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| Artist = [[The White Stripes]]
| Artist = [[The White Stripes]]
| from Album = [[Elephant (album)|Elephant]]
| from Album = [[Elephant (album)|Elephant]]
| Released = March 7, 1973 <small>([[United States|US]])<br />May 12, 1973 ([[United Kingdom|UK]])
| Released = March 7, 2003 <small>([[United States|US]])<br />May 12, 2003 ([[United Kingdom|UK]])
| B-side = "Good to Me"
| B-side = "Good to Me"
| Format = [[Compact Disc|CD]], [[vinyl record|7"]]
| Format = [[Compact Disc|CD]], [[vinyl record|7"]]
| Recorded = [[Toe Rag Studios]], [[London]]<br />April 1972
| Recorded = [[Toe Rag Studios]], [[London]]<br />April 2002
| Genre = [[Garage rock]], [[alternative rock]]
| Genre = [[Garage rock]], [[alternative rock]]
| Length = 3:52
| Length = 3:52
Line 15: Line 15:
| Reviews =
| Reviews =
*''[[All Music Guide]]'' {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4s4gtq8zzu42~T0 link]
*''[[All Music Guide]]'' {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4s4gtq8zzu42~T0 link]
| Last single = "[[Candy Cane Children]]"<br />(1972)
| Last single = "[[Candy Cane Children]]"<br />(2002)
| This single = "'''Seven Nation Army'''"<br />(1973)
| This single = "'''Seven Nation Army'''"<br />(2003)
| Next single = "[[I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself]]"<br />(1973)
| Next single = "[[I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself]]"<br />(2003)
| }}
| }}


"'''Seven Nation Army'''" is the first track on the album ''[[Elephant (album)|Elephant]]'' by [[American music|American]] [[alternative rock]] band [[The White Stripes]]. It was released as a single in 1973. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the [[Modern Rock Tracks]] for three weeks and won 1974's [[Grammy Awards of 1974|Grammy Award]] for [[Best Rock Song]]. The song is known for its underlying [[riff]], which plays throughout most of the song. Although it sounds like a [[bass guitar]] (an instrument the group had never previously used), the sound is actually created by running [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]]'s semi-acoustic guitar (a 1950s style Kay Hollowbody) through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.
"'''Seven Nation Army'''" is the first track on the album ''[[Elephant (album)|Elephant]]'' by [[American music|American]] [[alternative rock]] band [[The White Stripes]]. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the [[Modern Rock Tracks]] for three weeks and won 2004's [[Grammy Awards of 2004|Grammy Award]] for [[Best Rock Song]]. The song is known for its underlying [[riff]], which plays throughout most of the song. Although it sounds like a [[bass guitar]] (an instrument the group had never previously used), the sound is actually created by running [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]]'s semi-acoustic guitar (a 1950s style Kay Hollowbody) through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.


According to White, "Seven Nation Army" is what he used to call the [[Salvation Army]] as a child.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/top/documents/02827372.htm|title=True believers: The White Stripes live out their rock-and-roll fantasy|publisher=Boston Phoenix|date=April 17, 2003|accessdate=2008-01-07}}</ref> The song ranked #1 on UpVenue's 10 best The White Stripes songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upvenue.com/article/1280-top-10-best-the-white-stripes-songs.html|title=Top 10 White Stripes Songs}}</ref>
According to White, "Seven Nation Army" is what he used to call the [[Salvation Army]] as a child.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/top/documents/02827372.htm|title=True believers: The White Stripes live out their rock-and-roll fantasy|publisher=Boston Phoenix|date=April 17, 2003|accessdate=2008-01-07}}</ref> The song ranked #1 on UpVenue's 10 best The White Stripes songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upvenue.com/article/1280-top-10-best-the-white-stripes-songs.html|title=Top 10 White Stripes Songs}}</ref>

Revision as of 02:31, 5 May 2012

"Seven Nation Army"
Song
B-side"Good to Me"

"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its underlying riff, which plays throughout most of the song. Although it sounds like a bass guitar (an instrument the group had never previously used), the sound is actually created by running Jack White's semi-acoustic guitar (a 1950s style Kay Hollowbody) through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.

According to White, "Seven Nation Army" is what he used to call the Salvation Army as a child.[1] The song ranked #1 on UpVenue's 10 best The White Stripes songs.[2]

Music video

The video, directed by Alex and Martin, consists of one seemingly continuous shot through a kaleidoscopic tunnel of mirrored black, white and red triangles, touching on Jack's love of the number three. Some triangle slides contain images of Jack or Meg playing, and at some points marching skeletons and an elephant can be seen, referring to the name of the album "Seven Nation Army" appeared on. As the pace of the song speeds up, the speed that one triangle passes through the tunnel speeds up, and as it slows, the speed through the tunnel slows in unison. During the video, when the song begins to intensify, the lights in surrounding the triangles flash and other effects build up as well.

Single track listing

  1. "Seven Nation Army" (Jack White)
  2. "Good to Me" (Brendan Benson/Jason Falkner)
  3. "Black Jack Davey" (Traditional)

The 7" single only contains the first two tracks.

Reception

Critical

This song was number six on Rolling Stone's 2009 list of the 50 Best Songs of the Decade.[3] In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 8 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[4] In September 2005, NME placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 5 in its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks Of The Decade.[5] It was also called the 75th greatest hard rock song by VH1. In May 2008, Rolling Stone placed this song at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.[6] "Seven Nation Army" also earned 20th place in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009. The song was also listed at #30 on Pitchfork Media's top 500 songs of the 2000s, and at number 2 in Observer Music Monthly's top 75 songs of the decade, behind Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love". It also came in second on Channel V Australia's top 1000 songs of the 00s. In 2009, US website Consequence of Sound named this as their top rock track of the 2000s,[7] as did Boston's WFNX Radio.[8] On Rolling Stone's updated version of their The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, "Seven Nation Army" was listed at number 286.[9] It was also ranked #1 on Rhapsody's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade.[10] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 23 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[11]

Popularity

Sporting events

The song is very popular in European football stadiums even becoming the anthem of Italy's World Cup win in 2006 and of the Euro 2008.[12] Its emergence as a popular sporting anthem can be traced to a bar in Milan, Italy where on October 22, 2003 supporters of Club Brugge K.V. overheard the song while preparing for a UEFA Champions League group match against A.C. Milan and began to sing along. After a 0-1 upset win, the fans brought the song back with them to Belgium, where Brugge began playing it during matches. After Brugge hosted A.S. Roma in a UEFA Cup match on February 15, 2006, the Italian side brought the song back home with them. By the time the World Cup had began in June, the song had become the national team's unofficial anthem.[13]

During the Scottish Cup Semi-Final 2006 where Hearts met local rivals Hibernian this song gained infamy as when Paul Hartley had scored his hat-trick and Hearts fourth goal against Hibs this song was played to which the Hearts fans started chanting to the chorus "All the Hibees are gay".

In response to the song's popularity in Italy, Jack White said:

I am honored that the Italians have adopted this song as their own... Nothing is more beautiful than when people embrace a melody and allow it to enter the pantheon of folk music. As a songwriter it is something impossible to plan. Especially in modern times. I love that most people who are chanting it have no idea where it came from. That's folk music.[14]

The song is also played at home games of A-League team Melbourne Victory following a team goal, the song has become an almost un-official anthem for the club's fans.

The song has also become increasingly popular at American college football games, being used at many large venues throughout the country,[15][16] and it was used in 2011 at M&T Bank Stadium as the official hype-song for the Baltimore Ravens.[17]

It is also played before tipoff at New York Knicks games

In other media

This song was used many times during the baseball documentary 10th Inning by Ken Burns.

An exclusive remix by The Glitch Mob was featured in the trailer to G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

As a protest song

It was also featured on the February 1, 2011 broadcast of Democracy Now!, where it was linked to the massive pro-democracy demonstrations then occurring in Egypt.[18] Speaking with Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy, host Amy Goodman said "That music is in your ears and head all the time, you said, Mona," to which Eltahawy replied:

It’s a loop, Amy, because every time I hear the opening lines—"I’m going to fight them off. A seven-nation army couldn’t hold me back"—it just takes me to Egypt, where people—I’ve never seen anything like it. Literally, nothing can hold them back. Mubarak shuts down the internet, shuts down the train system, shuts down almost the entire country, and still they come. It’s beautiful.[18]

Chart performance

Chart (2003–2008) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Charts 17
Austrian Singles Chart 18
German Singles Chart[19] 4
Italian Singles Chart 3
Irish Singles Chart 22
Dutch Mega Top 50 22
UK Singles Chart 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 76
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 12
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2008) Rank
German Singles Chart[20] 57

Certifications

Country Certifications
(sales thresholds)
Germany[21] Gold

Cover versions

The song has been covered by blues musician C. W. Stoneking as well as the country group The Oak Ridge Boys,[22] funk metal band Living Colour, rock supergroup Audioslave, indie band Hard-Fi, alternative rock band The Flaming Lips, English indie singer Kate Nash, British soul singer Alice Russell, French soul singer Ben l'Oncle Soul, hard rock band The Pretty Reckless, pop singer Kelly Clarkson, heavy metal band Metallica and Argentine electrotango band Tanghetto.

Marcus Collins version

"Seven Nation Army"
Song
B-side"Break These Chains"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Digital Spy[23]

British singer and X Factor runner-up Marcus Collins covered the song as his debut single, in a version based on the cover by Ben l'Oncle Soul. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2012, a week prior to his debut album Marcus Collins. Marcus Collins, revealing that he has received a lot of abuse from White Stripes fans, said: "I know I can't please everyone. A lot of people have got opinions on it, but they can always listen to the White Stripes version. Why are they listening to me if they don't like it? Listen to the original if you don't like my singing. It's just the X Factor connection but, you know, why are people kicking off about it now?"[24] A music video to accompany the release of "Seven Nation Army" was first released onto YouTube on 16 February 2012 at a total length of two minutes and fifty-eight seconds.[25] Critically, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy noted Collins' "distinctive soul-pop" vocals and wrote that, "Truth be told, we wish he'd fought a little harder to get one those eight original compositions he has on his forthcoming record out first."[23]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Seven Nation Army"2:56
2."Break These Chains"2:27

Chart performance

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[26] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 9

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom 4 March 2012[28][29] Digital download, CD single RCA Records

External links

References

  1. ^ "True believers: The White Stripes live out their rock-and-roll fantasy". Boston Phoenix. April 17, 2003. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  2. ^ "Top 10 White Stripes Songs".
  3. ^ Hermes, Will; Hoard, Christian; Rosen, Jody; Sheffield, Rob (December 24, 2009), "50 Best Songs of the Decade". Rolling Stone. (1094/1095):59-62
  4. ^ RockList.net (2005). "Q magazine - 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  5. ^ RockList.net (2005). "The Greatest Tracks Of The Decade 1996–2006". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  6. ^ Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time
  7. ^ Seven Nation Army Songfacts
  8. ^ WFNX's top 101 songs of the decade, Boston Phoenix. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  9. ^ [1][dead link]
  10. ^ Editorial, Rhapsody (2009-12-09). "Top 100 Tracks of the Decade - Rhapsody SoundBoard". Blog.rhapsody.com. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  11. ^ 150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years | NME.COM
  12. ^ Seven Nation Army: the indiest football anthem ever?, guardian.co.uk
  13. ^ Siegel, Alan (2012-01-13). "How The Song "Seven Nation Army" Conquered The Sports World". deadspin.com. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  14. ^ "A "Seven Nation Army" Can't Hold Back Italian Soccer". artistdirect.com. Rogue Digital, LLC. 2006-07-13. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  15. ^ The Epidemic in College Football | Bleacher Report
  16. ^ Masoud: This is what college football is all about (Sept. 12) - Irish Football - The Observer - University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College
  17. ^ Ravens adapt "Seven-Nation Army" as hype-up chant | Baltimore Sports Report
  18. ^ a b . "Mubarak is Our Berlin Wall": Egyptian Columnist Mona Eltahawy on How the Youth Drove the Uprising in Cairo and Implications for Democracy in the Region, Democracy Now! (Feb. 1, 2011)
  19. ^ musicline.de / PhonoNet GmbH. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  20. ^ [2][dead link]
  21. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Seven Nation Army')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  22. ^ Five-Star Fridays The Agitator (Mar. 25, 2011)
  23. ^ a b Lewis Corner. "Marcus Collins: 'Seven Nation Army' - Single review". Digital Spy. digitalspy.co.uk.
  24. ^ Marcus Collins unveils 'Seven Nation Army' new video - watch - X Factor News - Music - Digital Spy
  25. ^ Marcus Collins - Seven Nation Army. YouTube
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ Seven Nation Army: Marcus Collins: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads
  29. ^ iTunes - Music - Seven Nation Army - Single by Marcus Collins
Preceded by Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
July 12, 2003 		Succeeded by


Template:Marcus Collins

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