ALL The White Stripes Songs Ranked

This article was updated on May 9, 2020

Known as probably the greatest garage rock duo of the 2000s, The White Stripes’ discography has aged well into our time now despite their breakup in 2011.

Though Jack White has moved on from this section of his past, The White Stripes continues as the biggest break of his career. So now, I’m going to be ranking ALL of The White Stripes, not including any covers or tracks not featured on studio albums.

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79. St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air) (Icky Thump)

I hate to start off this list pointing my finger at one of Meg’s features. But the music is so loud it drowns out the vocals, and while I can appreciate the idea of it with going to war, it’s not enjoyable; it’s just noise.

78. It’s True That We Love One Another (Elephant)

I feel really guilty for ranking this one so far down the list, but I have to be honest: it’s not that good of a song. I like how it sounds like Meg, Jack, and Holly having a conversation with each other, but other than that, the song can get annoying quick.

77. As Ugly As I Seem (Get Behind Me Satan)

I love it when Jack White decides to get quiet, and those ballad-type songs are some of my favorites across many of his other groups. But there are so many other better songs similar to “As Ugly As I Seem” to pay attention to. The song remains static for most of its progression, and it’s forgettable after the first stanza of it.

76. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) (Get Behind Me Satan)

This song is similar to As Ugly As I Seem, but with better dynamics.

75. There’s No Home For You Here (Elephant)

Spoiler alert for this list: despite popular opinion, Elephant is not my favorite album. I find myself singing aloud to “There’s No Home for You Here” more often than I’d like to admit, but while the chorus is catchy, it’s also annoying.

74. Little Ghost (Get Behind Me Satan)

This is actually a very good folk song. Let me say that again. A good folk song. The White Stripes pulled that vibe off well on Icky Thump, but on Get Behind Me Satan, “Little Ghost” is a joke.

73. White Moon (Get Behind Me Satan)

Another song similar to “Forever For Her” and “As Ugly As I Seem,” but with a better balance between the music and the vocals. The song goes somewhere and you can understand it, but there are still better ballads and the song is just forgettable. This song probably beat out the other two because of the scene from the Under the Great White Northern Lights documentary when Meg gets so emotional she starts crying and Jack hugs her when he’s done playing.

72. A Boy’s Best Friend (De Stijl)

There are so many slow songs at the bottom of this list, but with the garage rock genre, you can’t beat out the faster songs like “Seven Nation Army” and “Icky Thump.” This song is so slow it literally drags — probably intentionally, but it doesn’t make the song likeable. It’s just boring.

71. I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart (Elephant)

This song is very similar to “You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket.” This is one main example of why Elephant is not my favorite White Stripes album. Not just this song — Hyponotize and Black Math are very similar to each other, as well.

70. You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket (Elephant)

This ballad from Elephant is charming and sweet, but is again forgettable. I can barely remember anything about the song except for “Keep it in your pocket/’Cause it’s home sweet home.” But it fits the song better than “I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart,” hence why it made the list higher.

69. This Protector (White Blood Cells)

This song is somewhat redeemable in the chorus with the lyrics “You thought you heard a sound,” but as the closing track off White Blood Cells, “This Protector” is painfully forgettable. It’s like a song you could enjoy in the background of a diner, but not enough to pay to hear.

68. Sister, Do You Know My Name? (De Stijl)

This one is similar to “A Boy’s Best Friend” but with a better and more substantial melody and riff.

67. Little Bird (De Stijl)

I’m going to get complaints on my placement of the iconic “Little Bird,” but the song just doesn’t have enough dynamic differences to keep me interested for longer than a few stanzas.

66. Jumble, Jumble (De Stijl)

It pains me to put so many De Stijl songs at the bottom, but I have to be honest with myself and admit that it really wasn’t The White Stripes’ best album. I wish I could put “Jumble, Jumble” higher — I love the beat and I can’t help but bounce with Meg’s bass drum (as is with most of The White Stripes’ songs) — but there are so many other songs with more thought put into them that I had to sacrifice it at the bottom of the list.

