Seven Nation Army

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 30 min

"Seven Nation Army"
Single by the White Stripes
from the album Elephant
B-side"Good to Me"
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2003 (2003-02-17)
RecordedApril 2002[1]
StudioToe Rag Studios, London
Genre
Length3:52
Label
Songwriter(s)Jack White
Producer(s)Jack White
The White Stripes singles chronology
"Candy Cane Children"
(2002)
"Seven Nation Army"
(2003)
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
(2003)
Music video
"Seven Nation Army" on YouTube

"Seven Nation Army" is a song by American rock duo the White Stripes. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album, Elephant (2003). V2 Records released the song to American alternative radio on February 17, 2003, as the lead single from the album. Worldwide, the single was issued through XL Recordings. Written and produced by Jack White, the song consists of distorted vocals, a simple drumbeat, and a bass line created by playing a guitar through a pitch shift effect.

The song charted in multiple countries, and its success contributed to the popularity of the White Stripes and the garage rock revival movement. It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise being given to its distinctive riff and drumbeat; various critics and magazines have since listed "Seven Nation Army" as one of the best songs of all time. It won Best Rock Song at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, and a music video for the song directed by Alex and Martin won Best Editing in a Video at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "Seven Nation Army" 36th on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

"Seven Nation Army" has become a sports anthem, commonly appearing in audience chants in which a series of "oh" sounds or the name of an athlete is sung to the tune of the song's riff. It has also served as a theme song for sports teams, personalities, and events, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The song has grown in popularity due to its usage in sports; its riff has been described as "ubiquitous",[2] and the song has experienced increased commercial success, charting intermittently in multiple countries and receiving a gold certification from Germany's Federal Music Industry Association, a platinum certification from the Federation of the Italian Music Industry and a multi-platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry.

The song has appeared in various media and has been used in political events in the United Kingdom, particularly as a chant sung by audiences. Various artists have covered "Seven Nation Army", including Ben l'Oncle Soul and Marcus Collins, both of whose covers reached charts in multiple countries. Third Man Records re-released the song in 2014 and 2015.

Recording

[edit]
A black two-story building on a sidewalk
The "Seven Nation Army" riff was composed at the Corner Hotel

"Seven Nation Army" began with a guitar riff devised by singer and guitarist Jack White at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, while the White Stripes were on the Australian leg of their tour in January 2002.[2] He showed the riff to Ben Swank, an executive with the White Stripes' record label Third Man, who felt White could "do better".[3] White later recalled that Swank "didn't even think that rhythm was that great, either".[4] Originally saving the riff for a potential James Bond theme, he decided to incorporate it into a White Stripes song after admitting how slim his chances were of ever being asked to create a Bond theme. (Five years later, he would write and perform "Another Way to Die" with Alicia Keys as the theme for the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace.)[3]

"Seven Nation Army" was produced by White and recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London's Hackney area.[5] He wrote the song as a "little experiment", hoping to create a compelling song that did not include a chorus.[6] The title "Seven Nation Army" was initially used as a placeholder for the track before its lyrics were written, but the name ultimately stuck.[3]

Composition and lyrics

[edit]
A DigiTech Whammy was used to create the bass-like sound heard in the driving riff.

"Seven Nation Army" is characterised as an alternative rock,[7] garage rock,[8] blues rock[8][9] and punk blues[8] song with a length of three minutes and 52 seconds.[10] According to sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group, it is composed in the key of E minor[11] in common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute.[12] The title of the song comes from when Jack White, as a young child in Detroit, misheard "The Salvation Army" as "The Seven Nation Army".[13]

The song is driven by a riff that resembles the sound of a bass guitar.[14] To create this sound, White connected a semi-acoustic guitar to a DigiTech Whammy pedal (a pitch shift effect), lowering the pitch by an octave.[3] The riff uses five pitches and consists of seven notes; it begins with a held note followed by four syncopated notes, ending with two notes that appear frequently in laments.[15] The 7-note riff of "Seven Nation Army" has been noted to be similar to the main theme (movements 1 and 4) of Bruckner's 5th symphony.[16] The song also features distorted vocals and a "heartbeat drum", played by White Stripes drummer Meg White.[17] AllMusic's Tom Maginnis noted that the song "manipulat[es] the power of tension and release": it creates a sense of "anticipatory energy", then transitions into what Maginnis described as a "[wordless] crush of what stands for the chorus", consisting of an electric guitar and a "bashing crash cymbal".[8]

