Ranking All 9 of Nickelback Studio Albums

In a world where music critics are constantly reviewing albums, compiling end-of-year lists, and streaming/downloading the newest records – it’s only natural that somebody would eventually rank all of Nickelback’s records. However, because their output is often flimsy at best, I thought it would be more entertaining to rank their albums based on different criteria instead of just providing a strict rating. This article will rank all of Nickelback’s studio albums based on their cover art, lyrics, and how much I personally enjoy them. You might be surprised at where some of these records end up.

9. All the Right Reasons (2005)

In July 2006, Nickleback would release their fifth single in the US, the Rockstar. The song was as cheesy as it gets and is probably one of the reasons the band is so hated. The song’s lyrics appear to glorify materialism, in my opinion. It’s likely what caused a lot of people to start writing Nickelback off at around the time when they were really starting to hit their stride. I personally think that All The Right Reasons is an excellent record but it wasn’t without its faults. One of the biggest criticisms this article will have towards All The Right Reasons is its lack of an interesting album cover. I’m sure that millions of rejected album covers could have been used, but the band ended up with one that is just plain dull, for lack of better words.

8. No Fixed Address (2014)

Nickelback’s eighth studio album, No Fixed Address, will always be the black sheep of their discography. At best, the album was met with lukewarm reviews and spawned just two minor rock chart singles in Edge Of A Revolution and “What Are You Waiting For?” The first single came with a music video that featured stock footage of the war, riots, and protests, which somewhat hindered the song’s appeal. Still, the real issue so many people had was that it sounded too much like everything else Nickelback has ever released. It’s sad when the best thing about an album is arguably its cover art, but in this instance, there isn’t much to discuss here, as No Fixed Address is just an average Nickelback album that only gets points for not being quite as bad as the one below it.

7. Silver Side Up (2001)

Upon its release, Silver Side Up would be met with mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, but Nickelback’s third studio album wouldn’t come without a few minor problems of its own. Silver Side Up is a relatively consistent album, with “How You Remind Me” being the most successful song of the album. The song was so successful that Silver Side Up became Nickelback’s highest-selling album to date. The song had more appeal than anything else on the record, especially in the US. It’s likely what pushed this album up to where it is on this list. Still, Silver Side Up has some good tracks on it, and I personally think it kicks off with one of its strongest songs, “Never Again.”

6. Here and Now (2011)

We’ve now reached the halfway point of Nickelback’s discography, and things are looking pretty average at this point. Their seventh album, Here And Now, is one of their weakest releases to date. It also wasn’t met with much critical acclaim. The biggest criticism of “Here And Now” was that it sounded a bit too safe and Nickelback just seemed to be going through the motions. This is pretty understandable considering how much they had been slogged through the mud by critics over the years, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Here And Now might not have been their most vigorous effort, but it didn’t really deserve most of the criticism it was given and still had some pretty strong singles. “Bottoms Up” was a massive hit that got heavy airplay on stations like my local rock station, and “When We Stand Together” brought about another successful music video.

5. Feed the Machine (2017)

Their latest release, “Feed the Machine,” has been met with a solid response from critics and audiences alike. It’s the most rock-oriented release they’ve put out in years, but it still retains all of the staples that Nickelback fans have grown to love over the years. Overall, Feed The Machine is a pretty strong album, and I think this is one of the few albums of theirs where I like every song on the record. The title track and “Must Be Nice” might be my favorite tracks, but there isn’t a bad one in the bunch.

4. The State (1998)

The State is a pretty solid sophomore release. The biggest hit was “Breathe,” which had some pretty good staying power on rock radios. Other tracks like “Old Enough” and “Leader for Men” also had successful music videos. Even though Nickelback’s second release is their shortest, it still packs a punch with twelve great tracks that are all worth hearing. It might be one of my favorite records they’ve ever put out, but now things are about to get interesting.

3. The Long Road (2003)

Nickelback had started to lean too much towards the dark side. This is evident with The Long Road, as this record has one of their most controversial songs with “Figured You Out,” and it also isn’t as consistent as some of their other releases. However, there are still some great tracks on here. The first track, “Feelin’ Way Too Damn Good,” is probably my favorite song off of the record. It has a pretty cool sound, and it sticks out as one of the most memorable songs they’ve recorded throughout their career.

2. Curb (1996)

Nickelback’s debut release, Curb, is their most unique. Many of their guitar riffs are more bluesy, and there isn’t much in terms of post-grunge influence that you hear on some of their later releases. The first track, “Fly,” is probably one of Nickelback’s more famous songs, and it really serves as the perfect introduction to the band. The album also has a hidden gem in “Chatterbox,” which is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the record and still gets played on some stations to this day.

1. Dark Horse (2008)

Nickelback’s sixth album, Dark Horse, is one of their best releases to date, and it just has a great flow from start to finish. It didn’t have any successful songs as successful as earlier releases, but “Gotta Be Somebody” and “If Today Was Your Last Day” are some of their stronger tracks. Even though the band was taking some heat for being too mainstream at this point, I think Dark Horse is one of Nickelback’s most diverse records with songs like “Never Gonna Be Alone” and “Shaking Hands,” which have a different sound from anything else on the record.

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