Nickelback

Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Canada. The band is composed of guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adair. The band went through a few drummer changes between 1995 and 2005, achieving its current lineup when Adair replaced drummer Ryan Vikedal.

Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and ranking as the eleventh best-selling music act, and the second best-selling foreign act in the U.S. of the 2000s, behind The Beatles. Billboard ranks them the most successful rock group of the decade; their song "How You Remind Me" was listed as the best-selling rock song of the decade and the fourth best-selling of the decade. They were listed number seven on the Billboard top artist of the decade, with four albums listed on the Billboard top albums of the decade.

The band was formed in the early 1990s as a cover band called "Village Idiot" by Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger, and Brandon Kroeger. The band later changed its name to Nickelback, which originated from the nickel in change that band member Mike Kroeger gave customers at his job at Starbucks; he would frequently say, "Here's your nickel back." The band performed covers of songs from Led Zeppelin and Metallica. Chad Kroeger then asked his step-father to give him $4,000 so that the band could record their first demo, a seven-track EP of original material, called Hesher (1996). The band spent half the money to record the EP, and spent the other half on magic mushrooms.

In 1996, the band recorded and released their first full-length album, Curb. "Fly" was included on both Hesher and Curb and was the first single produced by Nickelback. In 1997, Brandon Kroeger left the band and the band searched for a new drummer. Later that year Mitch Guindon joined the band, but he decided to leave in 1998 because he started working in a car company. In Summer 1998, Ryan Vikedal joined the band.

Roadrunner A&R Ron Burman told HitQuarters that one of his West Coast scouts sent him the self-released album and, suitably impressed, he travelled to Vancouver to see them perform live. Although an unknown property in the industry at the time, the venue was packed out. In Burman's words: "I immediately got the chills! I thought their song 'Leader of Men' was a smash hit."Off the stage he was impressed by their industry and initiative in managing their career. Despite this, it still took Burman three months for him to convince his label bosses to approve the signing, a decision that would mark Roadrunner's first move into mainstream rock. Nickelback signed a record deal with EMI and Roadrunner Records in 1999.

Just after New Year's Day 2005, drummer Ryan Vikedal was replaced by 3 Doors Down's drummer Daniel Adair.

Immediately after the new album was released, Kroeger sued Vikedal in a British Columbia provincial court, seeking to prevent Vikedal from receiving any more public performance royalties from the band's recordings.

Aside from all the success of All the Right Reasons, lead singer Kroeger began his own label named 604 Records in 2005, holding the position of executive producer.

The group was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2007.

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 (1995–present)
Daniel Adair – drums (2005–present)

Former members

Brandon Kroeger – drums (1995–1997)
Mitch Guindon – drums (1997–1998)
Ryan Vikedal – drums (1998–2005)


Nickelback discography:

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)