Nickelback - Rockstar

What this video is

Released in 2007 as a re-release of Nickelback's fifth single from 'All the Right Reasons' (2005), 'Rockstar' arrived at the apex of mid-2000s mainstream rock crossover dominance. The song satirizes celebrity excess and rockstar aspiration — a self-aware comedic take on the MTV Cribs era, Playboy Mansion culture, and the commodification of fame. The video's celebrity cameo parade format mirrored the reality-TV and…

Why it matters

A landmark of mid-2000s post-grunge pop-rock, 'Rockstar' represents the genre's most commercially successful flirtation with self-parody. Continuing a lineage of rockstar-lifestyle satire from Dire Straits, Joe Walsh, and Dr. Hook, the video's format pioneered the mass celebrity lip-sync concept…

The director

Dori Oskowitz is a music video director best known for her work with Nickelback. She directed both the 'If Everyone Cared' and 'Rockstar' music videos for the band, the latter becoming the #1 selling music video on iTunes for 2007. Confirmed by IMDb, IMVDb,…