Rock ‘n’ roll history has seen fans react passionately when their favorite musicians decide to part ways with their signature hairstyles. Just ask Metallica and Soundgarden. However, at the premiere of the documentary “Nickelback: Love to Hate,” Toronto’s CHUM 104.5 had the opportunity to uncover the real story behind Chad Kroeger’s decision to shear his iconic locks in the early 2010s, and the explanation is refreshingly straightforward.
“It was just an accident,” admits Kroeger. “Honestly, that’s the truth. It was purely an accident. My hairdresser cut it shorter than intended, and it ended up at this awkward length that just didn’t work for me. So, I said, ‘Nah.'”
Drummer Daniel Adair chimes in, revealing, “But Chad had been talking about it for years. He used to say, ‘One day I’m going to cut this off,’ and that was the final push.”
Kroeger fondly recollects, “The unfortunate part is that we had just completed a series of photo shoots for our new album at the time. Literally, the day after the shoots, I decided to go for the cut. The band looked at me and said, ‘We love the new hair. Are we doing new photos now?’ It was quite amusing to walk out onto the stage for the next two tours, and you could feel the audience thinking, ‘Where’s his hair?’ I just had to tell them, ‘I cut it. It’s just hair.'”
Chad Kroeger’s hair has undergone a remarkable evolution over the years. In 2015, The Edmonton Journal cataloged his hair journey, assigning nicknames to different eras of his hairdo. The most memorable of these phases was “The Cocker Spaniel,” which graced his head during the Silver Side Up era from 2001 to 2002. His mop of dyed-blonde curls, coupled with his mustache and goatee, may not have won him any beauty contests. In fact, a Kerrang readers’ poll in 2002 even named him the ugliest person in rock, with one respondent humorously noting, “My five-year-old cousin saw him on TV one day and started screaming. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, ‘Scary Jesus Man on TV!'”
Thankfully, Kroeger transitioned away from that look, adopting what the Journal dubbed “The Stooge” during The Long Road and All the Right Reasons eras. It was during this period that he opted for a slightly shorter hairstyle. In 2003, he admitted, “Everyone’s allowed to walk around with a bad hair day for a couple of years. I didn’t want to cut it; I was holding onto it as my ‘screw you.’ But I look back and watch the ‘How You Remind Me’ video and think, ‘Good Lord, boy. You look 40 years old.’ I’m 28. I shot the video when I was 26, and people are like, ‘You’re 35? 36?’ I’m like, ‘Okay, the hair’s gotta go.'”
Fast forward a few years, and the big transformation arrived in the early 2010s when Kroeger opted for a shorter, spiky, blonde look—a style dubbed “the Pop-Punk Sk8er Boi” by the press, a nod to his then-wife Avril Lavigne (though the shorter hair actually predated his relationship with Lavigne). By this point, he had ditched the mustache, keeping only a small chin strap beard.
In a 2011 interview with ET Canada, he reflected, “My hair has been getting progressively shorter over the years. I got to this point where I was like, ‘You know what? I’m sick of THIS.’ I’m even tired of it being a conversation piece… When I did it, I walked into a rehearsal space in L.A., and they were all giving me big hugs and stuff, like, ‘Dude, your hair looks great!'”
Though his look has evolved since then, Kroeger has maintained a shorter hairstyle, ushering in a new era while remaining true to his musical roots.
Puddle of Mudd and Fall Out Boy: Iconic Hair in Rock
While Chad Kroeger’s hair journey captured attention, other rock bands also made their mark with distinctive styles.
Puddle of Mudd: Known for their intentional misspelling, Puddle of Mudd gained fame with their 2001 album “Come Clean,” featuring hits like “Control” and “Blurry.” The quirky humor of their single “She Hates Me” resonated with fans, and despite the ups and downs of lead singer Wes Scantlin’s life, the band released “Welcome to Galvania” in 2019.
Fall Out Boy: Fall Out Boy played a pivotal role in shaping the emo and pop-punk scene. Their song “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” from the album “From Under the Cork Tree” introduced floppy hair, nail polish, and Patrick Stump’s melodic vocals to a wider audience. The band, which initially split in 2009, made a triumphant return, leaving an indelible mark on the music world.
As rock history continues to evolve, these bands and artists remind us that hairstyles can be just as iconic as the music they create.
