Chad Kroeger. Genius. Deal With it.

[zamler]

I can respect any band if they can bring it live, even if I don't like their music. I despise bands and artists that go out live and sound like death warmed over, and there is a lot of that out there.

This band has talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...8FOx_E#t=1142s

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by edn88

So, wait, Nickelback is to blame for "Call me maybe?" Seems about right.

Call me Maybe started out as a folk song arrangement. Someone turned it into a pop arrangement and then one day Bieber was hanging out in his mom's kitchen and heard it on Canadian radio (do we have Cancon to thank for that?). He tweeted it and then it went viral among tweens. I don't think Kroeger had anything to do with it's success other than having a label that signs a bunch of Canadian artists.

A lot of top musicians and actors will knowingly write formulaic hits and participate in lowest common denominator blockbusters for fame and fortune but many of the people I respect the most as artists will temper this by putting out other material or acting in indie movies, etc. I've never heard Chad pump out anything but commercial garbage but then again, it's not like I go out to find Nickelback music. The only video I've ever willingly looked up was the one where they had garbage and rocks thrown at them at a Europe rock concert. I wish that would happen at every one of their concerts.

[Hans Landa]

So I guess there's no chance of liking something that sucks even though it hails from your own back yard?

Or does that only work for sucky hockey teams?

[opendoor]

Good rock musicians are a dime a dozen. Go into any bar with a cover band playing and chances are you'll see a good guitar player. Nickelback being competent rock musicians is nothing special. Pretty much every successful band has a baseline of musical talent.

Writing their own songs doesn't make them special either because they're not any good. Bands like Hanson, the Jonas Brothers, Simple Plan, and Hootie and the Blowfish and wrote their own songs and all are/were hugely successful. But no one will remember them in 20 years other than to cringe at the fact that people ever liked them and Nickleback will be the same because they have few if any redeeming qualities. They're successful, but disposable.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Good rock musicians are a dime a dozen. Go into any bar with a cover band playing and chances are you'll see a good guitar player. Nickelback being competent rock musicians is nothing special. Pretty much every successful band has a baseline of musical talent.

Writing their own songs doesn't make them special either because they're not any good. Bands like Hanson, the Jonas Brothers, Simple Plan, and Hootie and the Blowfish and wrote their own songs and all are/were hugely successful. But no one will remember them in 20 years other than to cringe at the fact that people ever liked them and Nickleback will be the same because they have few if any redeeming qualities. They're successful, but disposable.

Yeah, but that wasn't the point we were responding to. We were responding to this...

Zamler said

No really. At least he has talent and writes and plays music. The "artists" I really dislike are those that can't sing, can't write music, and are basically a manufactured product.

Then Canucks Hater responded with -

Thats exactly what Nickelback is though. You just described them to a tee

[zamler]

Originally Posted by opendoor

But no one will remember them in 20 years..

Probably. But you can say that about 99% of the bands out there.

Oh and Hootie and the Blowfish are cheaper than blank tape.

[malcolmk14]

Even though I don't necessarily dislike their songs, I find Nickelback boring as a live band. There's no emotion in their performances - they are just dull. They are there to play their songs and make some money.

You did ask for people to post bands they find good or talented - I'll go with another hugely commercially successful Canadian rock band - the Tragically Hip. Their music is "slower", but when I see them live I am completely and totally 100% immersed for 2 hours, every single time. Doesn't matter how big the crowd is, it feels like a more authentic and intimate live music performance.

Could be a matter of me just liking their music more, but even the bad Hip songs have me engaged. Nickelback live feels contrived to me.

[Itse]

I never really got the hate towards Nickelback. They're just generic, nothing special.

First of all, there is always a ton of suckage available for mass consumption. Hating the specific bands that make those songs is completely pointless. If one goes away another will take it's place. Mostly it's not even about the bands themselves. If you want to hate someone, hate the producers.

Also, there is always a good bunch of less popular bands just as sucky as Nickelback or Linkin Park. There's really no reason to single out just one or two.