John Mulvey of NME described "Seven Nation Army" as a "diatribe against fame".[17] The song's lyrics were inspired by the growing attention received by the White Stripes. According to Jack White, the song tells the story of a person who, upon entering a town, hears its residents gossiping about him and proceeds to leave the town in response. Driven by a sense of loneliness, he ultimately returns. Regarding the song's meaning, White stated, "The song's about gossip. It's about me, Meg and the people we're dating."[3] Maginnis described the lyrics as presenting an "obstinate attitude", citing the opening lines: "I'm gonna fight 'em off / A seven nation army couldn't hold me back / They're gonna rip it off / Taking their time right behind my back".[8]

In regards to the line "I'm going to Wichita / Far from this opera forevermore", White said he has never visited the city, but was using it as metaphor and getting himself into character for the song with the lyric.[18]

Release

[edit]

Jack White's idea of releasing "Seven Nation Army" as a single faced opposition from the White Stripes' record label, XL Recordings, which wanted to release the song "There's No Home for You Here" instead.[19] Jack White persuaded the label to release "Seven Nation Army",[3] and in 2003 it was released as a promotional single alongside Elephant track "In the Cold, Cold Night".[20] It was subsequently released as a 7-inch vinyl single and a CD single; the former included a cover of "Good to Me"—written by Brendan Benson and Jason Falkner[5]—as its B-side, while the latter included both "Good to Me" and folk song "Black Jack Davey".[20] The photograph used as the single's artwork was taken by Patrick Pantano; it includes an elephant painting made by Greg Siemasz.[5]

On January 3, 2014, Third Man Records announced a limited edition clear 7-inch vinyl reissue of "Seven Nation Army" as part of a package for subscribers to its Vault service.[21][22] A black 7-inch vinyl reissue with updated artwork was released on February 27, 2015.[22]

Music video

[edit]

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. The triangle slides alternate between images of Jack or Meg playing, interspersed with marching skeletons and an elephant, referring to the name of the album "Seven Nation Army" appeared on. The triangles move forward through the tunnel faster and slower in tandem with the dynamics of the song. When the song begins to intensify, the lights surrounding the triangles flash and other effects build up as well.

The music video won Best Editing in a Video at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards,[23] and it was nominated for Best Group Video, Best Rock Video, and Best Special Effects.[24]

Reception

[edit]

"Seven Nation Army" received widespread critical acclaim. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in addition to being nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal,[25][26] and in 2003, it was ranked number three on Pazz & Jop based on music critics' votes.[27] Heather Phares of AllMusic described it as a "breathtaking opener" to the album Elephant,[28] and Bram Teltelman of Billboard suggested that "adventurous rock programmers might want to join the 'Army'".[14] In particular, "Seven Nation Army"'s central riff has been the subject of praise since the song's release. A writer for Rolling Stone described it as the best riff of the 2000s decade,[29] and Rebecca Schiller of NME wrote that the riff is "the most maddeningly compulsive bassline of the decade, and not even actually played on a bass guitar".[30] Critics also praised Meg White's drumming—a "hypnotic thud" according to Tom Maginnis of AllMusic.[8] Teltelman described the drumming as "simple but effective",[14] and Phares said it was "explosively minimal".[28]

Critics distinguished the song from the White Stripes' other work. According to Teltelman, "Seven Nation Army" represented an effort to "defy categorization", especially the garage rock label that had been attributed to the band. He further wrote that it was "much more of a straightforward rock song" than the band's 2002 single "Fell in Love with a Girl".[14] Phares found "Seven Nation Army", along with "The Hardest Button to Button", to "deliver some of the fiercest blues-punk" of any song by the White Stripes,[28] and Alex Young of Consequence of Sound viewed it as the band's best song.[31] Paste and Stereogum both named "Seven Nation Army" as the White Stripes' best song.[32][33]

Critics ranked the song among the best tracks of the 2000s decade; it appeared on NME's,[34] Rolling Stone's,[29] WFNX's,[35] and Pitchfork's[36] retrospective lists, and it was placed at number one on Consequence of Sound's "Top 50 Songs of the Decade".[31] "Seven Nation Army" appeared on Triple J's greatest songs ranking based on audience votes,[37][38] and listeners ranked the song number six on BBC Radio 6 Music's "Top 100 Greatest Hits" after being presented with an unranked best songs list that the station had created.[39] Loudwire ranked it the seventh on their list of the "Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs".[40]

In March 2005, Q magazine ranked "Seven Nation Army" eighth in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[41] It was also called the 75th greatest hard rock song by VH1.[42] In May 2008, Rolling Stone placed the song at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.[43] On Rolling Stone's updated version of its The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010, "Seven Nation Army" was listed at number 286,[44] and was re-ranked at number 36 in the 2021 edition. Rolling Stone also polled artists, critics and industry insiders in 2018 to create a list of the 100 greatest songs of the 21st century, and the song was placed at No. 3, with its riff described as the greatest of the 21st century.[45]

