“I didn’t want to tell the same old story that we’ve been hearing in rock music for 50 years,” reflected Anthony Kiedis. “Hopefully we said something that hasn’t been said before, or at least said it in a way that it’s never been said before.”
He spoke about “Unlimited love“, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ twelfth album. But he might as well have been describing the band’s entire long career, spanning nearly 40 years. A band that released its debut album the same year as Run-DMC and The Smiths became alternative rock’s ultimate survivor by sounding like no one else. Making it all up themselves. And following their rollercoaster ride of love wherever it took them.
The core duo of shameless word acrobat Kiedis and blissful bassist Flea—along with acknowledged guitar god John Frusciante, trusty drummer Chad Smith, frequent producer Rick Rubin, and all the other shorter-tenured rhythm graduate students at RHCP University—have preserved the Chilis’ California essence through countless reinventions and funk-rap breakdowns. They persevered because no other band would have dared to be so ridiculous and so great for so long.
Here are their 40 best songs.
40. “Black Summer” (2022)
It took 16 years for the band to release their first new song with Frusciante. But “Black Summer” from the album “Unlimited Love” was absolutely worth the wait. The idiosyncratic guitarist brought the song structure with him when he returned to the Chili Peppers. Kiedis, Flea and Smith jumped on it immediately.
The result is the group’s most vital – and most RHCP-sounding – song in years. Driven by Flea’s meandering bassline and Frusciante’s melodic yet haunting chords. “I was sitting there with my guitar and thinking that I hadn’t written rock music in so long,” he said NME. “Could I still do that?” Um, yes. —Joseph Hudak
39. “This Velvet Glove” (1999)
When the rhythm section enters the chorus, it is a respite from the plaintive melancholy of the verses. But the truest form of this track Californication evokes the image of Kiedis and Frusciante sitting unplugged on stools and facing each other as if they wanted to reconcile.
In one of his most moving vocal performances, Kiedis pays tribute to his bandmate (“John says to live above hell”) over a playful rhythm guitar. And meditate on the damage that addiction has caused. —Charles Aaron
38. “Dark Necessities” (2016)
In their own way, the Chili Peppers have never been strangers to dark nights of the soul. And the first single from the album “The Getaway” from 2016 revels in: “You don’t know my thoughts/Dark necessities are part of my being,” Kiedis sings.
The song’s dark tone, accompanied by a rumbling piano, reflects the first collaboration with producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse. Kiedis received an instrumental demo of the song from Burton and the band and provided the lyrics, which he said are about “how much creativity, growth and light comes from the difficult battles in our minds that no one else can see.” —David Browne
37. “Fight Like a Brave” (1987)
“Fight Like a Brave” is a funky declaration of freedom and Kiedis’ call to action for anyone struggling with addiction. “Finally get it and shake it off,” he raps. “Or shake it out of your arm, ’cause it’s time for a new beginning.” The chorus is powerful and rhythmic. And makes the song the perfect anthem for this phase of the band. “The Chili Peppers were a different band back then,” remembers drummer Jack Irons.
“We had this wild energy. We threw ourselves 100 percent into every song. It wasn’t necessarily about being dynamic or playing a song. We were like a four-piece rhythm machine that just really wanted to rock and do our thing.” —Kory Grow
36. “Slow Cheetah” (2006)
A meticulous tableau. Over quiet acoustic fingerpicking, Kiedis sings another tale of redemption from drugs, then harsh acoustic chords announce the galloping country-rock chorus (with frusciante on bright backing vocals).
There’s a towering, curving tear note, a short, buttery blues-rock burst, and finally the delicate backwards guitar runs in the outro. After hearing the instrumental, Kiedis soon had an idea of the song’s theme: “It’s about that beautiful feeling when life goes in slow motion and all the chaos and distractions disappear for a moment and you can see things clearly.” Frusciante already knew. —APPROX
35. “Behind the Sun” (1987)
Slovak played sitar on “Behind the Sun,” giving the song a psychedelic touch that fit well with the band’s inherent funk, similar to Prince’s album Around the World in a Daywhich had appeared a few years earlier.
But while Prince sang about raspberry berets and his “pop life,” Kiedis indulged in some truly trippy psychedelia. He sang about talking dolphins that live behind the sun. When the song was released as a single in 1992, at the height of Blood Sugar mania, it was the only Slovak-era track to make the charts. And reached number seven on the “Billboard” alternative charts. —KG
34. “Purple Stain” (1999)
Although Kiedis mentions Frusciante again in the first verse of his verbose pop culture rap (including one of his nastiest double entendres), this is all about Flea’s rubbery, echoing bass. Who bounces, promenades, dodges, twerks and flutters into a blissful frenzy. The main part, a reminiscence of funk rock, finally gives way to the delirious outro jam, in which Smith lets his entire drum kit fade into oblivion and Frusciante jams carefree. —APPROX
33. “Sikamikanico” (1992)
At three and a half minutes of pure thrash funk, “Sikamikanico” was probably too hot for Blood Sugar Sex Magickso the band first used it as the B-side to “Under the Bridge” and later as their contribution to the soundtrack of Wayne’s World published.
As a stand-alone track, however, it rages like few other Chili Peppers songs, as Frusciante plays his scratchy guitar against Smith’s funky drums, finally breaking into a fresh punk rhythm in the chorus that is as infectious as anything Suicidal Tendencies or Dead Kennedys have ever written. Thanks to Kiedis’ mumbled rap about funky monks and weird dick jokes, it becomes one of the Chili Peppers’ most hardcore songs. —KG