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Nickelback Flying High

Now one of the most popular pop-rock bands in the world, Nickelback’s road to stardom hasn’t been easy. Beginning as a cover band in the small Canadian town of Hanna, which is about 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary, Alberta, the band was named for the nickel in change that founder Mike Kroeger's brother often had to give customers in his job at a local coffee shop, in which he would say, "Here's your nickel back".

After years of playing weekly cover gigs at local Hanna area bars and entertainment events, Nickelback founding members Chad Kroeger (lead singer/guitarist), his brother Mike Kroeger (guitar) and Ryan Vikedal (drums) eventually grew tired of playing other people’s music. After assembling a collection of original songs, the group made a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia to record a demo in a friend’s studio. After the initial positive feedback the group received for the original recordings, Nickelback relocated to Vancouver permanently in 1996.

Shortly after moving to Vancouver, Nickelback recorded and released the EP Hesher and full-length LP Curb independently. In 1998, fresh of a successful series of cross-country tours promoting their new music, the band members decided to start managing themselves, with Chad handling all the radio tracking, brother Mike Kroeger the distribution, and Ryan Vikedal all the bookings.

The release of Nickelback’s second full-length LP, The State, in January of 2000 came at a highly opportune time when Canadian radio content requirements were increased and local rock stations began desperately seeking quality homegrown product. Just a few short months after the group’s single “Leader of a Man” hit the airwaves, Nickelback went from virtual unknowns to playing shows in front of over a million fans in both Canada and the United States.

Nickelback’s third full-length LP, the more polished The Long Road was released in 2003. The single "Someday" shot to number seven on the Billboard charts, and the album sold five million copies worldwide and was supported by a highly successful international tour. In February of 2005, it was announced that original member Ryan Vikedal had left the band. In an interview after the fact Vikedal claimed that he was pushed out of the band for not being "the type of drummer" the band required. A month later it was announced that former 3 Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair would join Nickelback as his replacement.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and the late Dimebag Darrell from Pantera were guests on the bands October 2005 hit release All the Right Reasons. The successful release of this fourth LP after Vikedal’s exit proved once and for all the band’s established fan base and industry staying power. Nickelback's most recent release, All the Right Reasons, has already sold nearly 5 million albums in the United States alone and more than 7 million albums worldwide.

Nickelback music downloads are at an all time high as their popularity continues to excel.