65. Sugar Never Tasted So Good (The White Stripes)

A very catchy tune, but the familiar sound of it gets old after the first few times. It’s like that one folk song at camp that you’ve already sung over a hundred times in the week but everyone else wants to keep singing it again. And again. And again. And again. And — you get the gist.

64. Let’s Build a Home (De Stijl)

I’ve never liked songs that start with some kind of voice sample at the beginning. Most bands I love have these songs at the bottom of their respective lists: Kula Shaker with “Modern Blues,” Plastiscene with “Take Me Away From Earth,” and now The White Stripes with “Let’s Build a Home.” The riff isn’t bad, but it is just another one of those De Stijl tracks that repeats the same verse until it ends.

63. Aluminum (White Blood Cells)

There’s nothing bad about the instrumental track off White Blood Cells. It carries the familiar raw garage sound that the band is so famous for. It perfectly captures the talent and personality of both Jack and Meg.

62. Instinct Blues (Get Behind Me Satan)

This track brings me back to the old days of blues, and the repetition of the animals and the insects “getting it” make whoever this song is pointed at look worse than dirt, and while that isn’t too cool, it definitely delivers its message. The feedback starting the song and the way Jack White changes from yelling to whispering, “So why don’t you?” is also appealing. Why didn’t it make it higher on the list? Process of elimination.

61. I Can Learn (White Blood Cells)

Another spoiler: I love White Blood Cells. And it hurts to put “I Can Learn” so low on the list. I love all of the short tracks off the album, and “I Can Learn happens to have one of the best guitar parts of those tracks. But like “Instinct Blues,” there were just too many better White Stripes songs that had to be placed higher.

60. Black Math (Elephant)

This track boils at the surface as the lyrics suggest, but it is lacking in dynamics to make itself a worthwhile track on Elephant. I like the song a lot more than I first did making this list, but I’ve never seen it as a favorite.

59. Ball and Biscuit (Elephant)

This one is often used as an example of who The White Stripes are, and I can’t argue with that. The song is a good example of their harsh, bare sound and rebellious style. But personal opinion is playing a role in this list, and I just don’t have the patience to sit through seven minutes of a repeated vocal performance in between bursts of guitar solos.

58. Suzy Lee (The White Stripes)

This is the debut feature of the character Suzy Lee, and she serves as a sweet little story on this track, fitting well later on “We’re Gonna Be Friends.” It drags somewhat, but it fits the track better than “A Boy’s Best Friend” because it’s heavier — it’s supposed to drag a bit.

57. Do (The White Stripes)

Jack is almost crying on this track, especially when the music cuts out while he starts to rant before complaining hopelessly that there is “nothing [he] can do.” It is simple and innocent, but its undertones are like the little child bursting out wanting to fight back for their dignity.

56. Now Mary (White Blood Cells)

Short, sweet, and one of the better short snippets off of White Blood Cells. Meg’s simple drumming with Jack’s aggressive guitars added with the lyrics, “Can’t you find a way to bring me down?” add contrast and much needed energy to the track.

55. I Think I Smell a Rat (White Blood Cells)

The most redeemable quality of “I Think I Smell a Rat” is without a doubt the guitar riff at the beginning and crashing drums. It is juicy, suspenseful, and irresistible.

54. Hypnotize (Elephant)

While “Black Math” is more progressive and exciting than “Hypnotize,” this track is simple, the melody gives a statement, and the chord progression is interesting and has a place to go in mind.

53. Astro (The White Stripes)

I can’t find a single thing to hate about this song. I love the muffled start with Jack counting it off and then immediately jumping into a tune that makes you sway and dance. It’s super catchy, fun, and impossible to hate.

