Scientific Research Has Been Done, And It Explains Why Everyone Hates Nickelback So Much
It’s really no surprise that Nickelback is hated the world over, and that they are often the butt of many jokes and insults. Everyone always comes down on the band, and their music, yet they continue to sell millions of albums and sell out tours all across the world. Now, there has actually been research study done to determine why people hate Nickelback so much, and after careful consideration, the true reason has been determined.
I once dated a girl who thought Nickelback was the best band ever. I still thought our relationship could work out…. It didn’t.
— Trevor Donovan (@TrevDon) April 4, 2016
A Finnish researcher by the name of Salli Anttonen from the University of Eastern Finland decided to do a research project on the hatred that always seems to find its way toward Nickelback. Why does everyone use them to inflict pain and hurl insults at others?
Well, Anttonen did a study that had the brilliant title of “Hypocritical Bulls*** Performed Through Gritted Teeth: Authenticity Discourses in Nickelback’s Album Reviews in Finnish Media.” It seems like an appropriate enough title, and the study is broken down perfectly in Metal Music Studies.
This academic figured out why so many critics hate Nickelback https://t.co/uog0Ip9fAZ pic.twitter.com/gxTEYa5ud1
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) April 1, 2016
Anttonen went through countless reviews from the Finnish music media that were published between the years of 2000 and 2014. The information and critiques of Nickelback ranged from good to bad, awful to ridiculous, and so much more.
One thing she truly started noticing was that the band had been completely stymied by its own mainstream popularity. Nickelback became popular, realized what was working, and decided to stay on the safe route by continuing to do exactly what they were doing.
Rock critics also know that they need to keep themselves looking good in the eyes of readers, and that may be the reason that they hate them so much. Displaying and pushing forward hate for Nickelback is a way they can not only assert their authority, but stay mainstream and popular in the eyes of those who read their reviews.
Nickelback continues to succeed, so the hatred from the critics only grows on insurmountable levels.
@thejakers could be worse. Could be Nickelback.
— Harry Chronic Jr. (@HGW3) April 8, 2016
Mental Floss points out an interesting part of Salli Anttonen’s study that realizes how similar they are to such beloved bands as Nirvana. Some fans and critics may see them as trying to simply be copycats, not adding anything new to the mix, and continuing to be happy with being what some may consider “grunge-lite.”
“The hope and memory of grunge can be seen to be soiled in the worst kind of way in the hands of bands such as Nickelback, who represent everything grunge was against, not least of all commercialism.”
At times, Nickelback may try to say they are “grunge” or “metal,” but their own style and songs keep them from being that. How can one call themselves “metal” when their music is being listened to by moms who are picking up kids at soccer practice?
Nickelback doesn’t bring about the controversy or meaning of songs that Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or other bands from years ago still do. Their songs are almost all the same, and nothing new is brought to the table from them that singles them out from the popular crowd.
Calculating.
Predictable.
Repetitive.
All of those words, and more, have been used to describe Nickelback, but you can guarantee that they don’t care. One reviewer says that critics and naysayers could speak on whatever they want because Nickelback is “laughing all the way to the bank.”
They may be able to win in the money earned category, but they probably won’t ever be able to win with the critics without a drastic change.
“Nickelback is too much of everything to be enough of something. They follow genre expectations too well, which is seen as empty imitation, but also not well enough, which is read as commercial tactics and as a lack of a stable and sincere identity.”
That being said, Nickelback is always going to be seen as those unflattering words above or through the harsh criticism from reviewers. Social media is always going to use them as an insult. Chad Kroeger and Nickelback are the subject of scientific research, and it’s been determined as to why people hate them so much. Either way, the band still gets a lot of love.
[Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images/Stringer]
