White Blood Cells
by The White Stripes
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 163 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 151 out of 163
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 163
  3. Negative: 8 out of 163

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  1. PhilR.
    Nov 25, 2001
    10
    It's going on my christmas list!
  2. KatyL.
    Aug 10, 2002
    10
    This album is one of the best ever!
  3. MikeH
    Mar 1, 2007
    10
    This is quite possibly my favorite album of theirs. I love the diversity of rock in this album...the country-rock in "Hotel Yorba", the Detroit rock in "Expecting", the punk in "Fell in Love With a Girl". And the lyrics are the best part...just read over "I'm Finding it Harder to Be a Gentleman". Jack is a genius.
  4. JeremyA.
    Dec 10, 2001
    10
    If you like rock bands who can actually write decent songs, then you MUST hear this album. The White Stripes are everything the Strokes will never be.
  5. zache
    Oct 5, 2004
    10
    freaken great cd, if you listen to them religiously or not. There elephant is good too but has alot of songs that people who dont "love" them probably wouldnt care for. definitly worth buying for fans...of course
  6. BrandonM.
    Jan 16, 2002
    10
    this is the first White Stripes cd I ever bought and I had to go out and find the other two the next day. I had to order the White Stripes album but it was worth it. This is the first album in a long time that has knocked me over like a sledgehammer. Absolutely brilliant. If only more people had the pwer of Jack White's screeching vocals or Meg Whites relentless, hypnotizing drum this is the first White Stripes cd I ever bought and I had to go out and find the other two the next day. I had to order the White Stripes album but it was worth it. This is the first album in a long time that has knocked me over like a sledgehammer. Absolutely brilliant. If only more people had the pwer of Jack White's screeching vocals or Meg Whites relentless, hypnotizing drum beats. Please release another album. 3 is definatley not enough. … Expand
  7. JimmyTheExploder
    Jan 29, 2002
    10
    This was the first white stripes album i bought and the previous two quickly followed. They are genius and 'White Blood Cells' is perfect for people who have never heard them before. Bare in mind though, i wasn't impressed straight away, it took a few plays before my head suddenly realised what i was listening to. Sheer brilliance.
  8. jessiedetroit
    Apr 7, 2002
    10
    finaly!! a good rock band from detroit. "fell in love with a girl" is one of the best tracts on the cd, that and "we're going to be friends". a must buy for anyones collection
  9. scott
    Jul 8, 2002
    10
    best album ever. i listen to it at least once every day...white stripes rocl
  10. -x_AmBeR_x-.
    Jan 14, 2003
    10
    The White Stripes are Awesome!
  11. RonG
    Oct 20, 2005
    10
    Awesome. Better than everything they've done (including Elephant and Get Behnid me Satan) - a miracle in itself Very few albums have quite so many great songs on them
  12. thegodofrockandrollhoward
    Jan 16, 2006
    10
    outstanding. one of the best albums i have ever heard, even if meg cant drum.
  13. whitestripes!favband!
    Feb 11, 2006
    10
    pretty darn good, but not as good as "elephant". i love the white stripes and always will. grade: 9.6... i rounded up, kuz they rock! :-)
  14. MarlonJ.
    Dec 28, 2001
    10
    Make no mistake, Meg White, not lars ulric or jason bonham is the greatest drummer in rock and roll. Oh, yeah, that whiny guitarist singer aint bad either
  15. PaulS.
    Dec 28, 2001
    10
    Fantastic. The more i listen to it the more i love it. If you've seen em live too you'll have seen the brilliance shining from them. Who needs the way over-rated Strokes!
  16. MichaelK
    Oct 14, 2002
    10
    what we have here is enduring music with a caustic emotional punch, unlike the strokes, whom actually do seem like retreads.
  17. TaiC.
    Jan 28, 2002
    10
    They rocked my face off. Detroit rocks hard (cept Kid rock, who doesn't.)