The song was listed as the number-one song of the year on the 2003 KROQ Top 106.7.[46]

Commercial performance

[edit]

On March 8, 2003, "Seven Nation Army" debuted at number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart;[47][note 1] on July 26, it peaked at number one, a position it maintained for three weeks.[49] In late 2023, for the chart's 35th anniversary,[50] Billboard ranked the song as the 80th most successful in the chart's history.[51] The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 24, peaking at 76 that week.[52][53] It debuted at number 38 on Billboard's Mainstream rock chart on July 12, and it reached its peak position of 12 on November 8.[54][55] In Canada it peaked at number 61 on the Canadian Singles Chart in July 2007.[56]

The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart on May 3, 2003, at number seven, its peak position.[57] It also reached the UK Indie Chart and Scottish Singles Chart the same week. The song debuted on the former at number one and remained at that position for another week, and it debuted and peaked at number six on the latter.[58][59][60] On May 1, it debuted on the Irish Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 22.[61] On June 22, the song debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at its peak position of number 17.[62] It debuted on the Official German Charts at number 69 on June 27; it peaked at number four two weeks later.[63]

"Seven Nation Army" continued to chart intermittently years after its release. The song debuted at number four on the Federation of the Italian Music Industry (FIMI) chart on July 27, 2006, and it peaked at number three a week later.[64] On June 29, 2008, it debuted at number 18 on the Swiss Hitparade chart, where it ultimately peaked at number four; it reentered this chart several times afterward, most recently in 2013.[65] The song debuted at number 23 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart on July 4, 2008, and it peaked at number 18 the next week; it later entered the Ö3 Austria Top 75 chart for one week on February 3, 2012.[66] The song also entered the French Singles Chart on multiple occasions from 2013 to 2018, peaking at number 48 on February 23, 2013.[67] It debuted on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart on January 18, 2014, peaking at number 12 during its first week.[68][69]

The song was awarded several certifications in the 2010s. It was certified gold by Germany's Federal Music Industry Association in 2010, indicating over 150,000 sales of the single.[70] In 2013, the British Phonographic Industry awarded "Seven Nation Army" a silver certification; after receiving a gold certification two years later, the song was certified double platinum in 2019 for sales and streams of over 1,200,000.[71] The song was certified gold by the FIMI in 2014; three years later, it received a platinum certification, having sold over 50,000 copies.[72]

Cultural impact

[edit]

"Seven Nation Army" played a significant role in the White Stripes' popularity. A writer for Rolling Stone described it as a "career-changing hit",[29] and NME's Daniel Martin viewed the song as the White Stripes' "defining tune", having sparked the band's transition "from their garage rock beginnings to an entirely new level of acclaim".[3] In addition, "Seven Nation Army" contributed to the garage rock revival movement,[8] becoming the first song in the genre to reach number one on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.[73][note 1] After its initial run on music charts, the song—especially its riff—grew in popularity as a result of its usage in sports. In 2012, Deadspin's Alan Siegel described the "riff-turned-anthem" as "ubiquitous",[2] and according to The New Yorker's Alec Wilkinson, the riff "might be the second-best-known guitar phrase in popular music, after the one from 'Satisfaction'".[74] Erik Adams of The A.V. Club attributed the song's popularity to its riff's "simplicity"—a characteristic that he remarked makes the song "instantly familiar" and "instantly memorized"[75]—and Nate Sloan said that the four notes following the riff's first note create a feeling of "urgency that makes [the riff] much more memorable".[15]

The song has also appeared in various other media. On May 9, 2014, during the celebration of the 825th Hamburg Port Anniversary, "Seven Nation Army" was played using the horns of cruise ship MSC Magnifica as it entered the harbor.[76] An instrumental cover of the song arranged by Ramin Djawadi was included in a 2018 episode of HBO television series Westworld.[77] The song was performed during the final task of The Amazing Race 31 at Hart Plaza in Detroit.[78]

Sporting events

[edit]
A football pitch is surrounded by a large audience of people mostly dressed in red.
"Seven Nation Army" was played before each game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

According to Alan Siegel of Deadspin, "Seven Nation Army"'s riff is "an organic part of sports culture".[2] The riff is commonly used in sports audience's chants, in which each note is usually sung using the "oh" sound.[15] This phenomenon has its roots in a UEFA Champions League football match in Italy in October 2003, during which fans of Belgium's Club Brugge KV began singing the riff in a game against Italy's A.C. Milan. They continued the chant after Club Brugge KV striker Andrés Mendoza scored a goal. Club Brugge KV won the game, and the song subsequently became the team's "unofficial sports anthem".[2][15]

