22. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (2003)

The first rock song on my parade comes only now. Rock, in the nauties, said nothing to me about my life, did not challenge me, did not teach me anything new about the world. Throughout the entire decade, rock did not produce even a single star who presents a unique figure, battling the world and serving as a model of existence. Rock also ceased being the provocateur, which induces social agitation that leads to changes. On the other hand, rock did continue to produce music, in buckets, and some of it was even good.

The White Stripes personify the new rocker: without the charisma of past rockers, but with a deep knowledge in the history of the music and a grave attitude towards it. Along with other bands, they changed rock in the beginning of the decade, presenting an alternative to the alternative rock of the nineties. The style is still aggressive and energetic, but without the cascading distortions and scorched vocals which characterized the punk and metal that ruled the previous decade, and the result was that the records were often quite catchy, and became hits. This record came out when the wave was at its peak, and it embodies it perfectly. Later, the wave subsided, but the energy was enough to sustain rock to the end of the decade. Will rock have something to say in the coming decade, or will it sink deeper into irrelevancy?