Why is Nickelback so universally hated?

Ricsard

HeavyHands wrote:

This is a fair and surprisingly difficult question to answer...

I know that there are several reasons I don't like their band's art/music:

1. I find it (their music) unoriginal and uninspiring.

What I have heard all sounds the same to me. Predictable breaks. Absolutely grating vocals and lyrics. Boring guitars & riffs. Uninspiring percussion. For them this is a significant weakness because it means if I don't like one of their songs, there is a higher chance that I will not like more of their songs. Were there some variety they would stand a chance of snagging my ear. This may be just me though. I find a lot of variety in all of these areas in PJ's catalog and I know other people that don't.

2. I have the impression that the band takes itself completely seriously even though the songs I have heard in the rare circumstance my radio is on all, to some extent, reflect the aforementioned lyric about (and this is paraphrasing) someone's pants being around their ankles.

I am not a teenager anymore. This type of lyric is juvenile and, quite frankly, speaks to a lifestyle that I have never lead nor do I understand. Maybe were I were a teenager who was just becoming aware of the implications of lyrics like this I would find it novel and think "Yeah! That singer sure enjoys having sex! I can't wait to enjoy it myself some day! Wooo! Until then I'll just listen to more Nickelback!" Maybe were I only out to run down women every night with my scads of masculinity and musky leather pants, and then seduce them in my hillside L.A. apartment (with a great view of the valley, no less!), I would feel that Nickelback was writing the soundtrack to my life.

Personally I crave the art I take in to have more substance than anything I have ever heard come from this band. The persistent low quality of lyricism would then force me to listen to them instrumentally. Unfortunately (for me and them) I don't find anything original about how they craft a song. I always hear standard riffs, percussion, distortion, and production. Hitting your drums harder does not correlate solely with sounding better. Also, less cymbal please.

Whenever I hear Nickelback I think of the band from the movie School of Rock which won the battle -of-the-bands at the end. It makes me feel better inside.

3. The band has some say in how they present themselves publicly, but they choose to do the same thing over and over.

Here I fully admit that I do not go out of my way to seek out pictures of Nickelback to either affirm or dis-affirm my currently held impression that every time I see an image of this band they are scowling, yelling, wearing an ensemble of black clothing, or a combination of all three. I enjoyed (and to an extent still enjoy) listening to some old Metallica, who essentially did the exact same thing with their image, but it was novel when they did it. For Nickelback it's just a retread. Unoriginal. The worst thing about this to me is that this must be how they want to be seen, otherwise they would do something about it. They would smile, wear brighter colours, not have their picture taken in an alley, hold a puppy... Something.

All that being said, I don't begrudge anyone their success. They have managed to be a highly successful band at marketing themselves and make a living traveling and playing instruments instead of doing real work like scrubbing toilets, managing a construction crew, teaching, fighting fires, being a single parent, etc... They get to set their own schedules, make hundreds-of-thousands of dollars at a time, and live above the stresses that people like neighbors of mine have: how to support a four-person family when you're being laid off because the local manufacturing plant is closing.

The only real thing that makes me feel bad about thinking Nickelback are not collectively talented is that Matt Cameron has worked with Chad Kroger in the past and that they might be friends. Might. I don't know.

I respect the hell out of Cameron's entire body of work. I have since '92 when I started listening to him. IMO he is, bar-none, one of the most talented percussionists working today and I would feel bad if he took anything I said above personally because it was said about his friend(s).

Hey, that's an impressive post!

BinGnarly

Why is Nickelback so universally hated you ask? Well... I don't really know anyone that likes garbage.

Child Of The 90s

restlesssoul wrote:

why is nickelback so universally hated, while at the same time selling 10 million copies per album?

thats what id like to know.

I posted an article in this thread that addresses the same question. It's a pretty good read. Enjoy
http://forums.pearljam.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=128437

CAVSTARR313

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

facepollution wrote:

Big Drop wrote:

Nickelback is treading water in a sea of bad poetry and retarded sexuality.

I don't think I could say it any better than that.

