The White Stripes Inducted into Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame

The festivities for rock music’s highest honor, induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, are in full swing. The induction ceremony is set for this November, with ten new artists in the class of 2025 who are being honored for their work and impact on the music industry at large.

In order to be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their debut studio recording 25 years prior to their induction year. This year’s induction class is full of talent, including a number of artists who fans have felt were long overdue for induction into the Rock Hall (Soundgarden, for example, who had been eligible for about a decade before being included in the class of 2025).

Joining Soundgarden in the class of 2025 are Jack and Meg White, better known as The White Stripes. They released their self-titled debut in 1999, meaning this year was only their second year of eligibility, and while getting inducted in year two of eligibility is no small feat, The White Stripes are a band who many, myself included, believe should have been inducted year one.

The White Stripes Are The Quintessential 21st Century Garage Rock Band

The White Stripes formed in Detroit in 1997, by married (and divorced during their peak years) couple Jack and Meg White. For a time, after they started to gain some traction outside their home state, they actually told people they were siblings. As odd as that was, that kind of tomfoolery and pushing the boundaries, both within and without their music, became a massive part of the White Stripes’ identity.

Before breaking up in 2011, the two of them released six albums together, with three of those six albums peaking in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart. Throughout their career, surprisingly, they only had three singles reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but that just goes to show that their strengths were widespread across the entirety of their LPs.

Jack’s distorted gritty guitar, paired with Meg’s equally gritty drumming, and their combined vocals, both of which were distinctly unique, made each of their six albums a full-blown experience. The White Stripes mastered garage rock from their very first record, and their music played a massive role in leading the genre’s revival of the late ’90s.

With hits as radically different as the ever-energetic anthem, “Seven Nation Army,” to the soft and sweet platonic ballad, “We’re Going to Be Friends,” The White Stripes bent and blurred genres even beyond their characteristic garage rock. Their Rock Hall honor is well-deserved, and assuming they reunite to perform at the induction ceremony, it will absolutely be a performance to remember.