10 Best Rock Music Album Openers Of The 2000s
5. Icky Thump - Icky Thump (The White Stripes)
Despite Jack White being a constant presence in modern rock, The White Stripes haven't released a studio album since 2007. It took them four years to announce that they were officially finished, which must have been total agony if you were a fan of theirs at the time.
That final album turned out to be Icky Thump, which was great without reaching the lofty heights of previous releases like White Blood Cells or Get Behind Me Satan.
One thing it had over those records was its opening song; the magnificently over-the-top title track.
Icky Thump (the song) was written as a message supporting immigration and decrying those who were against it. The title comes from an old English expression of surprise, which is a very White Stripes way to name a song.
The song is full of neat little guitar tricks and production flourishes that give it that something special. It also changes wildly in structure, keeping listeners on their toes until the very end.
Though nobody knew it at the time, The White Stripes' final march had begun. Thankfully, it begun with one of their all-time greatest efforts.