Undoubtedly, the group knew thousands of kids would sing along to their hit without giving the lyrics a second thought, but the in-jokes (“Gonna date a centrefold that loves to blow my money for me”, “Get washed-up singers writing all my songs/Lip sync ’em every night so I don’t get ’em wrong”) are enough to catch the attention of listeners who lived through classic rock’s 70s and 80s heyday – and may still see it through rose-tinted glasses. Frontman Chad Kroeger dreams of a “bathroom I can play baseball in” and “a credit card that’s got no limit” in true MTV Cribs fashion – though he also takes jabs at fame’s corrosive side with the altogether less aspirational observations such as “Everybody’s got a drug dealer on speed dial” and “We’ll all stay skinny ’cause we just won’t eat”. Collaborating with the indie-poppers on a full-length version, reminding fans that the original song was not only built on a sturdy structure that could be readily adapted, but that it also came packed with knowing gags that were rife for parody in other areas.Īt the time of Rockstar’s original release, the Canadian four-piece had cemented their post-grunge, Southern rock sound (particularly with 2001’s Silver Side Up album) and laidback sense of humour, so when it came to writing their anthem-in-waiting, all they had to do was take their knack for penning catchy, bar-raising singles to a new level of grandiose pop-rock.įeaturing spoken-word assistance from Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (“Uncle Billy” is something of a hero for the band), Rockstar details the “benefits” of rock’n’roll stardom as if everyone lusts after them. Spotting a piece of light-hearted fun amid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Nickelback were quick to show their support. behind The Beatles for the 2000s. Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, ranking as the 11th best selling music act of the 2000s, and is the 2nd best selling foreign act in the U.S.

Originally released on 6 July 2006, Rockstar gained traction once again in the early part of 2021, when UK group The Lottery Winners performed a sea shanty version of the song – complete with nautical lyric tweaks – on TikTok. Nickelbacks music is classed as hard rock,post-grunge, and alternative rock.

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