Back in 1995, a group of Canadian musicians from a tiny Alberta town called themselves “Village Idiot.” According to , in a 2017 interview, backup vocalist and guitarist Ryan Peake said, “Our small town [Hanna, Alberta] was almost a village size, so I thought it was appropriate.”
They soon became Nickelback. The name came from bassist Mike Kroeger’s time working at Starbucks. He’d say, ‘Here’s your nickel back’ while giving customers their change. Chad Kroeger is Mike’s brother, and he’s the lead vocalist. Daniel Adair kept the beat, but finding the right drummer took time. Several came and went before he joined.
At first, they stuck to playing other bands’ songs in small college bars. Seven years passed before they hit it big. Their hit song, “How You Remind Me,” topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada in 2002. British fans pushed it to number four. Other hits include “Photograph,” “Rockstar,” and “Far Away.” Silver Side Up from 2001 and All the Right Reasons from 2005 are both certified multi-platinum in the United States.
They mix many different sounds in their music, from heavy post-grunge to catchy pop-rock. Their early shows featured covers of fellow Canadian acts, including The Tragically Hip and The Watchmen, and their success speaks through numbers. They’ve sold 50 million albums and streamed over 10 billion times. Sold-out venues have greeted them on tour 12 times in a row, and they’ve sold about 3 million physical singles.
Social media buzzes with reactions about the band’s first name. Some fans think the switch was smart, and others crack jokes that maybe they should’ve kept it.
