• 10. Photograph

    Nickelback’s first Canadian #1 is also among their most revealing work, simultaneously forefronting the Alberta fourpiece’s “Riff first, ask questions later” songwriting style and showcasing singer Chad Kroeger’s considerable gifts as a lyricist. “Look at this photograph,” intones Kroeger over a textured guitar hook, “Every time I do it makes me laugh.” Even six years after its release, “Photograph” is one of those tracks that reveals more meaning with each listen.

  • 9. Burn It To The Ground

    A stirring, urgent exploration of the dark side of binge drinking, “Burn It To The Ground,” off of 2008’s Dark Horse, finds Nickelback flirting with self-abnegation, as drummer Daniel Adair’s blistering backbeat threatens to overwhelm Kroeger’s snarling, back-of-the-throat delivery. “Burn It To The Ground” is a tidal wave - half whiskey, half vitriol - that consumes everything in its path. Look out!

  • 8. Far Away

    The fourth single from All the Right Reasons, “Far Away” shows a quieter, more introspective side of Nickelback. Kroeger’s normally forceful vocal delivery allows a waver and then a crack, as this anthem builds from the impassioned yearning of a suitor to the quiet desperation of a distant lover. “This time, this place, misused, mistakes, too long, too late - who was I to make you wait?” Chad Kroeger is a man who understands the infinite heartbreak of a gap that can never be bridged.

  • 7. Someday

    The leadoff single from 2003’s The Long Road, “Someday” is in many ways a sister song to one of the band’s first hits, “How You Remind Me.” But despite its sly nods to their breakthrough single, “Someday” is a distinctly forward-looking song: Both lyrically, and in the destination-oriented pacing provided by Mike Kroeger’s driving bassline, “Someday” is both a proof and a prophesy of the great things that this band is capable of.

  • 6. If Everyone Cared

    “If Everyone Cared” sees Nickelback turning their attention to the realm of politics. The message is simple, but impossible to ignore: “If everyone cared … If everyone shared … we’d see the day that nobody died.” As with all great songs of this kind, the political idea at its center is not overshadowed by the music itself, but rather buoyed up by a simple, plaintive melody that emphasizes and enhances the substance of the lyrics. It is also one of the most quietly beautiful hooks that Nickelback has ever written.

  • 5. Gotta Be Somebody

    “Everybody wants to feel like someone cares,” and there is a moment in the first soaring chorus of this triumphant ballad when you will realize that, after all, someone does. Nickelback.

  • 4. I’d Come For You

    Another rager from Dark Horse, “I’d Come For You” makes a powerful case for the argument that all truly great bands reinvent themselves with every new song. At its core, this is vintage Nickelback, but it is a Nickelback that has grown and changed and refined their technique to an almost frighteningly sharp edge.

  • 3. Here Without You

    Nickelback at their most raw and honest - and firing on all cylinders. As usual with this band, “Here Without You” manages to explore the very depths of an emotion (in this case, grief) without ever once feeling maudlin or insincere.

  • 2. How You Remind Me

    This is the song that started it all. Chad Kroeger’s growl, Ryan Peake’s soaring harmonies, Mike Kroeger’s infectious accompaniment on the bass, and Ryan Vikedal’s tight, fearless percussion. This song is close to perfect.

  • 1. Rockstar

    There was never any doubt that Rockstar was going to be Number 1.