10 Band Members That Are Way More Important Than You Think

It’s much easier to give Jack White all the credit for the White Stripes these days. After Meg White disappeared off the face of the Earth, Jack’s solo career had its fair share of highlights and made it seem like an extension of what the Stripes had already been doing. Then again, there’s a good chance none of Jack’s new stuff can compare to The Stripes’ work, and it’s entirely because of Meg.

And yes, it’s specifically about her drumming. While Meg has caught flak among the rock community for not being the most skilled drummer in the world, it’s that trashiness that actually adds to the sound of the band. Meg might not be giving John Bonham a run for his money, but her ramshackle approach to the drums gave a sense of panic to the Stripes’ earliest work, almost sounding like the whole song could come crashing down at any moment. When she laid back though, she showed restraint on Seven Nation Army and brought out her singing pipes on tracks like In the Cold Cold Night, which act as a tender foil next to Jack’s off the wall brand of singing.

While there might be a lot of sloppy moments in some of Meg’s best tracks, it’s not like she wasn’t playing what was right for the song. Jack had mentioned numerous times about the White Stripes being about the infancy of music, and Meg’s best moments sound like two children in a garage hitting on what rock and roll is for the first time.