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Scientific Proof That Nickelback Sucks

thewebshite.net — Same beat, same breaks, same awful band. I submitted this story and it got buried. Shortly after it got 140 diggs. This is attempt #2.

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 14, 2006

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  • blueblood, on 10/12/2007, -15/+291Al Gore should love them for all the recycling they do
  • ThinkBox, on 10/12/2007, -21/+256We must spread the truth.... Nickelback fans can't silence us forever!
  • radicaldementia, on 10/12/2007, -16/+156People still care about Nickelback?
  • inactive, on 10/30/2007, -14/+141I hate people who sign their name
  • radicaldementia, on 10/12/2007, -9/+120I hate people who don't know how to correctly reply to other posts
  • skywake, on 10/12/2007, -23/+104@del4
    how dear you insult alt-rock!
    add to the list? sure...
    -The Smashing Pumpkins
    -Nirvana
    -The White Stripes
    -Pearl Jam
    -Placebo
    -Queens of the Stone Age

    don't believe me?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_rock
    *evil glare*
  • WATYF, on 10/12/2007, -12/+93A couple things to realize...

    The songs were pitch-shifted (by whoever made this) so they would be in the same key.
    The songs were sped up so they would have the same tempo.
    The unaltered originals do not sound this similar.

    From a musician's perspective, this type of criticism is ridiculous. Every vocalist has a range, which means many of their songs will be in similar keys. Also, there is a relatively small set of common chord patterns that are used in most rock/pop music. (1-5-6-4, 6-4-1-5, et al). If you pitch and tempo shifted them, I guarantee that you could lay a very good number of your favorite songs over each other and they would sound disturbingly similar. Standard verse/chorus/bridge lengths are very common (8 bars, 16 bars, etc) because they sound good to the human ear. There's really nothing "sucky" about it. Remember... there are only 12 notes in total. There’s only so much you can do with that that’s “different” (without it being weird just for the sake of being “different”).

    Lastly, I've never quite understood the rabid amount of Nickelback hatred. Granted, I'm no fan, but I don't foam at the mouth every time I hear their music either. Getting so incredibly bent out of shape over music you don't like just doesn't really make sense to me. I mean... It's just a matter of taste... why would anyone get worked up over a personal preference? That's as silly as getting bent out of shape over food that you don't like. "GOD! I HATE ONIONS! THEY SUCK SOOOO BAD! ANYONE WHO LIKES ONIONS IS A FREAKING RETARD!!! SERIOUSLY!!! YOU SUCK!!!"...... see how dumb that sounds? If you don't like it, just don't listen to it.

    (P.S. Buried as Lame. This has been on the net for (literally) years...)
  • Tijmen, on 10/12/2007, -8/+88I love you all.
  • MackPrime, on 10/12/2007, -14/+74we can see your name right there, no need to sign it.
  • aragon127, on 10/12/2007, -2/+60Please leave the Nickleback fans alone. The fact that they are Nickleback fans is punishment enough.
  • jordandiggsit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+57Anyone ever see this video of Nickelback getting things thrown at them on stage until they quit playing and go home after 2 songs?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pksdA_sIzL8

  • reevolutn, on 10/12/2007, -9/+64i love lamp
  • shrewduser, on 10/12/2007, -21/+58oh my god finally.... why the hell do these hopeless talentless ***** tards get airtime on the radio??? they hound me from station to station... ruining my day with their stale beats and their sucky rifs and horribly ugly looks (well that last part doesn't affect me over the radio...)
  • Thater, on 10/12/2007, -14/+50wtf... Culture Club 0wnz!
  • mhaluza, on 10/12/2007, -6/+42 If you listen carefully to many, (and I mean many) bands out there, you will find the same thing. Lots of bands have a certain method or style for writing chords and progressions, especially for the alternative rock genre. Now I'm not saying im a Nickelback fan, but they are not the only fish in this ocean that does this.
    Besides, they have millions of fans and 3 multi-platinum albums....they must be doing something right or am I missing something?
  • ionbattle, on 10/12/2007, -11/+39The old story:
    http://digg.com/music/Scientific_Proof_That_Nickleback_Sucks
  • lukas88, on 10/12/2007, -5/+35I don't like nickelback so I am not defending them, but you would be surprised how many songs from even respected bands will do this.

    -They are playing in the same tempo
    -They are playing in the same key
    -Their verses/chorus are the same number of measures

    It is the truth that most singer/songwriters have a certain key and a certain tempo they are most comfortable with. However, you don't notice the similarities between songs as often because they do clever things to make it sound different, such as unique intros, breaks, solos, different instruments/volumes, different style of vocals, etc. However, if you threw all those little things out, the bare bones are the same.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+30"every radio station in Canada MUST play at least 35% Canadian content."

    That sucks. Y'all are stuck with Bryan Adams, Alanis Morissette and Anne Murray. On the upside, you've also got Skinny Puppy and Rush.

