickelback has two modes; the rock song about beer, and the ballad. Coldplay only ever does one of those. And you know, Nickelback started out really interesting, before “How You Remind Me” became a hit. Coldplay have stayed monotonous for 10 years now, and they still get piles of awards. Explain that to me. The same thing with the Ramones. Their songs are all the same, and I say this as a Ramones fan.

So yeah, Nickelback is not the worst thing to ever happen to music. Not by a long shot. So why are they the most hated band on Earth. If you feel like answering, please do in the comments below. I’ll be glad to hear your theories. Good bye, I look forward to your opinions.