A wise man once told me, "Nickelback is like the fish fillet sandwich at McDonald's, everyone hates on it, but it must sell to stay on the menu." This statement made me rethink everything in regards to Nickelback. Could I have been looking at Nickelback wrong my whole life? Are they, in fact, the greatest band of all time? Maybe.
When thinking about who the greatest band of all time is, the generic answer is always The Beatles. This is a good answer, but the popular opinion is not always correct, so let's look at some facts. Nickelback, a Canadian band, is the second best selling international band in American history behind only The Beatles. This is a big win for both bands but Nickelback has done this with only nine albums versus The Beatles and their 13 albums. Additionally, The Beatles broke up while Nickelback would never break up because they are perfect and care about the fans, specifically the kids and the troops, too much to do such a thing.
Clearly, Nickelback has the sales. Now let's look at the hits. Arguably, there has never been a greater one-two punch of hits on an album than "Photograph" and "Rockstar." These certified bangers spent a combined 94 weeks on the top 100 charts. Songs like "Yesterday" by The Beatles and "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen can take a hike because no song has ever captured the nostalgia of your hometown and growing up quite like "Photograph." People to this day are still asking themselves, "What the hell is on Joey's head?"
Not only does Nickelback's influence echo through the entire music industry, but it can also be felt in movies. Go into theatres now, and all you see are comic book movies as well. This trend stems back to the huge success of the original "Spider-Man" movie in 2002. Now, what band do you think Sony Pictures called upon to make the single that would anchor the ultimate superhero movie? That's right, it was Nickelback! Nickelback is responsible for the MCU.
Of course, there are some negatives to Nickelback. All their songs sound the same (Why change perfection?), and Chad Kroeger has a very punchable face, but all bands have setbacks. The Beatles snorted drugs. Led Zeppelin ripped off blues music. "The Grateful Dead" inspired every annoying frat guy in a tye-dye shirt to tell say "you just don't get it man" while proceeding to only know the song "Truckin'."
While the greatest band of all time title will still be easily debated, the answer is clear to me. It's Nickelback. If you say things like "The Beatles" or "The Rolling Stones," I'll laugh you out of the room. Those guys just wanted to be big rockstars like Nickelback. However, if you argue for Creed, I will welcome your opinion with arms wide open.
