Chad Kroeger Said Nickelback’s ‘Photograph’ Was Inspired by a Picture of This Rock Musician
“Photograph” remains one of Nickelback’s most famous classic rock songs. During an interview, Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger revealed the song was inspired by a picture of a rock musician. He also said the song was a reflection on his childhood.
Chad Kroeger revealed why he wrote Nickelback’s ‘Photograph’
During an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Kroeger discussed the origin of “Photograph.” “It’s just nostalgia, growing up in a small town, and you can’t go back to your childhood,” Kroeger said.
“Saying goodbye to friends that you’ve drifted away from, where you grew up, where you went to school, who you hung out with and the dumb stuff you used to do as a kid, the first love — all of those things. Everyone has one or two of those memories that they are fond of, so this song is really just the bridge for all that.” Kroeger felt the universal theme of the song helped it become a hit.
Chad Kroeger said this rock musician helped inspire Nickelback’s ‘Photograph’
Kroeger said the photograph mentioned in “Photograph” depicted Joey Moi, a rock songwriter who worked on songs by Nickelback, My Darkest Days, Theory of a Deadman, and other bands. “I just didn’t know where I was going with it, just spitting stuff out,” Kroeger recalled. “Next thing I know, there was a line, ‘What the hell is on Joey’s head?'”
Kroeger discussed what exactly was on Joey’s head in the picture. “It literally looks like he has the Stanley Cup on his head, and it was just a big, very well-polished champagne chiller, and we were just messed one New Year’s Eve, out of our minds, and someone took that picture,” he said. Kroeger revealed the photograph in the “Photograph” music video is an edited version of the picture of Moi with a champagne chiller on his head.
The way the world reacted to the song
“Photograph” became a massive hit. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 33 weeks. Besides “How You Remind Me,” “Photograph” is Nickelback’s highest-charting song.
“Photograph”‘s parent album, All the Right Reasons, became a hit as well. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, lasting on the chart for 206 weeks. All the Right Reasons became Nickelback’s first — and to date only — No. 1 album in the United States. All the Right Reasons also included hits like “Rockstar,” “If Everybody Cared,” “Far Away,” “Savin’ Me,” and “Animals.”
“Photograph” became popular in the United Kingdom as well. According to The Official Charts Company, the song peaked at No. 18 in the U.K. and remained on the chart for 23 weeks. Meanwhile, All the Right Reasons hit No. 2 in the U.K. and lasted on the chart for 61 weeks. The song became the subject of numerous memes. “Photograph” started with an unusual choice of headwear and it became a classic 2000s hit.
