Nickelback have been one of rock’s most successful and controversial acts in the last 20 years. They’ve had hit after hit on modern rock radio, but many fans trash the band for sounding generic and like an uninspired take on 90’s rock music, and for seemingly taking themselves too seriously. Chad Kroeger has said they are simply misunderstood.
Chad told WRIF via Ultimate-Guitar, “Well, I think just because I’m a bit older now, there’s certain stuff that would be silly of me to say. You know, back when I started a song with, ‘I like your pants around your feet’ – that was a different time, a different Chad, a different era.”
Chad was tickled when his songs with cheeky and somewhat offensive lyrics became hits on the radio.
“When we recorded ‘You look so much cuter with something in your mouth,’ I mean these songs, you guys play these songs on the radio. I think it is hilarious, and anybody that thinks that we take this band seriously is hilarious cause were just four goofballs sitting there going, ‘Can you imagine if they play this on the radio?’ Then you guys play it on the radio.”
Chad said many listeners missed the ironic and humorous nature of Nickelback due to the band being marketed as a super serious rock band.
“I think that there’s been some misrepresentation of this band over the years.”
“We’ll be in a photo session and we’re doing this photo shoot and we’re just goofing off, and you’ve got all these candid shots and we’re laughing – you know, cry-laughing and just getting all these great shots – and then, right at the end, it’s always the same thing. ‘Alright guys, give me a little bit of attitude.’ We all do that thing…
“And that’s the picture [they use] every. Single. Time. It’s like, ‘Look at these douchebags taking themselves so seriously,’ and it’s just a terrible misrepresentation of the band.”