More importantly however, it's the age of personalized media. There is very little need to listen to music you don't want to these days. If you want to go clubbing in places that play sucky music, it's your own fault. Music television is gone the way of the dodo, and who listens to bulk radio these days? If you say "I do", then I have a message to you: you're exactly the kind of people why Nickelbacks of the world are so succesful; the ones that will in the end listen to what ever the radio plays and who generally don't make an effort to choose the music around them.

There is so much good music in the world today and so many easy ways to get access to it that complaining takes more effort than finding good music.

[zamler]

Nickelback is one hell of a live band, you won't find much better. But I agree they do come across as kinda boring. Still, I bet going to their live show would be a great time. I saw them many years ago live but honestly I don't remember much about it.

[malcolmk14]

I have similar feelings as Itse just stated. Never really got the hate toward them, never liked their music or them as a live band much either. They are just generic. Well said.

[zamler]

Still would like to see what people consider a great live band, and by consider I mean post some vids.

[Traditional_Ale]

The one thing I think a lot of posters in this thread might not be realizing is it is not easy to write a "generic, formulaic pop song" let alone a good one. Just food for thought.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by zamler

Probably. But you can say that about 99% of the bands out there.

Yeah, but there are bands that are far less successful than Nickelback with far fewer fans at their height that will still be remembered decades later and discovered by kids who were barely alive when they were at their peak. Which is the point, this is disposable music made largely for people that tend to like whatever is put in front of them. Nickelback will eventually disappear and all their fans will forget about them and move on to something else.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

The one thing I think a lot of posters in this thread might not be realizing is it is not easy to write a "generic, formulaic pop song" let alone a good one. Just food for thought.

There are hundreds of successful pop songs released every year. Obviously it's not something just anyone can do, but it's not like Nickelback is breaking any new ground here.

Not everyone can write literature as enthralling as the Twilight series or 50 Shades of Grey either, but that doesn't mean it's not terrible art that has few redeeming qualities.

[sun]

Originally Posted by zamler

Nickelback is one hell of a live band, you won't find much better. But I agree they do come across as kinda boring. Still, I bet going to their live show would be a great time. I saw them many years ago live but honestly I don't remember much about it.

Clearly.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by zamler

Still would like to see what people consider a great live band, and by consider I mean post some vids.

A live experience generally does not transform itself to film very well.

Or if it does, it has mostly to do with directing and little to do with the bands itself. Like in a movie any bunch of generic actors can be made to look really rocking.

Also, it's so much about the whole gig, not just a song here or there, and very few people will take the time to immerse themselves in a video that long.

[Matata]

I'll give Nickelback points on their live show, they are tight and have the whole 'arena rock wall of sound' thing down. Though I base this almost entirely on their performance at the Olympics and reviews I've heard.

I will not, however, give them props as guitarists. I've played guitar for ~15 years, learned some Nickelback songs back in the day, and there is nothing about their guitar work that is impressive. It's basically Tool for Dummies and no more difficult than Blink 182 songs.

[bradster57]

Everyone hates on Nickelback but how does the crap in the top 40 get a free pass? Nicki Manaj puts me into a serious rage.

[troutman]

Cowperson is having some fun, and stirring the pot - "deal with it".

Wealth is just one measure of success, and not the main motivation for many artists. Sure, everyone would like to be rich, but artists will create, whether they get paid or not. Would Chad be doing this if he wasn't getting paid?

Being wealthy, does not always equate to being a genius. Many people are just in the right place, at the right time.

What is respect from your peers worth?

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

The one thing I think a lot of posters in this thread might not be realizing is it is not easy to write a "generic, formulaic pop song" let alone a good one. Just food for thought.

Big point here. Personally I've been finding the Nickleback hate more and more obnoxious over the years. I find it very similar to the guy at the party that needs to find several ways to drop the fact that he's straight into every conversation. The desire for people to let others know that they like a certain type of music bothers me.

Secondly, the argument against them gets weaker and weaker every year as we move away from a forced media stream and into a customized one. I used to hate bands I heard on the radio 5 times a day. Over the past 5 years I probably haven't listened to radio for more than 10 hours in total. In all honesty, I have heard 1 Bieber song in my life. The last Nickelback song I heard in its entirety was at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. It's just not hard to avoid music that isn't your thing.