Wait. What? Did you read that correctly? Sadly folks, yes, you did. And what’s worse, it’s shockingly true. Nickelback, and specifically main man Chad Kroeger, are indeed musical geniuses. Maybe not for All the Right Reasons as one of the Canadian rock band’s album titles suggests, but they’ve got at least 50 million reasons to suggest that there is a level of genius to their craft. Easily one of the most maligned popular bands of the past decade, Nickelback has still outsold all of their peers, filled stadiums tour after tour, and Kroeger himself has branched out beyond his band to create a small media empire for himself. And don’t be fooled; the band's massive success wasn’t by accident. Their entire ascent from Canadian indie band to becoming the most hated, but also best-selling rock band in the world has been meticulously planned detail for detail. So, love em’ or hate em’ (and honestly, who’d admit to loving Nickelback anyway?), these are five reason why, like it or not, Nickelback are musical geniuses.

5. The Formula

Have you ever noticed how every pop star today has a very strict formula to their music? It’s like each and every song an artist releases is written by one or two of the same people (funny enough, they all are written by the same people, but that’s another article). Furthermore, the singles these pop artists release follow a strict template as well. Release a song about a broken heart, follow it with a song of empowerment, or a song about sex, and then follow it with a song about having some fun, probably in the summer. That’s a good few months to a year of heavy radio airtime and the summer single kicks off a massive tour, like clockwork every time.

Well, Nickelback have perfected this exact same formula. They are a pop band, just louder, and with guitars. The writing and production of a Nickelback album is as manufactured as a Katy Perry album. From the types of singles the band releases, to the order they release them in, to the massive summer tours, it’s all the same. Katy Perry, Britney Spears and… Nickelback. The promotion and image cultivation is just as precise.

How many times have you seen Chad Kroeger in his trademark aviators pose for a photo op? Far, far too many, but it’s all part of the deal. And, as criticized by the press as the band is, at every single show Nickelback always have members from local radio stations hanging out back stage with them to position themselves for airplay. Free booze and a taste of the rockstar life goes a long way in helping a DJ decide what song to play the next day at work. Despite this proven record of success in cultivating and maintaining a formulaic image, it was still the music that created Nickelback fans in the first place, and when it comes to a proven song writing formula, the band is second to none.

4. Mass Appeal

Like it or not, Nickelback write what people want to hear. The band's broad range of musical styles, from sappy ballads to borderline heavy metal, have enough mass appeal to hit every market. And the lyrics, I mean c’mon. College guys, single guys, and party animals love the “no shirt and s$%t faced” anthems about sex and drinking. “Burn it to the Ground” in particular has become the let loose, get wasted and “swing from the ceiling” call to arms for a good night on the town; the song is played in every bar when it’s really time to get the crowd going and start selling booze. It’s also the theme song for the WWE further broadening its appeal to a specific demographic.

Then the band does a 180 and writes smooth sappy ballads about love like “Gotta Be Somebody” that help counter the lack of morality in some of their songs and appeal to those searching for the “one to spend forever with.” There’s also the throwback nostalgia tunes, like “Photograph” where Chard and co. get to relive their childhood, naturally reminding the listener of their own days of youth. What Nickelback has been best at though, ever since “How You Remind Me” hit the air over a decade ago is writing songs about breaking up. And what is more universal than a painful breakup? Whether it’s a Nickelback song, or someone else’s, we can all relate to lyrics like “How You Remind Me,” and the equal massive hit “Someday.” Formulaic, effective calculated songwriting and it works like a charm. Chad Kroeger has been called “a song scientist” and for good reason.