  18. DeonF.
    Feb 21, 2002
    10
    a gut-shot full of brilliance
  19. bradm
    Oct 16, 2003
    10
    the white stripes are the best. so therefore the album is to.
  20. joeb
    Nov 7, 2005
    10
    This album is quality stuff. I can't make up my mind if it is their best but thats only because all their other albums are so awesome. In response to Ali C, don't make ignorant comments when you don't know what you're talking about. He's not pretending to sleep with his sister. They are a divorced couple and they just pretend to be brother and sister because Jack This album is quality stuff. I can't make up my mind if it is their best but thats only because all their other albums are so awesome. In response to Ali C, don't make ignorant comments when you don't know what you're talking about. He's not pretending to sleep with his sister. They are a divorced couple and they just pretend to be brother and sister because Jack kept Meg's surname when they divorced.… Expand
  21. nashacrablegs
    Dec 28, 2006
    10
    jack white is a genius
  22. LindsayP.
    Dec 11, 2001
    10
    Stripped down rock and roll at its finest.
  23. Vampire25
    Dec 23, 2010
    10
    White Blood Cells is like my new favorite garage rock album. It's catchy, the lyrics are great, the musicianship is astounding. Jack White's voice is amazing. "We're Going To Be Friends" is a catchy, fun song. "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" is a great starter. And "Aluminum" is a really good instrumental song. All In All, The Best White Stripes album. A
  24. j30
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    Catchy, great garage band music. This record is when they started to hit their stride. It also sets the template for their next, brilliant record Elephant. Their best work floods this album with songs like 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground', 'Fell In Love With A Girl', and the great 'We're Going To Be Friends.'
  25. JawsPapi87
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    Absolutely brilliant album. For most bands, a masterpiece like this would be their best album but Elephant makes this band an exception. Jack White is one of music's biggest genius's and White Blood Cells was the first clear representation of that
  26. TexasRez
    Apr 14, 2012
    10
    This album really leaves you speechless at how great it sounds. You don't hear albums like this everyday, as White Blood Cells defines who the White Stripes are really. Key Tracks: "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", "Hotel Yorba", "Fell in Love with a Girl", "We're Going to Be Friends", "This Protector"
  27. PyongyangMayor
    Aug 17, 2014
    10
    Holy crap. This album, this album right here, is brilliant. Not one of the 16 tracks is bad, not even mediocre. This album is absolutely amazing, and if you haven't heard any songs on this album, GET OFF OF METACRITIC AND LISTEN TO IT! This is easily their best album (even better than Elephant), the best album of the 2000s and my personal favorite album ever. BUY IT!!!!
  28. tracic
    Feb 6, 2004
    9
    one of the best i've heard in a long time. finally something original.
  29. antonioq
    Aug 3, 2009
    9
    It's a really good album once you get rid of preconceptions. "Every band needs a bassist" or "more drumming is better drumming", for instance. Music is, after all, what it is, not what it should be, and you can't fault "Hotel Yorba" (for example) for not rocking enough when it's a great -folky- song. Really strong record.
  30. KristiS.
    Sep 8, 2001
    9
    Excellent
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Album of 2001
18
#18 Most Discussed Album of 2001
25
#25 Most Shared Album of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. CDNow
    70
    Though nothing new -- instrument-wise -- is added to the mix of drums, guitar, and piano, the White Stripes' recipe cooks up heavier overall on White Blood Cells, while still retaining some of the cheeky, barroom brashness that has become their stock in trade.
    Read full review
  2. Mojo
    80
    The Detroit duo spin sordid tales and lovelorn drama with just the right amount of restrained percussion, blooze picking and screaming confessionals. [Sep 2001, p.93]
  3. Pitchfork
    90
    White Blood Cells doesn't veer far from the formula of past White Stripes records; all are tense, sparse and jagged. But it's here that they've finally come into their own, where Jack and Meg White finally seem not only comfortable with the path they've chosen, but practiced, precise and able to convey the deepest sentiment in a single bound.
    Read full review
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