After A.S. Roma won against Club Brugge KV in Belgium in 2006, fans of the former team began to use the riff as a chant, having learned it from the latter. Fans of the Italy national football team proceeded to chant the riff at games leading up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup,[15] and "Seven Nation Army"—known as the "po po po po po" song among Italians—became the team's "unofficial theme".[2] After Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, the riff was sung in Rome's streets.[2] Regarding 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 in music than when people embrace a melody and allow it to enter the pantheon of folk music.[79]

Not long after Italy won the World Cup, broadcaster Rai capitalised on the song's newfound popularity by using the song as the theme tune to game show Tutto per tutto. The song's usage has since expanded into various other sports settings. By 2007, audiences at the Penn State Nittany Lions' American football games had begun chanting the riff in support of the team; before that the Buffalo Bills had used it as their kickoff song, since then, other American football audiences have chanted the riff as well.[15] Meanwhile, Arrangers' Publishing Company began publishing marching band arrangements of "Seven Nation Army", and the song has since been played by marching bands at various colleges, including Boston College and the University of Southern California.[2][80] The song has been chanted by NFL fans and played by NBA and NHL teams,[15][81] and it was once chanted by Formula One racing driver Nico Rosberg.[82] Audiences often replace the "oh"s in the chant with the names of members of sports teams, as with Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City F.C., Thiago Silva of Chelsea FC, Maxi Moralez and Andrea Pirlo of New York City FC, Santi Cazorla, formerly of Arsenal FC, and Divock Origi of Liverpool F.C.[3][15]

"Seven Nation Army" has served as an official anthem at various sporting events; NPR's Rick Karr remarked that the song is "arguably... the world's most popular sports anthem".[15] It has been played at each UEFA European Football Championship since 2008,[83] and it was played prior to the start of each game during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Karr estimated that the song has reached "hundreds of millions of television viewers around the world" as a result of its usage in the latter tournament.[15] Multiple sports teams and personalities have also used "Seven Nation Army" as their official song or walkout music, including boxers Gennady Golovkin and Anthony Joshua,[84][85] American football teams the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills[86] (specifically when Buffalo returns the ball to the opposing team) and the Detroit Lions,[2] ice hockey team the New Jersey Devils,[87] baseball team the Baltimore Orioles,[88] and darts world champion Michael van Gerwen.[89] The song is also played at the home games of A-League team Melbourne Victory following a team goal; coincidentally, the team plays at AAMI Park – located only 2,300 feet (700 m) from the Corner Hotel, where the riff was originally composed.[90][91][92] Current WWE commentator Pat McAfee used the song as an entrance theme, including for his match against Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38. The song is also played at home games of the NBA team Miami Heat especially as the intro for the starting lineup and intro video, even to this day.[93][94]

Usage in politics

[edit]

In 2016, the White Stripes stated via Facebook that they were "disgusted" by the song's appearance in a video supporting Donald Trump's campaign for the 2016 United States presidential election, and they said that they "[had] nothing whatsoever to do with [the] video".[95] Matthew Strauss of Pitchfork was unable to ascertain which video had prompted the post, though he mentioned a fan-made video that "featur[ed] Trump imagery and audio of his speech at the Republican convention, set to 'Seven Nation Army'".[96] This use of Donald Trump in music inspired British composer Ben Comeau to write, in the style of J. S. Bach, a four-part fugue on the riff of "Seven Nation Army" to the words "Donald Trump is a wanker."[97][98]

"Seven Nation Army" made multiple appearances at events leading up to the 2017 United Kingdom general election. Following a May 2017 speech by then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the Wirral Live music festival at Prenton Park in Birkenhead, Merseyside, supporters in the audience began to chant "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn" to the tune of the song's riff. This chant was repeated on several occasions in the run-up to the election and afterwards at the 2017 Glastonbury Festival, where Corbyn appeared on the Pyramid stage to introduce Run the Jewels.[99] As a result of the chant's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, "Seven Nation Army" saw a 16,893% increase in streams, according to music streaming website Deezer.[100]

Names of other politicians, including Labour politician Rebecca Long-Bailey and Conservative politician David Davis, were also chanted to the tune of the song's riff during conferences held for the election.[101] At a People's Assembly protest on July 1, 2017, rock band Wolf Alice performed the song. Corbyn's name was again widely chanted throughout football games and public gatherings in the run-up to the 2019 general election.

