White Stripes Meet Dance Show as "Seven Nation Army" Surges On

Just weeks ago, Rock Daily saw Beyoncé's killer all-girl band launch into a rendition of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" at the diva's New York tour kick-off show. Now Jack and Meg White's 2003 hit from Elephant is back again, this time on Fox reality show So You Think You Can Dance. Last night the Top 12 hopefuls — outfitted and red and black (but not white, sadly) performed an awesome routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon to one of our Greatest Guitar Songs, demonstrating once again the power and versatility of that little bluesy riff.

The resurgence of the track, which has been covered by everyone from Duran Duran to Foo Fighters — and played over sound systems in sports arenas — has been fascinating. Could it mean the masses are hungry for more White Stripes? As Rolling Stone reported, Jack White promises the duo's next disc won't be "too far off." But when?

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

More Song Stories entries »

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