Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger recently opened up about the backlash the band has faced over the years in an interview with *The Downbeat Podcast*. Reflecting on the intense criticism that made them infamous in the 2000s, Kroeger described how the band became a target for early social media hate:
“It was the training ground for cyberbullying. Everybody was learning how to pick on people online, and we got to be patient zero of cyberbullying on social media. It sucked. But it turns out it was the trial run of what would become sort of how things work.”
Fears About the Future Without Hate
Kroeger also expressed concern that if the hate ever stops, it could signal the end of the band’s success:
“Referencing the fact that people are finally starting to move away from performative ‘worst band ever’ admonishments when there are far easier targets out there. If I look at the trajectory of our career versus the hatersphere, I don’t want the hatersphere to stop. Because we have never done as well as we did when everybody hated us. So, now that people are starting to try to like us, I don’t care one way or the other. But now that people are starting to like us, I’m worried our career might be over. I hope not.”
Chad Kroeger’s Perspective on the Hate
While Mike believes the hate continues, frontman Chad Kroeger has a different view. In an interview last year, Chad shared that the days of widespread Nickelback hate are largely over:
“I’m happy to say that the hate train’s over. It’s for whatever reason TikTok or something like that just like made it not cool to hate on the band anymore, and then like even these hardcore metal dudes on their podcast shows, they’re like, ‘All right, we might have been a little hard on Nickelback back in the day.’”
Chad also acknowledged that the negative attention actually contributed to the band’s fame:
“They didn’t even realize that the more smack talk that was going on, I’m like, ‘You know that you’re just keeping us in the headlines, right?’ Absolutely felt like Obi-Wan [Kenobi, Star Wars.]”
Turning Negativity into a Positive
Nickelback eventually transformed their negative image into a positive narrative with the release of their 90-minute documentary, *Hate To Love: Nickelback*, which hit cinemas on March 27. The film explores the band’s rise to fame and the challenges they faced, offering a deeper look at how they turned widespread criticism into lasting success.