The tune of the song's riff became one of the hallmarks of the 2023 anti-reform protests in Israel, sung to the words "Demokratia o mered” (Democracy or rebellion)".[102]

Formats and track listings

[edit]

7-inch promo[20]

  1. "Seven Nation Army" – 3:52
  2. "In the Cold, Cold Night" – 2:58

7-inch vinyl single, 7-inch vinyl reissue[5][20]

  1. "Seven Nation Army" – 3:52
  2. "Good to Me" (Brendan Benson/Jason Falkner) – 2:06

CD single and digital download[10][20]

  1. "Seven Nation Army" – 3:52
  2. "Good to Me" (Brendan Benson/Jason Falkner) – 2:06
  3. "Black Jack Davey" (Traditional) – 5:06

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from "Seven Nation Army" 7-inch vinyl reissue liner notes.[5]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[114] 4× Platinum 280,000
Belgium (BEA)[115] Platinum 40,000
Canada (Music Canada)[116] 9× Platinum 720,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[117] Platinum 90,000
France (SNEP)[118]
The Glitch Mob Remix
Diamond 333,333
Germany (BVMI)[70] 5× Gold 750,000
Italy (FIMI)[72] 2× Platinum 200,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[119] 5× Platinum 150,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[120] 2× Platinum 120,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[71] 4× Platinum 2,400,000
United States (RIAA)[121] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Formats Label Ref.
United States February 17, 2003 Alternative radio V2 [122]
United Kingdom April 21, 2003
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
XL [123]
Australia April 28, 2003 CD [124]

Cover versions

[edit]

The song has been covered by blues musician C. W. Stoneking, the country group The Oak Ridge Boys (with bass singer Richard Sterban singing the original guitar riffs),[125] funk metal band Living Colour, rock supergroup Audioslave, indie band Hard-Fi, alternative rock band The Flaming Lips,[126] English indie singer Kate Nash, British soul singer Alice Russell, American singer and television personality Kelly Clarkson, hard rock band The Pretty Reckless, heavy metal band Metallica, Argentine electrotango band Tanghetto, and reggae band The Dynamics. It has also been covered by German artist Mickie Krause, credited as Krausetto. In 2015, it was covered by Haley Reinhart for Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox in a style reminiscent of a New Orleans funeral march.[127] French neofolk group SKÁLD covered the song in 2019 for the Alfar Fagrahvél edition of their album Vikings Chant, with minor changes to the lyrics, with the city of "Wichita" changed to "Uppsala."[128]

The song was covered during Maroon 5's Overexposed Tour in 2012, with lead guitarist James Valentine providing guitar and vocals and lead vocalist Adam Levine providing drums.[129] The song was also covered by KT Tunstall (as a medley with her own "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree") on her 2013 Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon tour. European fans of the English pop star Robbie Williams frequently chant the song's riff both before and during a concert; renowned for his call and response relationship with his audience, Williams often improvises lyrics relating to the city in which he is performing, backed by the audience's riff. Thrash metal band Sepultura used the main riff as an outro on "Zombie Ritual", a cover by Death. Ramin Djawadi made a cover version of the song with sitar for Westworld season 2.

The song is also included in the "Backstage Romance" number of Moulin Rouge!, where it is in a medley with "Bad Romance", "Tainted Love", "Toxic", and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". During The Bandito Tour, musical duo Twenty One Pilots would sometimes perform the song as a mashup with one of their own songs, "Morph".[130]

Glitch Mob remix

[edit]

The song has been remixed by The Glitch Mob, which was used in the first trailer for the 2016 video game Battlefield 1.

The Glitch Mob remix of the song was used in a trailer for the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation. It appears as a playable track in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and in Guitar Hero Live's online GHTV mode.[131][132] In 2016, video game company EA used the Glitch Mob remix of the song in a trailer advertising Battlefield 1. A surge in streams and digital sales of the White Stripes' version of "Seven Nation Army" followed the release of the trailer: within two weeks, the total number of streams and digital purchases of the song increased by 146 percent and 332 percent, respectively.[133]

Ben l'Oncle Soul version

[edit]
"Seven Nation Army"
Single by Ben l'Oncle Soul
from the album Ben l'Oncle Soul
ReleasedMarch 8, 2010 (promo)
September 24, 2010 (CD Maxi)
Recorded2009–2010
GenreSoul, funk
Length2:57
LabelMotown Records
Songwriter(s)Jack White
Producer(s)Guillaume Poncelet, Gabin Lesieur
Ben l'Oncle Soul singles chronology
"Seven Nation Army"
(2010)
"Soulman"
(2011)

French soul singer Ben l'Oncle Soul covered the song on his self-titled album. Released as the album's debut single, "Seven Nation Army" was a commercial success in multiple countries, peaking at number 16 on the Belgium Ultratop Charts for Wallonia[136] and charting in Germany,[137] the Netherlands,[138] and Switzerland.[139] The version was also included in a number of compilation albums, including NRJ Hits 2010 Vol. 2 on Warner Records and Les hits de l'été 2010 on Universal Music Group label.

