Considered to be Nickelback's signature song,[4] "How You Remind Me" reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 and was named the number-one most played song on US radio of the 2000s decade by Nielsen Soundscan, being spun over 1.2 million times on US airwaves since its release in 2001 to the end of 2009.

The song played a large role in a Saturday Night Live skit on March 10, 2018, with Sterling K. Brown in which the lyrics are a dying woman's final words.

[7] Lead singer Chad Kroeger had the first four lines of the song written in his black book of notes.

He went to the basement, turned on his recording microphone, and started improvising and singing the song loudly, hoping she would get the message how upset he was.

Due to its high sales and massive airplay, "How You Remind Me" was ranked as the top single of 2002 by Billboard magazine.

The single was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2022, for sales and streams of over 4,000,000 units.

"How You Remind Me" was the number one Most Played Song of 2002 in the United States, across all formats, according to Billboard Monitor.

[19] The music video for "How You Remind Me" was directed by Greg and Colin Strause and features Nickelback playing a small venue with focus on a female audience member.

Kroeger admitted to disliking the idea of a small venue performance at first, opting for a bigger scale arena concert; however, he found the outcome of the video satisfying.

He constantly imagines or perceives her presence, making the world around him seem vibrant; when he realizes she is not there, the lighting changes to a blue-gray filter.

[116] The song was re-released on December 19, 2013, by iTunes Stores as a digital download promotional single for her self-titled fifth album.

"Avril jokingly suggested to cover a Nickelback song, but then we both figured it'd actually be a good idea to do "How You Remind Me".

[119] CD single[116] Digital download[117] Greek singer Alkistis Protopsalti released a cover of the song entitled Όλα αυτά που φοβάμαι (All my fears) in her 2004 album Να σε δω να γελάς (To see you laugh).