THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

324-White Stripes-Seven Nation Army.

2003-Number 7 single.

Best Bit At 0.01. Jack and Meg White hated that journalists wanted to know all about their private life, so they told them that they were brother and sister, when they were really man and wife, (which could have left them with some right old explaining to do.)

The White Stripes were formed in 1997, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, by the husband and wife duo of Jack and Meg White who had married in 1996, although the couple divorced in 2000, they continued working together as White Stripes through until the band split in 2011. They took the bands name from Meg’s love of Peppermints, Jack explained, ‘We were going to call ourselves the Peppermints, but since our last name was White, we decided to call it the White Stripes.’ The discography of the White Stripes includes six studio Albums released between 1999-2007, and 28 singles released between 1998-2020, there is also one extended play, (EP) one official compilation Album, and 13 live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, their only top 40 charting single is ‘Icky Thump,’ which made Number 26 in 2007, while ‘Seven Nation Army’ stalled at Number 76. The White Stripes have had 11 of their singles reach the American Billboard ‘Modern Rock Tracks’ chart top 40, with ‘Seven Nation Army,’ and ‘Icky Thump,’ both reaching Number 1. In the UK, they have had 13 top 40 chart entries, with ‘Icky Thump,’ peaking the highest at Number 2.

Jack White was born John Anthony Gillis, on July 9th, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in a somewhat unusual move, when he married Meg White, he took her surname. Jack White is one of the most celebrated musicians of the late 20th, and early 21st Century, particularly for his recording technique and guitar playing. He is credited with the revival of ‘Garage Rock’ music, which he blended with his ‘Blues’ influences. Aside from the White Stripes, Jack White has also released six solo studio Albums between 2012-2024, and 20 singles between 2004-2025. He is also a member of the American Rock group ‘The Raconteurs,’ with whom he has recorded three studio Albums, and 13 singles between 2006-2019, with three of those singles making the UK top 40, with ‘Steady As She Goes,’ charting the highest at Number 4 in 2006. Jack White has also recorded three studio Albums, and 11 singles with the American Rock ‘supergroup’ ‘The Dead Weather’ between 2009-2017, with three of those singles reaching the American Billboard ‘Alternative Airplay’ top 40, with ‘Die by the Drop,’ peaking the highest at Number 20 in 2010.

Meg White was born Megan Martha White, on December 10th, 1974, in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, United States, she achieved international fame as the drummer of the rock duo the White Stripes, she also provided backing vocals, and occasionally sang lead vocals. Meg White is considered a key artist of the 2000’s ‘Garage Rock’ revival, and her style of drumming has been called ‘minimalistic’ and ‘simplistic’ by music critics. In 2015, the American music magazine ‘Rolling Stone’ included her on their ‘100 Greatest Drummers of All Time’ list. In 2009 she married for a second time, her new husband was the guitarist Jackson Smith, who is the son of the musicians Patti Smith, and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, (1948-1994) (see also best songs 155) they divorced in 2013. It is said that Meg White suffers from acute anxiety, and has described herself as ‘very shy.’ She has said that she ‘Never really cared about all the things that other people cared about, you know? Like, people recognising me on the street never interested me. I’ve always been kind of suspicious of the world, anyway, so it’s pretty easy for me to live in my own little world.’ At the time of writing she has not made any public appearances since 2009.

‘Seven Nation Army’ was the first of four singles released from ‘Elephant,’ which was the fourth studio Album by the White Stripes, from April 2003, the song was co-written by Jack and Meg White, with the production being bu Jack White. ‘Seven Nation Army’ started out as a guitar riff written by Jack White at the ‘Corner Hotel’ in Melbourne, Australia, when the White Stripes were on tour in 2002. White knew straight away he had something special, and initially he decided to save it thinking it would make a great ‘James Bond theme,’ but in time he realised that there would be little chance of them coming to call. Ironically in 2008 White did receive the call, when he composed, and co-sang ‘Another Way to Die’ with Alicia Keys, (2008-Billboard Number 8 & UK Number 3) the theme to the James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace.’ After writing the guitar riff White gave it a name, he called it ‘Seven Nation Army’ because as a child he had thought that the ‘Salvation Army’ were actually called ‘Seven Nation Army,’ something he had misheard.

Jack and Meg White felt that the press would often intrude on their privacy, and the songs lyrics are Jack saying that no matter how much you delve into our private lives, we will not be bullied by you.

‘I’m gonna fight ’em all, a seven nation army couldn’t hold me back. They’re gonna rip it off, taking their time right behind my back.