"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes
A seven-note riff that sounds exactly like a bass — played by a band with no bassist. "Seven Nation Army" peaked at #76 on the Hot 100, then quietly conquered every stadium on earth. Millions chant it at games today without knowing they're singing The White Stripes.
"Seven Nation Army" was released on February 17, 2003, as the opening track and lead single of The White Stripes' album Elephant — written and produced by Jack White, with Meg White on drums. The iconic riff sounds unmistakably like a bass guitar, but the two-piece had no bassist: it's Jack's semi-acoustic guitar run through a DigiTech Whammy pedal, pitched down an octave. He came up with it at a soundcheck at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne during a January 2002 Australian tour, and the title came from childhood — as a kid in Detroit, he misheard "The Salvation Army" as "the seven nation army."
On the pop charts it barely registered, peaking at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it spent three weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock chart, won Best Rock Song at the 2004 Grammys, and its music video — directed by Alex and Martin — took Best Editing at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
Then came the accident that made it immortal. In October 2003, fans of the Belgian club Club Brugge began singing the riff at a Champions League match against AC Milan. Italian national-team supporters picked it up around the 2006 World Cup, and from there it spread to stadiums everywhere — the "oh-oh-OH-oh-oh-OH-oh" that erupts after goals and touchdowns worldwide. A garage-rock single that missed the top 40 became one of the most-chanted melodies on the planet.
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