"Those Days" is a song by the Canadian rock band Nickelback. It was released as the second single from their tenth studio album, Get Rollin', on October 5, 2022, through Nickelback II Productions and BMG.[2] Written by Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake, the single later charted on multiple Billboard rock formats in the United States.[3]
The band convened in early 2021 at Kroeger's Vancouver home studio once COVID lockdowns and travel restrictions were relaxed to commence work on the tenth Nickelback album and proceeded at a relaxed pace until mid-2022.[5] Written by Kroeger and guitarist Ryan Peake, and produced by the entire band alongside Chris Baseford.[6]
Peake recalled the song emerging from casual jams: "We were just messing around with some '80s riffs one day, and Chad started singing those lines about Hanna—it all clicked instantly."[7] Kroeger described the track as evoking "the reason we started the band" and the "glory days" of their adolescence in rural Hanna, Alberta and was a return-to-roots type of song.[8]
In a March 2023 interview, Kroeger revealed that for months after production on the album wrapped up in 2022, he would wake up every morning with the opening lyrics to "Those Days" still stuck in his head, saying:[9][10]
"Every day I would wake up and hear that nostalgic, country-inflected song. That's my litmus test for a great song, it embedded itself so deep into my subconscious that it's almost haunting. It makes me so happy to know that musically we can still do that to ourselves."
Release and promotion
"Those Days" was officially released as the second single from Get Rollin' on October 5, 2022.[11][12] An official lyric video premiered the same day on the band's YouTube channel, featuring retro 1980s-style animation and VHS aesthetics.[13]
On October 26, 2022, the official music video for "Those Days" premiered on the band's official YouTube channel and social media profiles.[14][15] The band promoted the single through various radio interviews and live performances that included appearances on SiriusXM, Good Morning America and The Kelly Clarkson Show in November 2022.[16][17][18]
During the band's thirty-eight city 2023 Get Rollin' tour, "Those Days" was implemented into their concert setlist throughout its duration.[19][20]
A live rendition of "Those Days" was included on the band's first live album in over two decades titled, Live from Nashville that was released on November 15, 2024.[21][22]
Composition and sound
"Those Days" is a mid-tempo track in the key of B major at approximately 132 beats per minute.[23] It blends acoustic and electric guitars over an upbeat rhythm section. The lyrics recall childhood and adolescence in Hanna, Alberta, with nostalgic references to 1980s pop culture such as renting VHS tapes, listening to Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine", and attempting to buy beer with a fake ID.[24][25] Chad Kroeger has described the track as a nostalgic sequel to the band’s 2005 single "Photograph".[6]
Critical reception
"Those Days" received a mixed critical response. Many reviewers noted its stylistic similarity to "Photograph", praising its nostalgic tone while criticizing its sentimentality.[26]Loudwire described the single as a reflective counterpoint to the heavier material on Get Rollin',[27] while Kerrang! called it “a wryly observed, nostalgic sequel to ‘Photograph’... an energized strutter with cool hooks and a flyaway guitar solo.”[28]Blabbermouth praised Kroeger's "yearning, passionate delivery," calling the song a return to the band's introspective strengths.[29] Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail characterized it as "bro country for old men," citing its sentimental lyrics and country-tinged melody.[30] Other outlets offered more critical assessments, describing the track as formulaic.[citation needed]
The official music video for "Those Days" premiered on October 26, 2022. Directed by Nigel Dick, the video is set inside a garage filled with 1980s memorabilia, visually expressing the song's nostalgic theme.[36][37] The band performs surrounded by vintage posters, cassette tapes, vinyl records, and pop-culture items that capture the atmosphere of growing up during that era.[38]
In a review, Loudwire noted the video is filled with hidden "Easter eggs" referencing classic 1980s films such as Back to the Future, E.T., and Ghostbusters, along with nods to rock bands that were an inspiration from that era like Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard. Each reference ties into the song's theme of looking back on simpler times and shared memories.[39]
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