25 Years Later, the Most Divisive Rock Band's History-Making Album Deserves Another Listen

PA Images/INSTARimages.com Published Sep 10, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Jeff Cornell is a veteran music and entertainment writer, who has contributed to Variety, Billboard, Loudwire, The Hollywood Reporter, and MTV. Sign in to your Collider account By the mid-to-late 90s, grunge had been around long enough to inspire a new generation of guitar-driven bands. A wave of post-grunge acts including Creed, 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd, and Fuel captured mass appeal with heavy guitar riffs, radio-friendly hooks and slick production. At the dawn of the new millennium, Hard rock was having a moment and scoring mainstream success, along with pop superstars of the era like Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Christina Aguilera. These acts may not be as universally beloved and revered as grunge acts like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, yet all scored lightning in a bottle and achieved staggering commercial heights. In a strange twist of fate, the success of these post-grunge rockers led them to become the most divisive bands of the past 25-plus years. There may be no band more polarizing than Canadian rockers Nickelback, who scored a tremendous slate of hit singles and massive albums despite becoming one of rock's favorite punching bags. Nickelback's 'Dark Horse' Ride to Rock and Roll Stardom Captive Camera/Cover Images Long before Nickelback were known for hit songs like "Someday," "Photograph," and "Rockstar," they were a small-town Canadian outfit trying to make a name for themselves. The quartet from Hanna, Alberta, formed in the early 90s and drew heavily from the decade's hard rock and grunge music scenes. Since releasing their debut album in 1996, Nickelback has delivered ten albums and sold a staggering 50 million copies worldwide, all while polarizing rock fans and critics with a tightly produced sound blending hard rock riffs with an unmistakable grunge influence alongside anthemic, radio-friendly choruses with a keen pop sensibility. Nickelback released its independent debut album, Curb, in 1996 and followed it up with 1998's The State, which produced two noteworthy singles, "Leader of Men" and Breathe," after Roadrunner Records signed the band and re-released the album. To support The State, the quartet toured with the likes of Creed, Sevendust, 3 Doors Down, Stone Temple Pilots and Everclear, helping raise its profile and win over fans with its live show. The momentum continued in 2001 when Nickelback won the Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy, for Best New Group. This set the stage for their next album, which would transform them into international rock stars. 'Silver Side Up' Debuted at Number Two on the Billboard Album Chart Silver Side Up is the band’s third album and the record that made the Canadian rockers a household name. It features the band's signature combination of heavy guitar riffs, massive hooks, pop sensibility and dark lyrics exploring a variety of themes including domestic abuse, troubled relationships, abandonment, materialism, self-examination and regret. While writing songs for the album, frontman Chad Kroeger studied popular music and dissected every song he heard on the radio, trying to find reasons songs became hits. His research paid off with the band's biggest single to date, “How You Remind Me.” The classic remains Nickelback's only number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for four consecutive weeks in 2001. The infectious track was an early 2000s rock anthem and marked the beginning of the group’s strange journey from break-out stars to one of the most over-hated and divisive groups of the 21st century. In the liner notes to the 2005 re-release of Silver Side Up, frontman Chad Kroeger says "How You Remind Me" is the "type of song that comes along once in a lifetime, and I'm really glad to be associated with it. I feel as though it is not my song anymore and I didn't write it. When I hear it on the radio, it seems like an entity that has taken on its own life, and I'm just glad that my name is attached to it." The song's reach was undeniable. "How You Remind Me" was the most played song on US radio in 2002, finishing ahead of other popular songs from Puddle of Mudd, Linkin Park, Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavinge and Jimmy Eat World. Who's Your Perfect Classic Rock Band? Classic Rock Personality Quiz Who's Your PerfectClassic Rock Band? A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions Five legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody? ⚡AC/DC 👅Rolling Stones 🤘Metallica 👑Queen 🎸The Beatles Begin Quiz → 01 How do you walk into a room? Choose the answer that feels most like you. ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I've arrived. BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step. CHead down, focused — I'm here for a purpose and small talk isn't it. DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me. EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here. Next Question → 02 What does your ideal Friday night look like? ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better. BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment. CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between. DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering. EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine. Next Question → 03 What's your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex? ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness. BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection. CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard. DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist. ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices. Next Question → 04 How would your friends describe your personal style? ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go. BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works. CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour. DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me. EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together. Next Question → 05 How do you want to be remembered? AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive. BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically. CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real. DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely. EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it. Next Question → 06 What kind of crowd do you want around you? APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise. BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don't take themselves too seriously. CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time. DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn't normally be in the same room. EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music. Next Question → 07 If you were writing a song, what would it be about? AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it. BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human. CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon. DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy. ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise. Next Question → 08 What's your secret to staying relevant over time? ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything. BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge. CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves. DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move. EWrite songs so good they can't be ignored, in any decade, in any context. Next Question → 09 You're playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like? AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last. BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does. CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved. DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command. EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you. Next Question → 10 Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music. This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully. ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills. BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude. CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising. DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable. ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever. See My Result → Your Result Your Perfect Band Is RevealedBased on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is… ⚡ AC/DCYou are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don't need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You're the person in the room who doesn't overthink it, doesn't pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you've been on it since day one. 👅 The Rolling StonesYou've got swagger that can't be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you've seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You're not chasing perfection — you're chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can't always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway. 👑 QueenYou are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone's permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you. 🎸 The BeatlesYou have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you're a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You've changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously. ↩ Retake Quiz Who's Your Perfect Classic Rock Band? Classic Rock Personality QuizWho's Your PerfectClassic Rock Band?A Personality Quiz · 10 QuestionsFive legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody? ⚡AC/DC 👅Rolling Stones 🤘Metallica 👑Queen 🎸The Beatles Begin Quiz → 01 How do you walk into a room?Choose the answer that feels most like you. ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I've arrived.BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step.CHead down, focused — I'm here for a purpose and small talk isn't it.DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me.EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here. Next Question → 02 What does your ideal Friday night look like? ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better.BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment.CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between.DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering.EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine. Next Question → 03 What's your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex? ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness.BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection.CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard.DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist.ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices. Next Question → 04 How would your friends describe your personal style? ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go.BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works.CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour.DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me.EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together. Next Question → 05 How do you want to be remembered? AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive.BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically.CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real.DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely.EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it. Next Question → 06 What kind of crowd do you want around you? APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise.BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don't take themselves too seriously.CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time.DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn't normally be in the same room.EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music. Next Question → 07 If you were writing a song, what would it be about? AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it.BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human.CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon.DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy.ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise. Next Question → 08 What's your secret to staying relevant over time? ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything.BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge.CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves.DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move.EWrite songs so good they can't be ignored, in any decade, in any context. Next Question → 09 You're playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like? AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last.BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does.CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved.DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command.EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you. Next Question → 10 Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully. ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills.BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude.CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising.DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable.ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever. See My Result → Your ResultYour Perfect Band Is Revealed Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is… ⚡ AC/DC You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don't need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You're the person in the room who doesn't overthink it, doesn't pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you've been on it since day one. 