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[136] 16
Germany (GfK)[137] 51
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[138] 57
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[139] 54

Marcus Collins version

[edit]
"Seven Nation Army"
Single by Marcus Collins
from the album Marcus Collins
B-side"Break These Chains"
ReleasedMarch 4, 2012
Recorded2011–12
GenrePop, soul, funk
Length2:56
LabelRCA Records
Songwriter(s)Jack White
Producer(s)Matt Furmidge, Alex Smith, Brian Rawling
Marcus Collins singles chronology
"Wishing on a Star"
(2011)
"Seven Nation Army"
(2012)
"Mercy"
(2012)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Digital Spy[140]

British singer and The X Factor 2011 finalist Marcus Collins performed a cover of "Seven Nation Army" based on Ben l'Oncle Soul's cover.[140] A music video for the cover was uploaded to YouTube on February 16, 2012.[141] The song was released as his debut single on March 4, 2012.[140][142]

Critically, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy noted the "distinctive soul-pop" vocals showcased by Collins and wrote that, "Truth be told, we wish he'd fought a little harder to get one of those eight original compositions he has on his forthcoming record out first."[140] Priya Elan of NME concluded that although the cover may have seemed "disturbing in theory", it was ultimately "disposable and forgettable as a McChicken sandwich [...] but not bad".[143] Collins said that he received "a lot of abuse" from White Stripes fans in response to his cover, and he asserted that people should "listen to the original if you don't like my singing".[142]

Track listing

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

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[144] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[145] 49
Scotland (OCC)[146] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[147] 9

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom March 4, 2012[148][149] Digital download, CD single RCA Records

