Songoftheday 6/11/24 - How the hell'd we wind up like this? And why weren't we able to see the signs that we missed? Try and turn the tables...

 

 

"Someday" - Nickelback

from the album The Long Road (2003)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 36

 

Today's song comes from Canadian rock's punching bag, Nickelback, who had made their pop top-40 debut in the end of 2001 with the #1 hit "How You Remind Me".  The next year found lead singer and guitarist Chad Kroeger getting the band more exposure with two side projects: His contribution to the Spiderman soundtrack, "Hero" with Josey Scott of the band Saliva, spent two weeks at #3 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100, while his feature stint on Santana's "Why Don't You & I" (he was on the album version but the Calling's Alex Band sang on the "single" version because label issues - both were credited on the charts) scored a second top ten pop hit.

Kroeger reunited with brother Mike on bass, rhythm guitarist Ryan Peake, and drummer Ryan Vikedal for their fourth album on Roadrunner Records, The Long Road. The lead single from the record was the ballad "Someday". Written by the band and produced by Joey Moi, it's another plodding ball of angst as Chad puts himself in the midst of a breakup, knowing he isn't going to probably change things but at least go out on a less sour note. The title comes from the promise to "make it alright", though it's unclear what that means. It's meant for a mood piece, and in that aspect it succeeds, but the vague wash of emotion ends up not having much context. The production from Moi and the band is driving and dramatic, and Kroeger and Peake's vocals blend together so well on the chorus. The music video is a bit jarring, cribbing the Sixth Sense liberally with a strange as hell "romantic" ending...

"Someday" spent a hefty 50 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, reaching the top ten in February of 2004. On the radio, the song peaked at #2 on Billboard's Mainstream Top-40 chart, spent a week at #1 on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, and on rock radio took eight weeks at #2 on the Mainstream Rock list and getting to #4 on the Alternative Rock counterpart. Internationally, the single topped the chart in Canada for sales, and made the top ten in Australia (#4), The United Kingdom (#6), Switzerland (#6), Italy (#9), Ireland (#9), and New Zealand (#9). It also hit the top-40 in Austria (#11), Sweden (#14), Germany (#26), Belgium (#31 Flanders), and the Netherlands (#38). The Long Road album, released in September of 2003, came in at #6 on the Billboard 200 sales tally, spending a respectable 80 weeks on the list and going on to sell over three million copies. At the Grammy Awards in 2004, "Someday" was nominated for Best Rock Song, losing (rightfully) to the White Stripes for "Seven Nation Army". The Long Road was also up for Best Rock Album, which went to Foo Fighters for their One By One set. 

The second single from the Long Road "Figured You Out", where Chad starts at the bad on regaling his partner's oral skills, and goes on from there. It dominated the man-heavy rock radio scene, spending thirteen weeks at #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and getting to #4 on the Alternative side of the house, but since pop and adult stations were still busy with "Someday", the song stalled at #65 on the Hot 100, though it went to #10 in Australia.

 

That was followed by the infinitely better "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good", which spent a month at #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and peaked at #23 on the Alternative counterpart, #24 on the Mainstream Top-40 list, and spending a half-year on the Adult Top-40 format chart with a high of #12.  Overseas it scraped the top-40 in the UK (#39) and Australia (#40). The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005, which went home with Velvet Revolver for "Slither".

 

The fourth and final single from the record, "Because Of You", which had them almost try their hand at light speed-metal, landed at #7 on the Mainstream Rock airplay chart. 

 

Nickelback will be back to the series.

 

(6/10)

 

(Click below to see the rest of the post)

 

Their was an alternate version that pumped up the supernatural ending...

 

 The band pulled out the acoustic guitars to perform the song on The Tonight Show...

Next up, live at the Hard Rock rolling out the new single...

The group did "Someday" in Sturgis in 2006...

and lastly, live at Red Rocks...

Up tomorrow: A band named for a New Jersey landmark is cougar-hunting.