Cheap Trick’s secret to staying together for 50 years: ‘We were never friends’

A classic rock band sheds light on the secret to their longevity.

Cheap Trick released their 21st studio album in 2025 and recently celebrated 50 years of performing together. The core trio consisting of singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson has actually been in the group almost continuously since 1974.

“In my opinion, it’s because we were never friends. We were never close, so we never peed in each other’s backyard,” Zander said in a new interview with Loudr. “We still don’t hang out much outside of touring and recording. It was the musical glue that held us together. We have a lot of respect for each other musically.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group recently announced their 2026 tour dates, including an April 4 concert in Niagara Falls, New York, and two special shows in Las Vegas, playing the 1978 album, “A cheap trick to BudokanZander said their live shows are still exciting because they mix up the songs they play.

“…Keeping it fresh can be hard because some of the guys in the band have this idea that you have to play the hits and do what the audience wants to hear. And I’ve always been the opposite of that. I’ve always thought, ‘Put them on some Cheap Trick music that they don’t know we’re doing and see what happens,'” Zander told Louder. “But we’re working on it. We’re trying to come up with a different setlist every night.”

Cheap Trick played a 75-minute set at the New York State Fair last year that included a mix of new songs like 2021’s “Light Up the Fire,” deeper hits like “He’s a Whore” and mega hits “The Flame,” “I Want You to Want Me,” “Dream Police” and “Surrender.”

The lineup included Rick’s son, 45-year-old Daxx Nielsen, on drums. Daxx replaced original drummer Bun E. Carlos in 2010 and played on Cheap Trick’s last five albums.

The band remains popular for its mix of rock, power-pop, and wide variety of covers (including songs by Fats Domino, The Move, Elvis Presley, the Velvet Underground, and Big Star’s “In the Street” for “That ’70s Show”). Cheap Trick has sold over 20 million records and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.