It's impossible to improve on Spinal Tap

You can't dust for vomit

blondieblue227

A lot of their lyrics are about dysfunctional women. So how is that any different from rappers singing about bitches and hos? Yuck.
I will say I like Animal or whatever it’s called because it reminds me of my younger days. Lol. but yeah I agree, it must appeal to kids because their lyrics are immature.
Nickleback or whoever writes their music has found a money making song code, and the code is just rearranged for each song. Manufactured.
But rest assured nickleback is laughing all the way to the bank, so who really gives a fuck?

Break The Sky

gabers wrote:

Big Drop wrote:

Nickelback is treading water in a sea of bad poetry and retarded sexuality.

One review for their album Shark Sandwich was just two words - shit sandwich.

WHO PRINT THAT? YOU CAN'T PRINT THAT!

Break The Sky

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

facepollution wrote:

Big Drop wrote:

Nickelback is treading water in a sea of bad poetry and retarded sexuality.

It's impossible to improve on Spinal Tap

You can't dust for vomit

The question is, on what day did God make Nickelback, and couldn't he have rested on that day as well?

skippybrew

Their problem is in the mixing. They should have done it in dubly.

Franny

Chad

Horos

BinGnarly wrote:

Why is Nickelback so universally hated you ask? Well... I don't really know anyone that likes garbage.

I like Garbage!

Obviously they are not universally hated unless the universe just consists of this board. I don't think millions of people bought their records because they hate them.

I find that every song I have heard from them sounds the same, that's why I'm not a fan.

CAVSTARR313

It's impossible to improve on Spinal Tap [/quote]
You can't dust for vomit[/quote]

The question is, on what day did God make Nickelback, and couldn't he have rested on that day as well?[/quote]
how much more black could it get? the answer is none, none more black

evenflow82

'Sex Farm' just hit number one in Japan.........Spinal Tap's recording of 'Sex Farm.'

CAVSTARR313

Your job isn't to be as confused as Nigel

JaneNY

Hate is too strong a word for me to use here. I find their music to be simplistic and misogynistic, so it doesn't do much for me.

MANKIND

Cavstarr313 wrote:

Because they suck.. Need i say more?[/quo

i knew this would be the first reply and its spot on.

chadwick

Sagittarius Crux wrote:

Chad

what?



btw, nickelback?
never heard of 'em.

blondieblue227

Horos wrote:

I like Garbage!

me too!

chadwick wrote:

Sagittarius Crux wrote:

Chad

what?

btw, nickelback?
never heard of 'em.

jr19

i live in the deep south and just about everyone around the south loves nickelback. its disgusting..... i am seen as wierdo for the music i listen to. all the rednecks at the bars put dollar after dollar to hear the same ol' shit they played last weekend. this shitty mindless hard rock.... i guess actually thinking about the music they are listening to is just too much effort. my handful of friends just cringe with fear every time we see people go to the jukebox at our favorite bar.......... and dont even bother trying to tell them that it is not any good or asking them to really listen to the worst lyrics of all time..... beating a dead horse..

Got a hard hard head

I couldn't honestly say that I hate Nickelback in the way that I hate all that one-thousand-mile-per-hour-what's- with-the-stupid-fucking-high-pitched-vocals hardcore dance music.

Nickelback are bland, uninspiring and put the Jolly Green Giant firmly in the shade in the corny stakes. But, to some, they serve a purpose. As soon as they come on tv or, in the rare instance I listen to it, the radio I instantly turn it off. The first time I heard and saw their...ahem...vocalist (whatever the hell his name is) I thought he was trying to sound and look like a really, really piss poor watered down version of James Hetfield.

One plus point is that bands like Nickelback keep people who have no real interest in music (they just go along with what seems to be popular at the time) away from the serious, talented bands. Would you want a Nickelback fan at a Pearl Jam gig?

*shudder* :shock:

dustinpardue

MrSmith wrote:

their writing is similar to radio country music. its basically shitty country music for people who think they are rock fans.

whoa! You nailed it. I was trying to think of a reply but I can't possibly explain it better than that.