Chad Kroeger: The Real Reason You Don't Hear From Him Anymore
Chad Kroeger has belted out some popular tunes as the lead singer of the Canadian rock band Nickelback, including songs like "Rockstar," "Photograph," and "How You Remind Me." With help from his raspy vocals and his innate ability to write hit songs, the band had no problem climbing the top of the music charts during its heyday. But soon enough, Kroeger and his band faced some serious backlash, as some fans became fed up with Nickelback's repetitive lyrics and overall attitude. And, as a result, Kroeger's name has largely stayed out of news headlines.
Even his 2013 marriage to fellow rocker Avril Lavigne, which was quickly followed by a 2015 split, couldn't keep him in the spotlight. Since then, he's continued to release music that barely makes a dent on the charts. From his fans turning their backs on him to his band becoming the laughing stock of Facebook, he may not be gone from the limelight entirely, but his star power has diminished since he first crooned his way into our lives. Here are some of the reasons why you don't hear from Chad Kroeger anymore.
No one wants to see him perform live
When it was announced that Kroeger's band would be the headlining act for the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving day football game against the Green Bay Packers, football lovers were far from pleased (via Rolling Stone). An online petition to cancel Nickelback's performance garnered over 55,000 signatures from people who wanted the group to keep away from the National Football League. "This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?!" the petition read.
In the end, angry ticket holders didn't get their wish and Kroeger was front and center on the 50-yard line of Ford Field to perform at the Lions' stadium. When his band was introduced, fans reportedly booed the group. M Live reported that Nickelback quickly performed just one song and then swiftly left the field.
With that type of reaction, there's no wonder Kroeger is somewhat missing in action from the public eye. It must be tough dealing with near-constant criticism, and we can't blame him if he's purposely forgoing public appearances to shield himself from his haters.
He dissed the 'average listener'
Kroeger penned the 2006 smash hit "Rockstar" about the glamorous and gritty sides of fame. With lyrics such as, "Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars / And live in hilltop houses, drivin' fifteen cars / The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap / We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat," it sounded as if Kroeger had written an autobiographical tune about his time in the limelight. However, in an interview with Men's Health, he admitted, "I don't think anybody gets rich off record contracts anymore. But the thing about ["Rockstar"], it wasn't written as wishful thinking. It wasn't about my life or what I wanted my life to look like. It was about how the average person conceptualizes being a rock star, which is kinda absurd."
When asked if he was just being "ironic" with the lyrics, Kroeger answered, "That's it exactly," before explaining that his true fans would've realized right away that the lyrics were all in jest. "For the average listener, who just has music on in the background, they're probably not going to pay too much attention. Any irony falls on deaf ears."
Maintaining unwavering support from fans has helped many artists keep their long-standing careers afloat. So, by dissing the "average listener" and the "average person," Kroeger isn't just alienating a portion of his fanbase with his mean-spirited comments — he's making it pretty dang hard to keep a positive presence in the industry.
He doesn't play nice
The Nickelback frontman once did an interview with Metal Covenant in which he praised his own band by saying, "I can't think of another band that's as diverse as we are." He added, "I can't. And I don't think that's me talking from pride or ego."
After asking the interviewer to name another band just as "diverse" as his, the journalist suggested Stone Sour. Kroeger responded, "Yeah, because [Stone Sour is] trying to be Nickelback." He continued, "They're OK, but they're not as good as Nickelback," noting, "They sound like Nickelback Lite." Them's fightin' words, Chad!
Stone Sour's vocalist Corey Taylor heard Kroeger's comments loud and clear and gave this statement to Exclaim: "I don't know what the hell planet [Kroeger's] living on ... Apparently it's Planet Kroeger, and there must be good weed there, 'cause he's an idiot."
But that wasn't the end of it. Taylor went for the jugular by stating, "I don't have to say a damn thing — he is not a liked person ... That's all we have to say about it," before claiming that Kroger had a "face like a foot."
"Am I wrong?" he asked.
Ouch.
Are people too afraid to like his music?
Despite selling over 50 million records worldwide, Chad Kroeger is part of a band that everyone loves to hate, which could explain why he doesn't get the public recognition he feels he deserves.
"We're not a cool indie band, we're not Arcade Fire," Kroeger said to CBC Radio, comparing Nickelback to the indie rock band. "You're supposed to like those bands because they're hip, they're indie [...] I don't think you're supposed to like us."
But Kroeger didn't stop there. "Honestly, I even think the critics like Nickelback," he said. "I honestly do. ... It's not like it's bad music, it's just music. ... We're that guilty pleasure." Kroeger could be right. Even a Billboard review of their album No Fixed Address highlighted the reviewer's desire to hate the music, which they wound up enjoying in the end.
