Nov 2026
From a soundcheck riff to a stadium chant
How The White Stripes’ opening track on Elephant became a global terrace anthem.
Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes
“Seven Nation Army” opened The White Stripes’ 2003 album Elephant. Jack White played the famous riff on a guitar run through an octave pedal so it sounded like a bass, and Meg White’s steady, booming drums carried it.
The song was a hit on its own, but its second life came from the crowd: football fans in Europe started chanting the riff, and it spread to stadiums and arenas around the world.
Today it is one of the most recognizable riffs in rock, heard as often in a stadium as on the radio.
