This Afternoon is a song by the Canadian rock band Nickel‑back. It was released as the eighth and final single from their fifth studio album, Dark Horse (2008), on 23 March 2010. The track was recorded between March and July 2008 at Mountain View Studios in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Composition and production
The song is classified as country‑rock, pop‑rock, and adult contemporary. It runs 4 minutes 34 seconds in its album version and 4 minutes 14 seconds in the clean/radio edit. Production was handled by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who also co‑wrote the track with Nickelback members Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, and Ryan Peake.
Release and reception
Upon its release, “This Afternoon” achieved moderate commercial success. In the United States it peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Nickelback’s highest‑charting single since “If Today Was Your Last Day”. In Canada the song reached number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100, topped the Hot AC chart at number 3, and peaked at number 9 on the CHR/Top 40 chart. Internationally, it entered the top‑30 in Australia (peak 27), Austria (27), Germany (29), and achieved a peak position of 39 on the Belgian Wallonia Ultratip chart.
Music video
The official music video, directed by Nigel Dick, premiered on 4 May 2010. It depicts a group of college “geeks” hosting an exaggerated party to demonstrate that “the nerd brigade knows how to rock”. The narrative includes a comedic kidnapping of Nickelback, who are forced to perform at the party. The video was featured on Fuse’s “Video of the Day” and later entered CMT’s Top Twenty Countdown, reaching number 13.
Track listings
Japanese CD single
- “This Afternoon” (Single Edit)
- “Next Go Round”
- “This Afternoon” (Instrumental)
European CD single
- “This Afternoon” (Single Edit)
- “How You Remind Me” (Live)
Chart performance (selected)
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| Canada Hot 100 | 16 |
| Canada Hot AC | 3 |
| Canada CHR/Top 40 | 9 |
| Australia (ARIA) | 27 |
| Austria (Ö3) | 27 |
| Germany (GfK) | 29 |
| Belgium Wallonia Ultratip | 39 |
Legacy
“This Afternoon” is noted for its lyrical references to cannabis culture, including allusions to Bob Marley and the comedy duo Cheech & Chong. It represents one of Nickelback’s final top‑forty entries on major North American charts.
