10 Greatest Garage Rock Albums Of The 2000s

The definitive garage rock album, not just of the 2000s, but the whole century so far, is without question The White Stripes' fourth studio album, Elephant. Released 20 years ago almost to the day, the album came strutting onto the scene already confident that it had a lifelong place in the genre's annals, and that it could get away with whatever it wanted.

And boy, did it ever.

Released to near-universal acclaim, the album features a majority of blistering 3-minute numbers, a Burt Bacharach cover ("I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"), a 7-minute 12-bar blues odyssey at the midpoint ("Ball and Biscuit"), and even a weird little acoustic ditty with Meg sharing vocals ("It's True That We Love One Another") tacked on at the end. The record burns with breathless, sky-high vocals from White, super-fuzzy riffs and melodies, and solos that prioritise squealy passion over craft.

But, of course, the jewel in Elephant's crown is its opening track, as there is surely not a person the world over who doesn't know "Seven Nation Army". The distorted vocals and straightforward drumbeat make way for an iconic riff whose popularity belies its simplicity. But then isn't that kind of the whole point of garage rock -- simple structures, rapid delivery and a home-made sound, all wrapped up in an easily digestible package.