"The insurgent message is half-baked, but the arrangement — electro-grunge guitars, cannon-size drums and angry-mob chants — is a triumph of sonic sensory overload," the review read.
Perhaps if critics kept it real and gave Kroeger and his cronies the praise they deserved, others might be more willing to celebrate his contributions to the music world.
He hardly makes No. 1 hits
There was once a time when Kroeger's jams reigned supreme on the Billboard charts. "How You Remind Me" managed to peak at No. 1 on the Hot 100, while "Photograph" was able to reach the No. 2 spot. However, besides those two tracks, Kroeger has struggled to secure the top spots despite solid and consistent music releases.
"When We Stand Together" from the band's seventh studio album, Here and Now, maxed out at No. 44 on the Hot 100. Similarly, "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" from 2003's The Long Road came to a screeching halt at No. 48. Even their track "Animals" from All the Right Reasons had an abysmal release and puttered out at No. 96.
So, has Kroeger disappeared? Not at all. However, his lack of presence at the top of the charts certainly coincides with his minimal visibility in the mainstream media.
Even the police hate his music
Okay, we get it. Everyone hates Kroeger and his band, but we never thought the hate would ever go this far. In a since-deleted Facebook post from 2016, a Canadian police officer threatened to punish people who drove under the influence of drugs and alcohol by forcing them to listen to Nickelback's 2001 album Silver Side Up (via Billboard).
After a bit of backlash, the officer wrote, "What do you do when you use a joke to carry a message, but the message turns into the joke?"
"At first I admit I was fine with the way I worded the post. I was sure a hugely successful band would be fine with a little good will shade thrown their way, after all it's for a good cause," the officer continued. "But the more successful the post became the less the Don't Drink and Drive message was mentioned and the fact we love or love to hate Nickelback took centre stage."
Surprisingly, this incident didn't push Kroeger to his breaking point. He continued to remain silent and refrained from making a comment in the press.
He got trolled by Facebook
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed his home artificial intelligence system called "Jarvis," voiced by actor Morgan Freeman, back in 2016. He gave a sample of what the product had to offer during an introductory video that was posted online.
During the video, Zuckerberg rattles off a series of commands to the system and asks Jarvis to "play us some good Nickelback songs." Jarvis replies bluntly, "I'm sorry Mark, I'm afraid I can't do that... there are no good Nickelback songs," prompting Zuckerberg to reply with, "Good. That was actually a test."
While the world was laughing at the diss, there was one person who wasn't pleased: Kroeger's then-wife, Avril Lavigne. She took to Twitter to address Zuckerberg. "You're allowed your musical opinion however, your jab at Nickelback is in poor taste," she wrote. "When you have a voice like yours, you may want to consider being more responsible with promoting bullying, especially given what's going on in the world today."
We're glad Lavigne spoke up because, as usual, Kroeger didn't have much to say about the situation. He's either developed thick skin throughout the years or he'd rather be holed up in the studio making music instead of being hit with negative attention.
People like pickles better
Yes, you read that right. It seems that Kroeger is so hated, people would actually rather be a fan of a juicy, tangy pickle than his band, according to a since-deleted Facebook popularity contest.
A group of Nickelback haters decided to make the fan page on the social website to see if the pickle page could acquire more followers than the rock group. The Guardian reported that, in the end, the pickle actually surpassed Nickelback's official fan page by 50,000 followers. "Salute the almighty pickle!" the page's organizer proclaimed while celebrating its victory.
According to a website called the Daily Swarm (via The Guardian), the singer actually took some time out of his busy day to leave a comment on the pickle's page, which read, "Your page will be closing in two weeks," causing the organizer to taunt the singer by replying, "I still whooped your a**, Chad [Kroeger]!"
Does he use recycled lyrics?
As we've already noted, not everyone's a fan of Nickelback's song lyrics. In November 2008, Toronto Now criticized the band's messages as well as the lead singer's limited vocal abilities. "Kroeger's voice sounds more like a wounded goat than ever before, and their blatantly recycled songs touch on familiar themes," the paper stated in a review of Nickelback's album Dark Horse. "The best evidence is on the song 'S.E.X.,' where Kroeger advocates rethinking consent, singing, 'No is a dirty word... yes is always the answer.'"
The winning formula of glamorizing a fast and risqué lifestyle on their 2005 hit "Rockstar" may have hit a home run for the band the first time around, but it's apparent that music lovers are growing sick and tired of the band's "promotion of reprehensible behavior."
In all fairness, Kroeger has attempted to shake things up, penning the 2017 track "Song On Fire." He showed his more sensitive side in the lyrics: "I could set this song on fire, send it up in smoke / I could throw it in the river and watch it sink in slowly / Tie the pages to a plane and send it to the moon / Play it for the world, but it won't mean much / Unless I sing this song to you."
Still, don't expect him to receive much credit for expanding his repertoire.