Comments on: The Decade Of Nickelback

By: Jeremy Helligar

Jeremy Helligar — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:47:38 +0000

I know I’m terribly late responding to this post, but you have to remember that when Billboard refers to the “top” anything, it is not a critical judgement. It is based on points awarded to singles and albums by each artist. In a nutshell, what it says is that on Billboard’s charts, Nickelback was the most successful group of the decade, which actually sounds about right.

By: ncfrommke

ncfrommke — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:15:13 +0000

Maybe my vulture analogy answers my own question- Nickelback isn’t the only vulture feeding on the carcass of Grunge, but they are the biggest, fattest, & smuggest vulture. At least Collective Soul & Creed had the decency to go away.

Anyhoo, thanks for answering my post.

By: Leor Galil

Leor Galil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:21:22 +0000

They shut that site down?! Noooo!

By: Coates Bateman

Coates Bateman — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:17:05 +0000

I was so sad this website had to shut down: http://www.youhavebadtasteinmusic.com/

By: Leor Galil

Leor Galil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:51:06 +0000

It isn’t?! I better change my end-of-the-decade list… Ghost Rider, you’re my new No. 1!

By: Leor Galil

Leor Galil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:45:51 +0000

That’s a pretty interesting point about group think and critics, and the critical thumbs down on Nickelback actually speaks more to group think than, say, the sudden critical acclamation that Animal Collective (long ignored in the popular press) has received.

Frankly. for my two cents worth, it’s kind of a slap in the face as a music fan to see a band that repeats their songs note for note, sticks to the same lyrical theme throughout (and with pretty shallow lyrics) and somehow manages to sell millions. It’s as if someone out there wanted to show that taste didn’t matter, and Nickelback has unfortunately become the posterboys of that simply because of their (slight? whatever you want to level it as) success.

By: Paul Tassi

Paul Tassi — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:05:13 +0000

Yeah, I don’t have any idea how or why they came to this conclusion. It’s like Empire calling Daddy Day Care the movie of the decade.

By: ncfrommke

ncfrommke — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:47:29 +0000

I never entirely undrestood the unanimous critical revulsion for Nickleback- sure, they’re standard formula dreck, but so is a lot of other stuff out there. What is it that singles them out for the wave of critical mutilation? It can’t entirely be their comercial success; formula dreck always sells. It seems that there’s some kind of herd instinct out there, that critics are just as susceptible as the fans are to certain fads. Remember how bad the critics hated Led Zepppelin? In that case at least, the critics were wrong, & the fans were right. (Not to confuse the Founder-Gods of Metal with vultures on the carcass of Grunge.) This “Let’s all gang-tackle this one band because they SUCK so SPECIAL” smacks of group-think. The proper critical response to Nickleback is “meh”.

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Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:15:46 +0000

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