    And you've got Sloan...who were VERY f'n cool back in the day.
  • windex99, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Have you ever heard anything other than the top 40?
  • C4RL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19@WATYF

    Very true, especially in the context of western pop music. There are several chord patterns which are so heavily used, one could argue that all of the bands which implement these "suck" or are unoriginal.

    For example: I,V,vi,IV is used in countless songs, including:
    "Closing Time" - Supersonic
    "Semi-Charmed Life" - Third Eye Blind
    "Good" - Better Than Ezra
    "When I Come Around" - Green Day
    "Dammit" - Blink 182
    "Torn" - Natalie Imbruglia

    I could go on. There are more specific references. Green Day's progression from "Basketcase" during the verse is strikingly similar to Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D major. And Chopin was playing vi-I cadences before all y'all.

    Another popular one is variations on VI,VII,i. Some that come to mind:
    "All Along the Watchtower" - Bob Dylan
    "Stairway to Heaven" (ending) - Led Zeppelin
    "Kiss From a Rose" - Seal
    "Kryptonite" - Three Doors Down

    One could also argue that every single blues artist sucks, simply because all 12-bar blues music is based off the same pattern I,IV,I,V,IV,I.

    But, yeah. Nickelback does suck.


  • windex99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17Creed also sucks quite badly.

    Although, it would seem to me, that most people that have bad taste in music are happier...
  • roastedbagel, on 10/12/2007, -7/+21My cats breath smells like cat food!
  • thenewmadmax, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18@ shrewduser, live in Canada? then its the crtc's fault

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_content

    every radio station in Canada MUST play at least 35% Canadian content. so if your the head of a rock/alt station in Canada, you don't have much choice.
    It's one of the reasons why Dallas green is so big. With his work on 'city and color' 'alexisonfire' and 'neverending white lights' being able to cover so many genres, he's got a monopoly.
  • alstewart73, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18I was sure it was spelt "Nickelbollox"
  • dracostimpy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15Easy there, fella... don't get all Vanilla Ice on us and wreck the set just cuz we're doin a little hatin.
  • LGod, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18How is this scientific?
  • lazydrumhead, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16this is a classic example of something that SHOULD be duped and hit the front page over and over and over, so those who have not heard can.


    "I think that's remarkable for someone to notice that there is a hit quality. If all hits sound the same, then sorry. When you are a band that has a distinct style such as us or AC/DC, that happens. When you have a distinct style, you run the risk of sounding similar." - lead singer Chad Kroeger on the identicalities between "Someday" and "How You Remind Me"
  • hurfydurfur, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.

    So let's say that you prove that Nickelbacks sucks, people will still listen to it. It's art not science. However, I enjoyed the link because they presented a solid case that the structure of the song is formulaic, including a nice flash player that easily separates the two tracks in stereo so you can listen to them independently.

    Pop songs have a basic structure (and this is what I was hoping to read):
    1. Optional hook (short chorus)
    2. Verse
    3. Pre-chorus
    4. Chorus
    5. Verse
    6. Optional pre-chorus again
    7. Chorus lots of times
    8. Optional bridge and then back to chorus

    In addition, it's good to have your verse as disjointed melodically and have the chorus be smooth melodically. The pre-chorus needs to lead into the chorus to draw the listener in as if to say "hey wake up here comes the payoff".

    Music is time and space. Rock like this is always 4/4 but that doesn't mean much. The beat (as people say "I like this beat") isn't really what people like. The "beat" is 4/4. People really mean they like the feel, the sound, the entirety of the music or "I can dance to it". So these two songs are 4/4, but they also are close on tempo and they sound in the same key. So 4/4 is the structure of the beat, the tempo is the speed of the beat and the music's key makes the harmony and the melodies match. In these ways (as a DJ does), they mix together perfectly (as well as the higher-level structure bullets I mentioned above).

    Rock like this is all guitar driven. And it's good to keep the chords simple and standard so your guitar-aspiring fans can play along with minimal schooling. Look at Guitar Center. It's a retail chain devoted to a single instrument (although they sell other things). Market to them, they want to play along.

    What was neat about this site is that all the sections of what I listed exactly match up. He likely shifted the tempo down for the beats to match but, hey, a lot of people hear this kind of thing without even listening to the songs at the same time. I dunno, it's kind of pointless to argue ... people don't have the time to become music experts ... if you want new (and "scientifically" good) music then why not ask a few musicians what they listen to. After a while they might give you a straight answer:
    - The Mars Volta: crazy polyrhythms, they don't care about form
    - Behold the Arctopus: math metal with no vocals
    - Dream Theater: self-indulgent ***** but maybe you like the 90s synth rock
    - Beck: he picks his samples well and confines electronica like few can
    - Outkast: maybe you like rap. At least these guys can write std music when they want to.
    - The Roots: While Boyz 2 Men were dancing, these guys played a live talent show at their high school
    - Anything Rick Rubin touches so you can learn what production is.

