I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. I don't remember when it began — though I don't think it was before I was a badass nine—year—old practicing my dance moves on the playground at recess — but I remember that I used to care quite a lot about what people thought of my taste in music.

"Right, I don't really like them either," I explained to a lot of people, of many bands. It didn't happen very often, but I do remember censoring my musical tastes when it did; I'm not even sure why, but it wasn't until 10th grade that I learned to be proud of my listenings.

In all the time that has passed since then, I haven't felt the need to champion the cause against any group until around 2003 when Nickelback suddenly and inexplicably fell out of popularity.

Let's rewind. Nickelback formed in 1995 when brothers Chad and Mike Kroeger started playing music with their guitarist friend Ryan Peake and their cousin on drums. They chose their name, to Peake's chagrin, immortalizing a tired phrase he would utter at his job working in a Starbucks ... a constant motivator to pour their heart and soul into the band they hoped would take them away from their routine jobs into music, their true love.

Born in the pre-Internet music era in Canada, they worked as hard or harder than any band in the country to get their music off the ground. They independently released their first EP and album in 1996 and fought for every second of airplay they got, calling every rock radio station in the country every week and tirelessly plugging their own music.

In the end, it was their effort and initiative that set them apart from most Canadian rock acts. They got signed in 1999 and quickly followed with their first label album The State in 2000, which produced the singles "Leader Of Men," "Old Enough" and more.

"As an independent band, when we were distributing our own stuff, we would go into the stores and make sure the records were on the racks," the front man Kroeger told MTV in 2001. "If it was completely sold out, we'd go up to the front and make sure they restocked it. That's been a hard habit to break."

And while they were finally afforded some notoriety for their music, it wasn't until 2001 when a little song called "How You Remind Me" turned their album Silver Side Up into a smash success, spawning three number-one singles. Certainly no overnight success, the band worked just as hard to keep their momentum going with a single on the Spiderman soundtrack and their 2003 album The Long Road; however, a short time into the year, the climate changed.

Suddenly and without any real explanation, it was popular to hate Nickelback. Their music became the punchline of jokes told by radio and media personalities and to like the band in light of public disapproval meant doing so alone.

True, the sound of music at the time was one heavily saturated with guitar rock, and Chad Kroeger himself was in part to thank, after creating 604 Records with Jonathan Simkin and developing new rock talent.

No, it seems to me personally that the hatred for Nickelback is one more rooted in jealousy than credibility, whether for their success or for the music itself. As a guitarist and sometime band member myself, I can admit that the band's albums feature guitar work that I wish I had written — ballsy, muscular tone with undeniable hooks and some spectacular riffs. I think many guitarists out there would honestly have to admit the same.

Nickleback is a band that has now and always poured their every fibre into the music they produce. They spare no ounce of energy and passion to produce solid rock music. Recently they released "When We Stand Together" and "Bottoms Up" — two new singles from their coming album, Here And Now, due November 21 — and honestly, the songs are catchy.

And to anyone afraid to admit liking the band, you who won't sing softly along to "Savin' Me" in the café until you see me do it (I see you, too), know that it's all right to stand up for music you believe in. Nickelback themselves have been doing it for over 15 years, and there's a reason they've earned the impressive accolades that they have.

For more of the latest music news, views and streams, follow @FSU_Bobbyisms on Twitter or bobbyisms.com on Tumblr, and be sure to check out the Music Recommendations thread in our FSU social network. To thine own music tastes be true, I'm out of words.