52. Red Rain (Get Behind Me Satan)

The bells were an excellent addition to this track off Get Behind Me Satan. They add a nice touch to the idea of the rain pittering softly before the storm. The guitars are roaring like a thunderstorm while Jack White can be heard screaming, “Can you hear me calling your name?”

51. When I Hear My Name (The White Stripes)

An example of when cracking vocals sound better than they would be full. The whoa’s are especially pleasing. But it is too repetitive to make it higher on the list. Like the difference between a 50s song and the 60s.

50. Passive Manipulation (Get Behind Me Satan)

Short and to the point, there’s no real reason to dislike this track. This is one of the best showcases of Meg’s vocals, and who better to send a message to women than from another woman?

49. Catch Hell Blues (Icky Thump)

If there’s one thing I love about Jack White’s solos, it’s the times that he uses a guitar slide. There are better examples of this, but “Catch Hell Blues” is still a decent one. Other than that, there isn’t much else to say about the song.

48. The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (White Blood Cells)

Unlike the aforementioned ballads, “The Same Boy You’ve Always Known” has both memorable lyrics and dynamic contrast. It is not just charming, it is interesting and not static like the other slower White Stripes songs.

47. Broken Bricks (The White Stripes)

Everyone knows (especially the band kids) that any song is made infinitely better with the use of a cowbell or similar instrument. This is what makes the song most enjoyable, and while I love the lyrics, that’s really the main reason why I’m placing it here.

46. Wasting My Time (The White Stripes)

Anyone who claims that The White Stripes was a bad album has a bone to pick with me. “Wasting My Time” is a perfect example of the charm that the early White Stripes had. It was raw, somewhat classic, and the riff was heavy and memorable. And you have to love the guitar solos that Jack White is so famous for. It is everything that The White Stripes set out to represent.

45. The Union Forever (White Blood Cells)

Again, this song is making it so high mainly because I loved the live performance as shown in the Under the Great White Northern Lights documentary. When Jack starts talking with Meg’s clicks, he is almost screaming in some imaginary person’s face and ever since, I have never been able to listen to it in the same way (I used to not be a fan).

44. The Nurse (Get Behind Me Satan)

This song seems so innocent, and it sounds like something that should belong in a thriller or horror film. You can take it as either creepy or thrilling, and I kind of see it both ways. You can’t really anticipate when the next guitar strum is coming unless you’ve memorized it, and the song just abruptly ends in the middle of one of them.

43. You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) (De Stijl)

A White Stripes classic, “You’re Pretty Good Looking” is one of the easiest-to-love tracks from the band’s discography, but for avid fans, we tend to get sick of the lingering melody that is constantly ringing in our brains after one listen.

42. Why Can’t You Be Nicer to Me? (De Stijl)

I wish I had more excuses to praise De Stilj, and the album certainly played off the blues vibes well. But the song is basic and repetitive, and even I must admit that there are better reasons to praise a song.

41. Bone Broke (Icky Thump)

The guitars sound so high pitched that it makes me feel like it’s trying to crunch my bones. While I can’t remember most of the lyrics, the guitar lick is the best part about it.

40. Hello Operator (De Stijl)

Who doesn’t bang their head to this one? There’s no possible way I could put this song lower (I would have a mob at my door if I did). Jack’s vocals hit hard right after the guitar and it’s hard to decide the right time to bounce with it. It’s consistent, but it keeps you interested unlike a few others that are more repetitive.

39. I’m Slowly Turning Into You (Icky Thump)

“I’m slowly turning into you” — these are the lyrics that you won’t be able to get out of your head after the first lyrics. But it doesn’t get annoying. It hooks you like a drug and you want to keep hearing Jack sing it over and over and over again. If anything, watch a live video of this song. It sounds even better.

38. Jimmy the Exploder (The White Stripes)

Another White Stripes classic, “Jimmy the Exploder” isn’t the most interesting song in the band’s discography, but the lyrics and raw vocal sound is addictive and perfectly matches the rest of the band’s debut album.

