The White Stripes were an American rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of the 2000s indie rock and garage rock revival.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the White Stripes sought success within the Detroit music scene, releasing six singles and two studio albums, their self-titled debut album (1999) and De Stijl (2000). They rose to prominence with their critically acclaimed albums White Blood Cells (2001) and Elephant (2003), which propelled them to the forefront of the garage rock revival scene. The single "Seven Nation Army", which used a guitar and an octave pedal to create the opening riff, became one of their most recognizable songs. The band released two more albums, Get Behind Me Satan (2005) and Icky Thump (2007), and the documentary Under Great White Northern Lights (2009), before dissolving in 2011 after a lengthy hiatus from performing and recording.
The White Stripes used a low-fidelity approach to writing and recording. Their music featured a melding of garage rock and blues influences and a raw simplicity of composition, arrangement, and performance. The duo were also noted for their fashion and design aesthetic which featured a simple color scheme of red, white, and blackwhich was used on every album and single cover they releasedas well as the duo's fascination with the number three. Their discography includes six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album and one extended play (EP).
Over the course of their career, the White Stripes earned numerous accolades, which include winning a Brit Award from six nominations, six Grammy Awards from eleven nominations, and six MTV Video Music Awards from eighteen nominations. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has included White Blood Cells on their "200 Definitive Albums" list.
Rolling Stone ranked White Blood Cells and Elephant on various editions of their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", and in 2015, the same publication named them the sixth greatest duo of all time. In 2023, in their first year of eligibility, the White Stripes were nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but were not inducted.
Members:
Jack White
Meg White
From: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genre(s):
Garage rock,
blues rock,
alternative rock,
punk blues,
indie rock
Active From: 1997-2011
Associated Acts:
Jack White