I don't remember exactly what year it was, but it seems by 2008, it became popular to start poking fun at Nickelback. This was at the height of their popularity, so perhaps they suffered the "Jeff Gordon Slapback," where people just hate you for being super successful. Which is understandable, nobody likes a winner... Looking at you New England Patriots... But does Nickelback deserve it?

Now I know I've got a weird opinion on this subject, and it's gotten me into some dicey arguments from time to time, but I'm gonna say it here just because I can. Nickelback is no different than AC/DC... I'll explain.

Everyone talks about how every Nickelback song sounds the same. They're not even trying... Songwriting is lazy... They're just out to make a buck... Etc, to which I almost always respond "How is that any different than what AC/DC does?"

Now before you hop onto your rage-train, hear me out. When you envision an AC/DC song, no matter what the title is, I can probably break it down to a general description that'll fit every single song they've ever written, with the only exception being bagpipes.

It'll have a thunderous drum beat, a driving rhythm section, lots of bass, a scorching lead solo, and a chorus you can sing with a hundred thousand others at the same time. Which AC/DC song am I describing? Furthermore, name an AC/DC song from this century that you'd like to hear over something from "Back In Black" through '99... That's not to say a title like 'Rock N Roll Train' wasn't a good song, it was, but only because it sounded exactly like their entire discography. And AC/DC knows this, that's why they play the hits from the earlier days, and not "One from the new album."

You get the same basics from a Nickelback song. A solid beat, catchy chorus, similar structures and breakdowns, maybe a guest vocalist from time to time, and if you've never seen them live, we'll just say you can't hardly beat a Nickelback live show. Remember when they covered Metallica in such a great way that metal fans actually got pissed off about it?

So the next time someone bags on Nickelback, you don't have to defend them, just remind 'em that they're the modern day AC/DC.

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