Notes and references

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Billboard's Modern Rock chart is now known as Alternative Songs, a name it adopted in 2009.[48]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gallucci, Michael (April 2023). "20 Years Ago: White Stripes Spark a Rock Revolution on 'Elephant'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Siegel, Alan (June 13, 2012). "How The Song 'Seven Nation Army' Conquered The Sports World". Deadspin. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Martin, Dan (May 13, 2013). "20 Things You Might Not Know About 'Seven Nation Army'". NME. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  4. ^ Boilen, Bob (April 17, 2012). "Jack White: How I Made 'Blunderbuss'". NPR (video). Retrieved September 1, 2018. 17 minutes, 11 seconds in.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Seven Nation Army" (7-inch vinyl reissue). The White Stripes. Third Man Records. 2013. TMR262.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ di Perna, Alan (June 4, 2018). "Jack White Breaks Down His Ambitious New Album, 'Boarding House Reach'". Guitar World. Future US. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  7. ^ Angermiller, Michele Amabile (August 14, 2015). "Watch Haley Reinhart & Postmodern Jukebox's Jazzy 'Seven Nation Army' Cover". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Maginnis, Tom. "Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  9. ^ Brown, Helen (September 11, 2017). "The story behind 'Seven Nation Army', an anthem of the World Cup football terraces". Financial Times. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Seven Nation Army – Single". iTunes (AU). April 21, 2003. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  11. ^ Jack, White (November 12, 2012). "Seven Nation Army". Musicnotes.com. MN0111227. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes – Digital Guitar Tab". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. November 19, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  13. ^ "Music | True believers". Archived from the original on June 20, 2003.
  14. ^ a b c d Teltelman, Bram (March 29, 2003). "Singles". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 13. New York City. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Karr, Rick (July 11, 2018). "Why 'Seven Nation Army' Is The One Jock Jam To Rule Them All". NPR. Digital version includes contributions from Daoud Tyler-Ameen. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  16. ^ Brown, Helen (September 11, 2017). "The story behind 'Seven Nation Army', an anthem of the World Cup football terraces". Financial Times.
  17. ^ a b Mulvey, John (March 7, 2003). "White Stripes: Elephant". NME. Archived from the original on February 9, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Jack White on 'Seven Nation Army': Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs". FreeP.com.
  19. ^ Adshead, Adam (April 1, 2010). "Jack White: 'White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' nearly wasn't released'". NME. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  20. ^ a b c d e Handyside, Chris (2004). "Discography". Fell in Love with a Band: The Story of the White Stripes. St. Martin's Press. p. 225. ISBN 9780312336189 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ "Vault Package #19". Third Man Records. January 3, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "White Stripes Elephant-Era Singles". Third Man Records. February 27, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  23. ^ "2003 MTV Video Music Awards Winners". Billboard. August 28, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  24. ^ "2003 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees". Billboard. July 25, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  25. ^ "46th Annual Grammy Awards". GRAMMY.com. Recording Academy. November 28, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  26. ^ "Complete list of 46th annual Grammy winners and nominees". Chicago Tribune. December 4, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  27. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The 2003 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  28. ^ a b c Phares, Heather. "Elephant – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  29. ^ a b c "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. June 17, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  30. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (June 20, 2011). "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  31. ^ a b "CoS Top 50 Songs of the Decade: 25-1". Consequence of Sound. 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  32. ^ Moore, Bo (February 4, 2011). "The 10 Best White Stripes Songs". Paste. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  33. ^ Williott, Carl (February 26, 2014). "The 10 Best White Stripes Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  34. ^ "200 Best Songs Of The 00s". NME. May 29, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  35. ^ "WFNX's top 101 songs of the decade". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  36. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s". Pitchfork. August 21, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  37. ^ "Hottest 100 of All Time 2009". Triple J. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  38. ^ "Hottest 100 of All Time – Voting". Triple J. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  39. ^ "6 Music's 100 Greatest Hits: The Top 100". BBC Radio 6 Music. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  40. ^ Childers, Chad (July 1, 2012). "No. 7: White Stripes, 'Seven Nation Army' – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs". Loudwire. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  41. ^ RockList.net (2005). "Q magazine – 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  42. ^ BraveWords. "VH1 Counts Down The Top 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs Of All-Time; The Entire List Is Here!". bravewords.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  43. ^ "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
  44. ^ "'Rolling Stone' Updates '500 Greatest Songs' List". May 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010.
  45. ^ "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". Rolling Stone. June 28, 2018.
  46. ^ "List of KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns". RadioHitlist.
  47. ^ "Alternative Songs—The week of March 8, 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  48. ^ Trust, Gary (June 10, 2009). "Chart Beat: Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Shinedown". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  49. ^ "Alternative Songs—The week of July 26, 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  50. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (September 7, 2023). "Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  51. ^ "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  52. ^ a b "The White Stripes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  53. ^ "The Hot 100—The week of May 24, 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  54. ^ a b "The White Stripes Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  55. ^ "Mainstream Rock Songs—The week of July 12, 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  56. ^ a b "The White Stripes Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  57. ^ "7 nation army | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  58. ^ a b "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  59. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  60. ^ "7 nation army | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  61. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 7 Nation Army". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  62. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  63. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  64. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army". Top Digital Download. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  65. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  66. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  67. ^ a b "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  68. ^ a b "The White Stripes Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  69. ^ "Alternative Songs—The week of January 18, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  70. ^ a b "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (The White Stripes; 'Seven Nation Army')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  71. ^ a b "British single certifications – White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  72. ^ a b "Italian single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  73. ^ "Beyoncé's Solo Debut Does 'Crazy' Business". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 28. New York City. July 12, 2003. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  74. ^ Wilkinson, Alec (March 13, 2017). "Jack White's Infinite Imagination". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  75. ^ Adams, Erik (February 5, 2014). "Simplicity gave The White Stripes an unlikely sports anthem". