Dark Horse (Nickelback album)

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Dark Horse
Dark Horse (Nickelback album cover).jpg
Studio album by Nickelback
Released November 18, 2008 (2008-11-18)
(See release history)
Recorded March–July 2008
Studio Mountain View Studios, Abbotsford, British Columbia
Genre
Length 43:38
Label
Producer
Nickelback chronology
All the Right Reasons
(2005)All the Right Reasons2005		 Dark Horse
(2008)		 Here and Now
(2011)Here and Now2011
Singles from Dark Horse
  1. "Gotta Be Somebody"
    Released: September 29, 2008
  2. "Something in Your Mouth"
    Released: October 28, 2008
  3. "If Today Was Your Last Day"
    Released: November 11, 2008
  4. "Burn It to the Ground"
    Released: January 29, 2009
  5. "I'd Come for You"
    Released: March 23, 2009
  6. "Never Gonna Be Alone"
    Released: September 29, 2009
  7. "Shakin' Hands"
    Released: November 16, 2009
  8. "This Afternoon"
    Released: March 23, 2010[5]

Dark Horse is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on November 17, 2008, in Europe and a day later elsewhere.[6] It is the follow-up to their multi-platinum selling All the Right Reasons (2005). It was co-produced by the band and producer and songwriter Robert John "Mutt" Lange, known for working with such acts as Foreigner, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard and Shania Twain. Dark Horse sold 326,000 in its first week and debuted at number 2 in the US. More than a year after its release, the album did not leave the Top 100 on the Billboard 200. In its 91st week, the album peaked at #46 on the latest issue, on the week of August 28, 2010.[7] On 9 October, the album has since stayed there for 97 consecutive weeks, in the position of #71.[8] The album spent 125 consecutive weeks inside the Billboard 200.[9] On the week of November 29, 2014 Dark Horse re-entered the Billboard 200 at #195, more than six years after the album's release.

It was ranked #191 on Billboard's 200 Albums of the Decade.[10] It is also the band's fourth straight Multi-Platinum selling album in the U.S. As of 2010 the album has sold 3 million copies in the United States and 5 million copies worldwide.

Promotion and singles

The first single from the album was "Gotta Be Somebody", which was released online for free digital download on September 29, 2008, for a strict 24-hour period.[6] "If Today Was Your Last Day" had been planned as the lead single but was scrapped at the last minute. The track "Something in Your Mouth" became available for download from the United States iTunes Store on October 28, and was released to US rock radio airplay as the second single from the album on December 15. The song was a hit in 2009 in many countries, such as the United States. In Australia, it received little airplay.

In January 2009, the album's second mainstream single (third overall) was released: "I'd Come for You", with Nigel Dick having made the music video. Songs "Something in Your Mouth" and "Burn It to the Ground", written by Kroeger, were released only to the rock radio stations in December 2008 and May 2009 respectively.

The exclusive Wal-Mart edition of Dark Horse included a link to download an MP3 from Nickelback's performance of "This Afternoon" on Wal-Mart Soundcheck.[11]

The album won numerous accolades at the 2009 Juno Awards, winning three out of five of its nominated awards including "Rock Album of the Year".

Dark Horse was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 9, 2008, only three weeks after its North American release. The album also remained in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 for weeks after its release.[12][13] The album was certified two times platinum in April 2009, and had by April 2010 sold over 3 million copies in the U.S.[13] Burn it to the Ground was also nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 52nd Grammy Awards but lost to AC/DC's "War Machine". On September 13, 2010, the album re-entered the German Albums Chart at No. 30, 21 months after its debut and almost 6 months after its last entry on that chart.[14]


Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 1.5/5 stars[15]
Blender 3.5/5 stars[16]
Calgary Herald 2.5/5 stars [17]
Entertainment Weekly (C+)[18]
The Guardian 1/5 stars[19]
Los Angeles Times (positive)[20]
NOW 1/5 stars[21]
PopMatters (3/10)[22]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[23]
Toronto Star 2/4 stars[4]

According to Metacritic, the album received mixed reviews from critics, scoring 49 out of 100.[24] Conversely, it received a positive review and won the Juno Award for Album of the Year, a category whose nominees are the top five selling Canadian releases of the year.[25]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave Dark Horse 1.5/5, writing, "Dark Horse is constructed entirely from the group's standard power ballad and hard rock templates, the mood only lightening when Kroeger and company take a break to kick back on 'This Afternoon.'"[15] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Leah Greenblatt wrote, "It's hard not to be put off by the execrable lyrics of album opener "Something in Your Mouth" (the song is basically kryptonite for feminists)."[18] PopMatters criticised the band's release, giving it 3/10 and saying it was a step down from previous albums: "Dark Horse finds the group at a creative low point. Each song sounds like an older, better Nickelback hit, and Kroeger only once displays his prior songwriting strength with the sad-bastard portrait 'Just to Get High'."[22] The Guardian awarded the album 1/5, being particularly negative of the band's cliché style; "Nickelback's music reaffirms every sex-and-stupidity cliche hard rock can offer."[19]

Rolling Stone gave the album a positive review, complimenting its production. ""Mutt" Lange lightens Nickelback's dreary post-grunge plod, applying guitar shimmer to prom ballads and detonating big beats under frat-party shouts and raplike vocal parts."[23] Whilst ChartAttack credited the band's success to knowing its target audience: "Chad Kroeger is a genius because he knows exactly what people want and precisely how far he can go. He turned out an extremely racy album that's loaded with songs about gettin' drunk and doin' it all without breaking any taboos, and with enough love and moral authority to grease its passage into the mainstream. Rejoice, North America. This is your world."[26] Billboard also praised the album's content: "The bulletproof Nickelback provides affordable fun that promises good returns in hard times."[27]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Chad Kroeger, all music composed by Nickelback with Robert John "Mutt" Lange on tracks 1, 4, 7, 8 and 11.

No. Title Length
1. "Something in Your Mouth"   3:38
2. "Burn It to the Ground"   3:28
3. "Gotta Be Somebody"   4:13
4. "I'd Come for You"   4:22
5. "Next Go Round"   3:43
6. "Just to Get High"   4:02
7. "Never Gonna Be Alone"   3:47
8. "Shakin' Hands"   3:39
9. "S.E.X."   3:52
10. "If Today Was Your Last Day"   4:07
11. "This Afternoon"   4:34
Total length:
 43:38
Wal-Mart exclusive bonus track
  1. "This Afternoon" (Original Performance Series) – 4:26
Australian singles
  1. "Gotta Be Somebody"
  2. "I'd Come for You"
  3. "If Today Was Your Last Day"
  4. "Never Gonna Be Alone"
  5. "Burn It to the Ground"
  6. "This Afternoon"

Charts and certifications

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by Canadian Albums Chart Number-one album
December 6, 2008 - December 13, 2008		 Succeeded by
Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses

Tour

Personnel

Release history

Region Date Label Catalogue
Australia 15 November 2008 Warner Music RR 8028-2
Europe 17 November 2008
United States November 18, 2008 Roadrunner
Canada EMI

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. LINK OUTDATED.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Dark Horse climbs on the Billboard 200 Albums and crack 80 consecutive weeks 'Billboard' Accessed on May 13, 2010
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Latest Platinum Album Certifications. billboard.com. Accessed on 15 December 2008.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Nickelback Win Three Junos
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Billboard review Archived March 30, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 "Nickelback > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 29.7 29.8 29.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Nickelback in the field Interpret. Enter Dark Horse in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Dark Horse in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

External links

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