" Seven Nation Army " received widespread critical acclaim . The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in addition to being nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal , and in 2003 , it was ranked number three on Pazz & Jop based on music critics ' votes . Heather Phares of AllMusic described it as a " breathtaking opener " to the album '' Elephant '' , and Bram Teltelman of '' Billboard '' suggested that " adventurous rock programmers might want to join the ' Army ' " . In particular , " Seven Nation Army " 's central riff has been the subject of praise since the song 's release . A writer for '' Rolling Stone '' described it as the best riff of the 2000s decade , and Rebecca Schiller of '' NME '' wrote that the riff is " the most maddeningly compulsive bassline of the decade , and not even actually played on a bass guitar " . Critics also praised Meg White 's drumming — a " hypnotic thud " according to Tom Maginnis of AllMusic . Teltelman described the drumming as " simple but effective " , and Phares said it was " explosively minimal "
46th Annual Grammy Awards
46th Annual Grammy Awards
Seven Nation Army