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  76. ^ Kaye, Ben (May 11, 2014). "Here's the best cover of "Seven Nation Army", courtesy of a cruise ship". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  77. ^ Coates, Tyler (May 7, 2018). "Westworld Snuck a Chilling Cover of 'Seven Nation Army' Into Last Night's Episode". Esquire. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  78. ^ Walker, Jodi (June 27, 2019). "The Amazing Race finale recap: The sacred feminine for the win". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  79. ^ "Jack White 'honoured' at Italian football tribute". NME. TI Media Limited. July 12, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  80. ^ Reilly, Rick (October 31, 2009). "Not your typical frosh". ESPN. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  81. ^ "Spurs Fans Do 'Seven Nation Army' Chant At End Of NBA Finals Game 3 (Video)". Huffington Post. June 12, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  82. ^ "Nico Rosberg uses fast start to win Italian Grand Prix". Los Angeles Times. September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  83. ^ McCarter, Reid (July 6, 2018). "Here's how The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" turned into a stadium chant". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  84. ^ Rafael, Dan (September 15, 2017). "Gennady Golovkin finally gets the fight he wants". ABC News. American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  85. ^ "Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker: AJ lightest in 10 fights". ESPN. March 20, 2018. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  86. ^ "7 Nation Army Chant Bills Game". YouTube. February 12, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  87. ^ "Seven Nation Army voted new goal song". NewJerseyDevils.com. November 2, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  88. ^ "Jack White rocks along as 'Seven Nation Army' plays at Camden Yards". The Baltimore Sun. May 28, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  89. ^ "Michael van Gerwen: Is Mighty Mike the next dominant force?". BBC Sport. BBC. July 18, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  90. ^ Pellizzeri, Teo (February 22, 2014). "Live A-League: Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  91. ^ "Woah Woah Woah". FanChants. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  92. ^ "FAIRYTALE START FOR THE SOCCEROOS". theturf.com.au. The Turf. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  93. ^ The finals 2013 NBA miami heat intro, June 21, 2013, retrieved March 4, 2023
  94. ^ 2021-22 Miami Heat Playoffs Intro Game 7 (vs Boston Celtics 5/29/22), May 29, 2022, retrieved March 4, 2023
  95. ^ Post, The White Stripes, Facebook, October 5, 2016
  96. ^ Strauss, Matthew (October 4, 2016). "The White Stripes 'Disgusted' by Donald Trump 'Seven Nation Army' Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  97. ^ "Classical Anti-Trump protest song composer headed to Norwich" by Stacla Briggs, Eastern Daily Press, November 28, 2018
  98. ^ Fugue on "Donald Trump is a Wanker", based on the "Seven Nation Army" theme. (The original video is now private.) on YouTube
  99. ^ "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn!': how the Labour chant all started". The Guardian. London, UK. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  100. ^ "White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' streams up 16,893% following Glastonbury Corbyn chants". NME. London, UK. June 29, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  101. ^ Harrison, Andrew (October 7, 2017). "'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn' – how Seven Nation Army inspired the political chant of a generation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  102. ^ Collins, Liat (March 31, 2023). "My Word: The sounds of the people". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  103. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 25, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  104. ^ "The White Stripes – 7 Nation Army" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  105. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  106. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  107. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  108. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  109. ^ "DISCOS DEL 2003 PARA RECORDAR". El Tiempo (Colombia). December 26, 2003. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  110. ^ "The Year in Music 2003 – Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 10, 2022 – via Google Books.
  111. ^ "Musica: Classifiche Annunali 2006 FIMI-AC Nielsen" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original on January 12, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2021. Click on Scarica l'allegato.
  112. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2008" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  113. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2008" (in German). Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  114. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  115. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2021". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  116. ^ "Canadian single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". Music Canada. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  117. ^ "Danish single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  118. ^ "French single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  119. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  120. ^ "Spanish single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  121. ^ "American single certifications – The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  122. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1491. February 14, 2003. p. 28. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  123. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 21 April 2003: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. April 19, 2003. p. 27. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  124. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 28th April 2003" (PDF). ARIA. April 28, 2003. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  125. ^ Five-Star Fridays The Agitator (March 25, 2011)
  126. ^ "16 'Seven Nation Army' Covers: From the Flaming Lips to the World Cup". Spin. July 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  127. ^ Angermiller, Michele Amabile (August 14, 2015). "Watch Haley Reinhart & Postmodern Jukebox's Jazzy 'Seven Nation Army' Cover". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  128. ^ Riders On The Storm, September 20, 2019, retrieved June 26, 2022
  129. ^ Hernández, Vania (August 20, 2012). "Maroon 5 cautivó con su energía". Rolling Stone México (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  130. ^ Darus, Alex (May 25, 2019). "Josh Dun Mashes Up "Morph", The White Stripes in Epic Drum Solo". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  131. ^ Makuch, Eddie (July 27, 2010). "More songs confirmed for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock". GameSpot. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  132. ^ Prell, Sam (November 11, 2015). "Six new songs are coming to Guitar Hero Live's GHTV this week". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  133. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (May 20, 2016). "The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' Returns to Rock Charts Thanks to 'Battlefield 1' Trailer". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  134. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  135. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  136. ^ a b "Ben L'Oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  137. ^ a b "Ben L'Oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  138. ^ a b "Ben L'Oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  139. ^ a b "Ben L'Oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army". Swiss Singles Chart.
  140. ^ a b c d Corner, Lewis (February 21, 2012). "Marcus Collins: 'Seven Nation Army' – Single review". Digital Spy. digitalspy.co.uk. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  141. ^ MarcusCollinsVEVO (February 16, 2012). "Marcus Collins – Seven Nation Army". Archived from the original on November 17, 2021 – via YouTube.
  142. ^ a b Sperling, Daniel (February 16, 2012). "Marcus Collins unveils new music video". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  143. ^ Elan, Priya (January 27, 2012). "Marcus Collins Covers 'Seven Nation Army' – How Bad Is It?". NME. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  144. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  145. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Marcus Collins". Irish Singles Chart.
  146. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  147. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  148. ^ "Seven Nation Army" – via Amazon.
  149. ^ "Seven Nation Army – Single by Marcus Collins on Apple Music". iTunes. March 2, 2012.
[edit]

Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Nation_Army
6 views |
Download as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF