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

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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