37. 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues (Icky Thump)

This is most definitely the most chill song in The White Stripes’ discography, and I dig it. It’s like a calm wind or gentle patter of rain with the occasional spontaneous burst of momentum.

36. Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine (Elephant)

Like the other Elephant songs, “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine” has the potential to get annoying, but it is less likely than the others because of the sections where the guitars pause to let Jack sing alone with the cymbal crashes. “Is the problem you’re allergic to a well familiar name?” — I love the rhetorical questions in the lyrics.

35. The Big Three Killed My Baby (The White Stripes)

A screaming performance by Jack and a perfect showcase of grief for the death of one’s precious offspring. His voice almost cracks when he yells “I found out my baby is dead!” and the slow pitch rising in the chords of the verses building up to the outburst of the chorus add to the suspense and anger in the story.

34. My Doorbell (Get Behind Me Satan)

A White Stripes classic, this track harbors an old-timers’ vibe in both the style and the lyrics, reminiscent of a time before the digital age when we waited for someone to come around in person to say hello instead of waiting by the smartphone for their next text. If there’s one thing Get Behind Me Satan did well, it showed us how great of a piano player that Jack is.

33. Fell in Love With a Girl (White Blood Cells)

Probably one of the most recognizable and over-played songs in The White Stripes’ discography, but “Fell in Love With a Girl” tends to be one of those classics that everyone can enjoy without getting too irritated.

32. I Can’t Wait (White Blood Cells)

Forget “I Can Learn,” “I Can’t Wait” is so much catchier and addicting with both its chorus and guitar licks. You can’t get enough of Jack’s oh-yeah-yeah-yeahs, or “I thought you made up your mind”s. Play this one on a loop and you can thank me later for reminding you of its existence.

31. Conquest (Icky Thump)

Icky Thump certainly made for a good mixing pot of different genres for The White Stripes. “Conquest” is a special change for the horn feature and the Hispanic vibes despite the rock n’ roll foundation of the guitar and drums. But while I love the way Jack bends the pitch as he sings “Conquest,” the song has been overplayed so much I just can’t put it any higher on the list.

30. Slicker Drips (The White Stripes)

One of the best licks from The White Stripes, “Slicker Drips” is a special track off the band’s self-titled debut not because it’s anything particularly unique, but because it speeds up and down in tempo as it progresses through the different sections of the song. The lyrics are too thought-out, but it is so fast, it’s over before you can really comprehend what you just heard.

29. Cannon (The White Stripes)

Jon from ARTV has been one of my biggest inspirations for music criticism. When I was first diving into the world of The White Stripes, I was watching a video where he described “Cannon” as an ingenious throwaway riff, and I have to agree with him. The riff is so simple but the way Jack and Meg go about it aggressively like a freight train running down the tracks is brilliant and overwhelming.

28. Little People (The White Stripes)

I had a friend tell me yesterday this was one of the worst White Stripes songs and I got very defensive. I love when Jack sings with a slightly jarbled voice on The White Stripes. The repetition of “There’s a little _____” makes me enjoy the song even more, especially with the muted guitar strums.

27. Expecting (White Blood Cells)

The guitar is the best part of this song, as it is with most of Jack’s songs. “Expecting” also has one of the best melodies paired with the guitar of any White Stripes song because the way the pitch changes matches the way the guitars make your body want to move.

26. You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told) (Icky Thump)

An easy song to love but another one that has been overplayed (and very easily so), Jack sounds clear and more like a mainstream singer on this song. That’s not a bad thing, but it does make the song stick out a bit compared to the others in his discography. But you can’t pass up how great the lyrics are.

25. Little Cream Soda (Icky Thump)

One of the greatest guitar features in Jack White history, there is no denying how brilliant this track is. The words are yet another example of Jack White reflecting on the past and the simple jewels in life, and it bursts in flavor whenever you hear that nonchalant, “oh well, oh well, oh well…/There’s nothing left for me to tell you.”

