The White Stripes were an anomaly. They came, they conquered, and then they went away. At a time when everybody had left rock and roll for dead, two Detroit natives armed with a guitar and a drum kit came and gave us what for.

They managed to release six critically acclaimed albums over just eight years before splitting up, bestowing us with one of the most untouchable discographies in modern music. Each album was showered with accolades and usually Grammys.

Last week Jack White made an addition to that discography by sharing ‘City Lights’, a track included on his new acoustic compilation album. The previously unheard White Stripes song dates all the way back to 2005.

To celebrate the first “new, worldwide commercially released White Stripes song since 2008”, we’ve decided to have a look back at their discography and decide which albums we like best and which we… listen to least.

Much like our Queens of the Stone Age countdown, the list was born out of a discussion amongst the Tone Deaf team. Naturally, it turned into a pretty long discussion, but in the end we managed to agree on the following list.

Get Behind Me Satan (2005)

People tend to either hate or love Get Behind Me Satan. One could argue that it’s Jack and Meg’s most maligned album, but we’ve spoken to so many people who consider it to be their favourite White Stripes album.

You can see why the camp is so split. Get Behind Me Satan was a real curve ball when it came out. First they hit us with the Trojan horse sneak attack of ‘Blue Orchid’, with its banging riff and inescapable hook.

But then we all realised that Get Behind Me Satan was something entirely different to Elephant, which had come out just two years before. It traded the guitar and whammy pedal in for pianos, marimbas, and acoustic guitars.

For some, this was a major letdown. For others, it was a welcome and exciting change.

The White Stripes (1999)

Like we said, Jack and Meg have an untouchable discography, but if we were forced to put one album second-last (and we were) we’d have to go with the band’s raucous, cacophonous, entirely inspired debut.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s not that The White Stripes is a bad album, because it’s not, and it’s not that it doesn’t have the same amount of visceral horsepower as other entires on this list.

It’s just that everything the self-titled debut does, albums like White Blood Cells, Elephant, and follow-up De Stijl do better. But without it, we would never have had those albums, and in terms of importance, it probably ranks at the top.

De Stijl (2000)

In 2000, the ‘DIY-band-makes-good’ narrative hadn’t quite encircled Jack and Meg just yet, but they were already one of John Peel’s favourite band and were quickly gaining buzz, and not just in their native Detroit, where they’d already established a must-see reputation.

But when De Stijl came out everybody agreed this band comprised of a brother and a sister or a husband and wife or two exes or whatever was something special. Simply put, De Stijl upped the ante.

It was made up of the same ingredients — old-school blues covers (‘Death Letter’), garage-y nursey rhymes (‘Hello Operator’) — but there was more nuance and ambition (‘Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise’). It was a sign of things to come, and they took just a year to arrive.

White Blood Cells (2001)

It is almost impossible to understate just how great White Blood Cells is as an album. Taking the monumental task of following up The White Stripes and De Stijl, the band delivers and them some. Surprisingly, it is the quieter cuts on this album that make it as good as it is.

‘Hotel Yorba’ and ‘We Are Going To Be Friends’ are some of Jack’s best work and ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ is almost as great as the Lego-inspired video that came with it. Honestly, it would be number one on our list if the next two albums weren’t so incredible.

Icky Thump (2007)

Too often we see bands go out on terrible final albums, uninspired, more of the same, one last death rattle before the band finally rolls over and dies. Fortunately for everyone involved Icky Thump is actually one of Jack and Meg White’s finest moments.

Title track ‘Icky Thump’ features what is probably one of Mr. White’s greatest riffs, a perfect indication of what is to follow.

The Album is everything Get Behind Me Satan promised to be, but wasn’t. It delivered on the threat of veering into experimental territory in the best possible way by still having quality songs.

Elephant (2003)

If Get Behind Me Satan is the weakest Stripes record by default then Elephant is the band at the peak of their powers. Jack White’s guitar performance is on point and there is nary folksy, barroom piano-driven song in sight.

At this point in the band’s career they could have turned out almost anything and fans would have lapped it up. Instead they put out their finest, career-defining work.

Whether it is the modern classic that is ‘Seven Nation Army’ or the seven-minute jam of ‘Ball and Biscuit’ there is simply not a bad song on this album. The tracklisting reads more like a greatest hits collection than anything else.

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