2009 The White Stripes

You can't get more minimalist than the White Stripes. Two performers, one last name, one primary color on album covers. The White Stripes are Jack White (guitar and piano) and Meg White (drums), a Detroit duo who have, over the course of their five albums, earned a legion of loyal fans and sold a pile of tickets to their well-received shows.

Since their debut in 1999, the White Stripes have been at the forefront of a minimalist, bluesy, rocky movement in music. Their first album, 'White Stripes' (1999), showed that two people can sound as big as the four in Led Zeppelin, for example. By covering Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson tunes, as well as contributing a number of original songs, the White Stripes proved their flexibility.

The subsequent albums from The White Stripes: 'De Stijl' (2000), 'White Blood Cells' (2001), 'Elephant' (2003) and 'Get Behind Me Satan' (2005) continue to show a simplistic brilliance and a wide variety of influences. The duo even covers a Burt Bacharach tune, 'I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself' on 'Elephant.'

But the biggest growth in the music of the White Stripes has occurred since Jack White produced Loretta Lynn's Grammy-winning album 'Van Lear Rose.' The addition of a bluegrass sound to 'Get Behind Me Satan' provided fans with an additional sonic treat.

Apart from the two Grammys Jack White won in 2004 for his work with Loretta Lynn, the White Stripes have won two of their own. 'Elephant' was 2003's Best Alternative Album, and 'Seven Nation Army' was voted Best Rock Song in 2003. With so much talent crammed into two people, Meg and Jack White deserve the huge fan base they have built. That makes tickets to see The White Stripes hard to come by, so don't hesitate to get your tickets today.