24. Screwdriver (The White Stripes)

“Screwdriver” was apparently the first track The White Stripes composer when a red screwdriver caught Jack’s eye during a session. You have to praise this song and it set the way for a string of related song ideas and what makes The White Stripes so brilliant: the simple and the unexpected.

23. Take, Take, Take (Get Behind Me Satan)

You haven’t experienced this track until you’ve heard it on stereo or with earbuds. One side is high and nasal while the other is slightly more guttural, but it adds the illusion of being pulled by two different people, especially in the last verse where Jack trades off each word in the lyrics, “That was all that I needed.”

22. I’m Bound to Pack it Up (De Stijl)

While De Stijl may not be the most amazing record in the world, “I’m Bound to Pack it Up” is one example of the few precious gems hidden on it. The acoustic guitar and the other instrument in the chorus was the perfect fit for the mood, and in a way, it fits the idea of “packing it up,” like heading off into the unknown to find a better place.

21. I’m Finding it Harder to Be a Gentleman (White Blood Cells)

I am female, but the lyrics still ring true to me. Women these days are constantly looking for “equality” but ignoring the fact that men aren’t always looking down on us and sometimes are just showing a bit of common courtesy. The lyrics are quite humorous to me, especially at the end: “Then you said you almost dropped me so then I did/And I got mud on my shoes.”

20. Blue Orchid (Get Behind Me Satan)

Harsh guitars, high pitched, staccato vocals, what’s not to like? And the way Jack sings “anyway” in the chorus is amazing. While Jack may not be the greatest vocalist in the world, when he sings in the high range, it doesn’t sound like he is making a joke — he sounds serious but playful at the same time.

19. I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet) (Get Behind Me Satan)

Probably Jack White’s most open and emotional pieces of art. Who doesn’t get a little chocked up in the third verse with “I go down and I wonder if there was any reason left/I left just before my lungs could get wet?”

18. In the Cold, Cold Night (Elephant)

Without a doubt the greatest Meg feature. It’s damp and somewhat dismal in mood, and while Meg may not have the best singing voice, in this song her vocals seem somewhat seductive combined with Jack’s simple picking.

17. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn (Icky Thump)

“Singing ly-dee-ly-dee-ly-oh-ho” and this song lifts your spirits after a long day and is easy to hum along to. One of the best folk songs The White Stripes ever released, this is a campfire song you’ll never want to stop singing. The chorus is sweet like a sickly sweet prickly pear, and you just can’t get enough of it, especially when you start singing along.

16. A Martyr For My Love For You (Icky Thump)

After talking about the pretty young girl he is interested in, the chorus gets intense and aggressive, which fits the story perfectly: he is foreseeing a future of mistakes and chaos, so he is staying back (when he gets quiet) instead of going all out into a relationship with this girl. The story is interesting, and the music is amazing.

15. The Air Near My Fingers (Elephant)

The melody on this track is juicy and the do’s are impossible to not sing along to, at least in your head. Jack doesn’t need to scream on this rambling track, and with lyrics such as “I never said I ever wanted to be a man,” this is probably one of the best examples of him casually mocking a girl.

14. I Fought Piranhas (Elephant)

I fell in love with this song from the documentary, It Might Get Loud. The use of the bottle slide was a perfect addition, and Jack’s harsh, off-key vocals couldn’t fit the old-school blues vibe better.

13. Offend in Every Way (White Blood Cells)

Is this song so great because of how true it is to me? Most likely. But what makes it even better would be how Jack seems to be forcing out the lyrics, “You tell me to relax.” You can hear a subtle burst at the beginning of each word, and it adds to the feeling of telling a lie and an overused, watered-down piece of advice

12. The Denial Twist (Get Behind Me Satan)

A better attempt at the vibe of “My Doorbell” with a more interesting idea and progression. This song has some of the best lyrics of any White Stripes song, and you can’t resist that piano, either.

