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June 28

I have a question about the band called Nickelback

Are Nickelback's first 2 albums Curb and The State less well known then their later albums? I've never heard of their singles on the radio before from the first 2 albums. 2001:569:5026:8A00:6995:6719:BD2D:E7B7 (talk) 21:15, 28 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Their first album mainly received attention in Canada, but The State and a couple of singles from it (Leader of Men and Breathe) received radio airplay in the U.S. in addition to Canada, and the album did well south of the border, although not much outside rock radio. They only became huge into the U.S. market with their third album, Silver Side Up, especially after lead single How You Remind Me became a massive hit in 2001. Xuxl (talk) 14:00, 29 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Their first album was released by FACTOR and their second was self-released. I don't know how many units a typical FACTOR release would have, but a self-released album would definitely not have the reach and promotion of major American record labels. Lots of bands have made releases that most people have never heard on smaller record labels before getting major label deals. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 20:59, 29 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

FACTOR is not a label but a Canadian government program to help musicians release their music. It has little to do with how many units are made; some big hits have received support from the program, but typically the assistance is directed to musicians beginning their career, and who do not have the support of a major label (not that this happens much anymore, but it was different in the late 1990s when Nickelback started out). Their first record was only released in Canada originally - it received an international release in 2002, after they had made it big -, but as I mentioned above, the second one, The State did get U.S. distribution, through Roadrunner Records, and charted there and received airplay as well, even if it was not the massive hit that the follow-up albums would be a few years later. Roadrunner was an independent label, but one that got wide distribution at the time. Xuxl (talk) 14:48, 30 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]