By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like Better Than Ezra and Counting Crows, the Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How to Save a Life. The Denver-based band had formed three years prior, when former schoolmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals) unexpectedly bumped into each other at a local music store. The pair began a series of two-man jam sessions and soon expanded their lineup with two of Slade’s former bandmates, drummer Ben Wysockiand guitarist David Welsh. Slade’s younger brother, Caleb, also joined the band for a stint, but was ultimately asked to leave; the resulting rift between the two siblings would later inspire the band’s first hit single, “Over My Head (Cable Car).” After issuing the Movement EP in 2002, the quartet gained the support of Denver’s KTCL radio station with its follow-up release, 2003’s Reason EP. As the Fray’s airplay increased alongside their local profile (Westworld, a Denver alt.weekly publication, deemed them “Best New Band” in 2004), they began attracting attention from Epic Records. The label ultimately signed the band in December 2004, and the Fray toured alongside Weezer and Ben Folds the following summer.

How to Save a Life was released in September 2005, and “Over My Head (Cable Car)” found a quick home on modern rock radio. By early 2006, it had crossed over to Top 40 chart status, peaking at number eight and whetting the public’s appetite for another hit. The Fray responded by releasing the album’s title track, which was heavily used in a promotional campaign for the TV series Grey’s Anatomy and quickly became one of 2006’s biggest singles. “How to Save a Life” was a worldwide smash, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. (where it continued to chart for 58 consecutive weeks) and peaking at number one in Bulgaria, Ireland, Canada, and Spain. By the time the smoke had cleared, the Fray’s debut had been certified double-platinum in the U.S. and was declared the best-selling digital album of all time.

Canada’s Nickelback started life as a cover band in Hanna, 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. Eventually, they tired of playing other people’s songs, and singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger put together a collection of original songs, borrowed money from his stepfather, and went to Vancouver to record the band in a friend’s studio. Based on the results, Kroeger’s bassist brother, Mike, guitarist Ryan Peake, and drummer Ryan Vikedal all relocated to Vancouver in 1996; that same year, they recorded and released the EP Hesher and full-length Curb independently, then embarked on a series of cross-country tours.

In late 1998, the bandmembers started managing themselves, with Chad handling all the radio tracking, brother Mike Kroeger the distribution, and Ryan Vikedal all the bookings. A second LP, The State, was released independently in January 2000 during a period when Canadian content requirements were increased and local rock radio began desperately seeking out homegrown product. What they found was Nickelback’s single “Leader of Men.” The band toured ceaselessly for The State and 200 shows later, Nickelback had gone from virtual unknowns to playing in front of over a million people alongside the likes of Creed, 3 Doors Down, Fuel, and more. The band’s post-grunge commercial appeal wasn’t lost on the record industry, and The State was snapped up by Roadrunner in the U.S. and EMI in Canada. It eventually sold an impressive 500,000 copies.

Many of the songs that comprised the third album, Silver Side Up, were written even before The State was released in America and road-tested in front of eager audiences on cross-country treks. The other significant change was Chad Kroeger’s conscious decision to write his lyrics in a more direct manner, rather than the metaphorical lyrics of previous releases. “Too Bad” pertained to the father who was never around when Chad and his brother were growing up; “Never Again” was a song inspired by broken homes; and “How You Remind Me,” the first single from the album, was written at rehearsals shortly before the band went into the studio.

To record the album, Nickelback worked with producer Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog) at the same studio they used for The State, Vancouver’s Green House. The combination of the band’s growing popularity and the quality of the songs sent Silver Side Up into the sales charts around the world, spearheaded by the hit single “How You Remind Me.” (It was only the second time in history since the Guess Who’s “American Woman” that a Canadian band had been number one on both the Canadian and U.S. rock charts at the same time.) After Nickelback’s initial mainstream exposure, Kroeger produced Vancouver natives Default and collaborated with Saliva singer Josey Scott for the Spiderman soundtrack.