"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".