Twenty One Pilots brought youthful energy and reckless abandon to the proceedings with a performance of The White Stripes‘ “Seven Nation Army” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame‘s 2025 induction ceremony on Saturday. Watch it below.
Singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun paid tribute to fellow duo Meg White and Jack White, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. Unfortunately, it seems no one told Joseph that the iconic “Seven Nation Army” riff isn’t a bass line, but a guitar part channeled through the sort of technical wizardry that White is famous for. Playing it on four strings is certainly easier, but when done in honor of the Stripes being recognized as one of the greatest rock bands ever, it came off as, at best, lazy.
With their shredded curtain face masks and that awkward-as-hell top-down camera angle on the final verse, the performance felt more like watching a “cover” than a “tribute” — and there is a difference. It might work fine during Twenty One Pilots’ live shows, where they frequently incorporate part of the track, but the energy felt a bit self-indulgent for the occasion.
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Still, “Seven Nation Army” is an iconic song for a reason; its status as a unifying and stadium-rocking anthem was pushed into the Middle Eastern political arena last month when a street performance of “Seven Nation Army” in Tehran, Iran, went viral, even catching the attention of Jack White himself.
Earlier this year, The White Stripes’ 2003 live performance of the tune on Late Night with Conan O’Brien was converted to HD and posted on O’Brien’s official YouTube channel.
The White Stripes broke up in 2011, with Jack White going on to successful solo career, while Meg White has walked away from the music business entirely, and avoiding the public eye. She was last heard from in 2016, releasing a joint statement with Jack White decrying Donald Trump’s use of “Seven Nation Army” in a campaign video. In 2024, the pair filed a lawsuit against Trump when he again used the song in his campaign.
While White himself did not performance at the R&RHOF ceremony, he did read a loving letter to his “sister” Meg as part of his acceptance speech. Meanwhile, Olivia Rodrigo and Feist teamed up for a performance of “We’re Gonna Be Friends.”
The 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class also includes Soundgarden, Bad Company, OutKast, Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker, and Joe Cocker in the performer category.
The induction ceremony aired live on Disney+ on Saturday, November 8th, and will be available to stream on-demand following the ceremony. Find our full coverage here.
🎸 twenty one pilots apresentou o cover de “Seven Nation Army”, do The White Stripes, no Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 🤘 pic.twitter.com/KiHMDO3iop
— acervo twenty one pilots (@acervopilots) November 9, 2025