11. Effect and Cause (Icky Thump)

A simple tune, “Effect and Cause” is one of The White Stripes successful tries at the folk genre. The lyrics a are true, and the melody (especially in the chorus) is so enjoyable and fun to sing that I personally can never get myself to stop coming back to it.

10. The Hardest Button to Button (Elephant)

Who says Meg isn’t a great drummer? “The Hardest Button to Button” is probably one of my favorite drum parts in a rock song, and it doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Just a bass drum is good enough for me. Besides, it made for arguably the greatest music video ever made with its semi-stop-motion effects.

9. Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise (De Stijl)

One of the best tracks off their sophomore album, “Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise” is a gem with its rich blues-y vibes. The metaphors in the lyrics are worth its praise, with lines such as “heart of stone” and the namesake, “truth doesn’t make a noise.” It brings the look of those cold eyes shooting daggers at you to let her be, and the sound of the guitar riffs are something to die for.

8. Hotel Yorba (White Blood Cells)

You know how the song you saw in that one local commercial seems like the greatest song in the world? This is the case with “Hotel Yorba,” which was actually used in a local hotel commercial. It is simple, catchy, and easy for beginner guitarists to learn, all of which add to the sentimental nature of the track.

7. Rag and Bone (Icky Thump)

“Rag and Bone” is similar to “It’s True That We Love One Another,” but the near growling in Jack’s vocals make you want to listen over and over again and wanting more like it. Meg’s contribution to the lyrics couldn’t be better, and add a great echo to Jack’s. Where we see so little vocal performance from the shy, quiet half of the duo, “Rag and Bone” is a much-appreciated gem just before their breakup.

6. Little Room (White Blood Cells)

Say what you want, but “Little Room” is. The. BOMB. The lazy, rambling “na-la-ya-nuh’s” following the coherent verse are addicting, and despite being one of the duo’s shortest tracks, it could easily be one of the BEST. Of course, it is only number 6 on this list, mainly because I couldn’t stomach placing it higher since there is not enough content to call it a masterpiece compared to other classic White Stripes tracks.

5. Apple Blossom (De Stijl)

Maybe I just like this song because I’m a girl and it seems as if Jack is speaking to me, but this song is most obviously the best song off De Stijl, and you have to give it credit for its simple and sweet lyrics. Throughout the years, this is one song that has remained sweet and pure to my ears.

4. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (White Blood Cells)

Fun fact: anything with autumn leaves or rain in the title or used as a metaphor is going to be high on any of my lists of favorites. “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” is no exception. My favorite band, Velvet Starlings, even covered it when they came to play in my city, so what’s not to love? Jack’s voice leans more on the nasal end of the spectrum, but with the way he’s talking about a regretful mistake made in a relationship (I presume as based on the music video), it fits the song and isn’t annoying at all.

3. We’re Going to Be Friends (White Blood Cells)

This is most possibly one of the most nostalgic songs that the duo has ever written, and I dig it. It’s simple with a brief change in the bridge that isn’t too overwhelming, and what’s not to like? It’s easy and fun to play on guitar, and it can sometimes even succeed in getting me to cry.

2. Seven Nation Army (Elephant)

You can’t escape this song, and you can’t deny how addicting the “chorus” is. Like it or not, you haven’t lived until you’ve been in a full stadium or room screaming the notes of the riff at the top of your lungs. It doesn’t matter how typical it is to say, but I would not complain if “Seven Nation Army” will be forever praised as the greatest White Stripes or Jack White song.

1. Icky Thump (Icky Thump)

To a person like me where vocals are the most desirable quality of music, it is a wonder I am a fan of Jack White at all, much less of “Icky Thump,” where the vocals don’t try to sound pleasant — instead sounding lazy and sarcastic at times. The solo breaks are short and meaty, and Jack uses the opportunity of telling a story about a dirty little decision he supposedly made to include some satirical remarks about immigration and other issues in modern life. I doubted my choice initially, but it was my favorite song at first discovery, and it remains in that spot to this day.