    ... My input. Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.
  • DontSayFanboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11I've said it before and I'll say it again. You don't have to be a chef to know that a turd sandwich tastes like *****.

    Non musicians are well within their rights to say certain music sucks. It either speaks to you, or it doesn't. That's what music is. Engineers and producers are often times more talented than the ones playing the songs, sure, but production values don't mean much if the song is boring.
  • crazymunch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11This Works PERFECTLY for Oasis, As was Illustrated by their Triple M Music Challenge Where they layered THREE Oasis songs over each other on the same Chord progression and rhythm and everything

    It's Comedy GOLD (For Aussies at least)
  • headzoo, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16I think you need a control group. Take some band that people universally agree doesn't suck, and give them the same treatment. See what happens.
    Actually, all the bands I can think of that don't suck wouldn't work. Maybe Nickelback just really sucks after all.
  • agentgonzo, on 10/12/2007, -10/+20 If it gets buried, then that means that people don't think that it's worth the effort. It doesn't mean that you should repost it just so that you get the marginal ego boost of making the front page.
  • jpwhitmore, on 10/12/2007, -27/+37People need to digg the original too.
  • thenewmadmax, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10most of the ***** people listen to these days is garbage anyways. you know, the mans got a point, its all one hit wonders with no substance nowadays
  • terrya64, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9This is stupid, There are other bands, whose songs sound similar. I can usually identify a Metallica song that I have never heard before within the first 10 seconds.
  • vprice509, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Here ya go:

    joke |jōk| noun a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, esp. a story with a funny punchline : she was in a mood to tell jokes. • a trick played on someone for fun. • [in sing. ] informal a person or thing that is ridiculously inadequate : the transportation system is a joke.

    (scientific proof that you are a pinhead)
  • lansuggs, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11As much as I now hate Nickelback, I have to ask some posters in this thread: what exactly is music that isn't garbage? Is one of the criteria for a good band have to be that no one has ever heard of them? This band could be and is called good by a mainstream gruop of people. I enjoyed listening to 'The State', and then found everything afterwards to be derivative off of it, but does that make it sucky music? Trust me, I have heard sucky music, and there are many bands who musically, fall well under bands like Creed, Nickelback, and Theory of a Deadman. Their music may all sound alike, but I guess the catchyness of it all has given them popularity. As easy it is to make fun of popularity, you have to wonder why more authentic, perhaps better bands don't get recognition. BTW, "sell-out" is the most tired term in the history of music, and I never again want to hear it being used to judge quality of bands.
  • Providence, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10@Skywake.

    I don't know about you, but Queens of the Stone Age puts out some pretty awesome post-stoner rock. Especially their first self-titled album. God. Such good stuff.
  • sithious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8got a link for that?
    : )
  • bilangew, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Original site down.. this probably makes reference to: http://www.eurielec.etsit.upm.es/~galdecoa/blog_files/nickelback.swf

    (or google for "nickelback.swf", if this one goes down too.)
  • jd33, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I didn't like either of those songs until I heard them mixed together.
  • analogvoid, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11I saw this a couple years back I think.. but good reminder.. yes Nickelback is trash for sure.
  • dustyshadow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7We unfortunately for the "artists," the non-musicians are the ones buying so instead of crying about it, I think it's time to accept that it is fully in their right to say that Nickelback sucks donkey *****.
  • RoboPimp3000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I swear "Hot Cross Buns" is a direct ripoff of "Three Blind Mice"!
  • LoungeActx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Did we really need science to figure this out?
  • Akira, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@thenewmadmax
    There are many Canadian bands that are good and that most people don't know about. Such as Our Lady Peace, Matthew Good Band, Stars, Arcade Fire, Metric, and many others I probably don't know about. Rock stations just don't seem to play much of it (I'm blaming the Fox on that one for anyone that knows). They play the popular Canadian rock groups, which for some weird reason is Nickelback.
  • AceTracer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10I first saw this about two years ago on another site, and after some discussion we all agreed that it's not so much the repetition that makes them suck, The Ramones and AC/DC made virtually the same album over and over again as well, except, they reproduced good stuff. Nickelback's stuff was always bad.
  • diatrevolo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8English *****...DO YOU SPEAK IT?
  • johneffort, on 06/06/2008, -4/+10I really don't care about Nickelback or whatever but this is not completely correct.

    Important things to realise:
    The tempo and key has been changed so the songs would match.
    Further, It looks like they use the same kind of progressions, but that doesn't mean they use the same chords. Several chords can be blended together without sounding bad.

    It isn't very creative, but it definitely doesn't suck as hard as the poster wants you to believe.
  • Nu_Metalz, on 10/12/2007, -8/+14I hate when I read "Scientific Proof" and there's absolutely NO science at all..
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