Nickelback最早成立于加拿大的小城Hanna，最初的成员是Chad Kroeger(主唱/吉他手)，他的兄弟Mike Kroeger(贝斯手)，他们的表兄弟Brandon，以及他们的好朋友Ryan Peake(吉他手)。他们开始演唱一些歌星的歌曲。1996年，Chad Kroeger向他的继父借了4000块钱跑到了温哥华一个朋友的录音室里录制歌曲，其间，Brandon离开了乐队，他们的朋友Ryan Vikedal接任了鼓手一职。这一年，他们发行了一张EP唱片《Hesher》，并且发行了一张独立专辑《Curb》，并且开始了巡回演出，但是当时他们一点名气都没有，他们花费大量时间去散发宣传材料和广告，以及发动亲戚朋友向电台打电话要求播放他们的歌曲，从而使乐队得到一定程度上的宣传，并且拥有了自己第一批较为固定的歌迷。 1998年，他们解雇了自己的经纪人，原因是他们的经纪人并不能宣传推广他们，并且不能把他们带到一个更高的地位。之后的时间里，乐队由Mike Kroeger主要负责财务方面，Chad Kroeger主要负责音乐方面，Ryan Vikedal则负责日程安排等。之后他们投资三万元来制作他们的第二张专辑。2000年初，第二张独立专辑《The State》正式发行。当时的加拿大摇滚音乐几乎完全被国外的摇滚乐所占领，他们急需寻找自己本土化的摇滚乐。正在这时候，加拿大人发现了Nickelback乐队，这使他们迅速窜红，他们的巡回演唱会也成为了音乐界的热点。 成名了的Nickelback乐队开始投身新专辑《Silver Side Up》的制作，在这张2001年发行的新专辑中，Chad Kroeger在歌词方面一改过去的含糊不清和隐喻，表达得更为直接，歌曲的创作也充满了灵气也更为成熟，有的歌曲源于生活中的经历，有的歌曲则只是在排练的瞬间就创作完成。而在新专辑中还有Rick Parashar和Randy Staub两位一流制作人来掌舵，所以《Silver Side Up》也成为了Nickelback在美国最为成功的专辑，该专辑曾经排在Billboard 200排行榜的亚军位置，并且诞生了多首摇滚单曲榜的冠军单曲，专辑销量超过了500万张。此后，Chad Kroeger又先后为电影《蝎子王(Scorpion King)》《蜘蛛侠(Spiderman)》《超胆侠(Daredevil)》创作了歌曲并参与制作原声带。2003年，Nickelback 的第四张专辑《The Long Road》正式发行。
nickelback - Rockstar
I'm through with standing in line
to clubs we'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
and I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out
quite the way I want it to be
I want a brand new house
on an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
for ten plus me
I'll need a credit card that's got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club
At thirty-seven thousand feet
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and
James Dean is fine for me
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free
I'm gonna dress my ass
with the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to
blow my money for me
I'm gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair
And change my name
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and
today's who's who
They'll get you anything
with that evil smile
Everybody's got a
drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I'm gonna sing those songs
that offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills
from a pez dispenser
I'll get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip sync em every night so I don't get 'em wrong