👅 The Rolling Stones You've got swagger that can't be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you've seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You're not chasing perfection — you're chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can't always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway. 👑 Queen You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone's permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you. 🎸 The Beatles You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you're a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You've changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously. ↩ Retake Quiz The album kicks off with the driving rocker "Never Again," which tackles the difficult subject of domestic abuse. Chad Kroeger explains that people really connected with the song, "It's really powerful and very therapeutic for a lot of people. It's amazing how many people would come up to me after a show and confess to me that this was their upbringing. It's a powerful song." "Too Bad" is a well-written song with different textures. Ryan Vikedal used two different drum sets on the track, one for the verses and a separate one for the choruses, helping create a striking dynamic as the song moves from its slower verse into the memorable and hard-hitting chorus. Frontman and guitarist Chad Kroeger wrote all the lyrics on the effort and tapped into some personal experiences on several songs. "Woke Up This Morning," was inspired by his grandmother's funeral, while "Where Do I Hide?" pays tribute to a friend of the band, who used to escape from a juvenile detention center and return to their small hometown. The hard-hitting track "Hangnail" takes aim at music critics, a subject Nickelback would become all too familiar with in the ensuing years. "Good Times Gone" is the album's closing track and marks the biggest stylistic departure on the record. The soulful and bluesy song features Big Wreck's Ian Thornley on slide guitar and Kroeger calls it one of his favorite Nickelback songs. Nickelback Released 'Silver Side Up' on September 11, 2001 Nickelback released Silver Side Up on September 11, 2001, a date forever associated with tragedy rather than music, but one that also saw new efforts from Bob Dylan, Slayer, P.O.D., They Might Be Giants and Jay-Z. Despite arriving on such a dark day in history, the album made an immediate splash, debuting at number two on the Billboard Album chart, selling over 178-thousand copies, behind Jay-Z's The Blueprint. It would go on to sell over 10 million units, including six million in the US alone. The Canadian rockers were out on tour opening for 3 Doors Down in Pennsylvania on that fateful day. While countless events across the country were canceled, Nickeback and the other bands on the bill ultimately went ahead with the show. Guitarist Ryan Peake later recalled, "I didn't know if there was a place for our music at that point. The promoter told us that the show must go on. We were one of the only concerts that played that night. It was hard, but we offered a distraction for a few minutes... that is the way we perceived it." 'The Long Road' to Becoming America's Most Divisive Band INFphoto.com By the mid-to-late 2000s and into the 2010s, Nickeback had become a victim of its own enormous success. Despite 2005's All The Right Reasons debuting at number one on the Billboard Album chart and selling millions of copies worldwide, the group was never the darlings of critics and musical tastemakers, many of whom dismissed its sound as overly commercial, formulaic, and derivative. Years of relentless radio play and seemingly ubiquitous hit singles fueled a growing backlash, eventually turning Nickelback into rock music's proverbial punching bag. The Canadian rockers became the band everybody loved to hate, an unlikely cultural phenomenon made even stranger by the fact that millions of people continued to buy their albums and attend their sold-out concerts. The backlash arguably reached its peak in 2011 when Nickelback was announced as the halftime performer for the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving Day game. An online petition calling for the band to be replaced attracted more than 55-thousand signatures. Nickelback played the show anyway, but the controversy illustrated just how fashionable it was to hate the quartet. The band was routinely ridiculed and intensely scrutinized, yet continued to sell millions of albums and pack concert venues, revealing an enormous disconnect between public discourse and actual consumption. The criticism didn't end there. In 2013, Rolling Stone readers voted Nickelback the second-worst band of the 90s, behind fellow post-grunge band Creed. In the years since, nostalgia and a broader reassessment of the band's success have helped soften some of the hostility. Nickelback may no longer be the cultural punching bag it once was, but still plenty of detractors remain. 'Silver Side Up' Went Multi-Platinum and Made History Ameoba Corp. Some of the album's success can be attributed the team the band put together for the sessions. Rick Parasher, who's credits include Pearl Jam's Ten, Alice in Chains' SAP, and Temple of the Dog, was hired to produce the effort, while renowned mixer Randy Staub, known for his work with Metallica and Alice in Chains, helped give the album it's polished punch. It was a perfect storm of catchy songwriting, heavy guitars, massive hooks and slick production that allowed Silver Side Up to transcend rock radio and become woven into pop consciousness. Chad Kroeger says the album changed the direction of his life greater than any other one circumstance. 'Silver Side Up' had the biggest impact on my life and probably changed the direction of my life greater than any other one circumstance. Silver Side Up earned four Grammy Award nominations, including Record of the Year for "How You Remind Me," while Nickelback collected four Billboard Music Awards and four Juno Awards during the album's remarkable run. The group also became the first Canadian band since The Guess Who to score a number one album at the same time in both the US and Canada. It was an extraordinary rise for four musicians from the small town of Hannah, Alberta, who suddenly found themselves among the biggest rock acts in the world. More than 25 years later, Silver Side Up remains the album that defined Nickelback's sound and changed the trajectory of the band's career. It's slick but heavy combination of crunching guitars, Chad Kroeger's unmistakable raspy vocals, massive melodic hooks and dark and personal subject matter helped establish a blueprint the group would refine for years to come. Like them or not, it is difficult to deny the record's impact. Silver Side Up helped usher in an era in which Nickelback would become one of the defining and most divisive rock bands of the 2000s. Nickelback - Live at Home Release Date October 29, 2002 Runtime 138 minutes Director Nigel Dick