Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers live at Pinkpop Festival in 2006. Left to right: Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante.
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Funk rock, alternative rock, funk metal
Years active	1983 (1983)–present
Labels	EMI, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Ataxia, Chickenfoot, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Rocket Juice & the Moon, Dot Hacker, What Is This?, Fear, Jane's Addiction, The Mars Volta, Atoms for Peace
Website	redhotchilipeppers.com
Members
Anthony Kiedis Michael "Flea" Balzary Chad Smith Josh Klinghoffer
Past members
Hillel Slovak Jack Irons Jack Sherman Cliff Martinez DeWayne McKnight D.H. Peligro John Frusciante Arik Marshall Jesse Tobias Dave Navarro

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock, metal, and psychedelic rock. The band consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), longtime drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined in late 2009, following the departure of John Frusciante. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have won seven Grammy Awards and sold over 65 million albums worldwide. ^[1]

The band's original line-up featured guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. Because of commitments to other bands, the two did not play on the debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Cliff Martinez was the drummer for the first two records, and guitarist Jack Sherman played on the first album only. Slovak performed on two albums with the band, Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan; he died of a heroin overdose in 1988, resulting in Irons' departure. Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist, DeWayne McKnight was brought in to replace Slovak though his tenure was short and he was replaced by John Frusciante in 1988. Former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro was brought in to replace Irons though after a short tenure with the band he was out and replaced by Chad Smith that same year. The line-up of Flea, Kiedis, Frusciante and Smith was the longest-lasting, and recorded five studio albums starting with 1989's Mother's Milk.

In 1990, the group signed with Warner Bros. Records and recorded under producer Rick Rubin the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), which became the band's first commercial success. Frusciante grew uncomfortable with the success of the band and left abruptly in 1992, in the middle of the album tour. His use of heroin increased. After recruiting guitarist Arik Marshall to complete the tour, Kiedis, Flea, and Smith employed Jesse Tobias though after a few weeks he was replaced by Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction for their subsequent album, One Hot Minute (1995). Although commercially successful, the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, selling less than half as well as its predecessor. Navarro left the band in 1998. Frusciante, fresh out of drug rehabilitation, rejoined the band that same year at Flea's request. The reunited quartet returned to the studio to record Californication (1999), which became the band's biggest commercial success with 15 million copies worldwide. That album was followed three years later by By the Way, and then four years later by the double album Stadium Arcadium, their first number one album in America. After a world tour, the group went on an extended hiatus. Frusciante announced he was amicably leaving the band to focus on his solo career. Josh Klinghoffer, who had worked both as a sideman for the band on their Stadium Arcadium tour and on Frusciante's solo projects, joined as lead guitarist in 2009. Klinghoffer proceeded to record the band's tenth studio album, I'm with You, in 2011, and the album topped the charts in 18 different countries. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

History[link]

Early history (1983–84)[link]

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were formed by singer Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Flea and drummer Jack Irons while they attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.^[2] Originally under the moniker of Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, their first performance was at the Rhythm Lounge to a crowd of approximately 30 people, opening for Gary and Neighbor's Voices.^[3] They "wrote" for the occasion, which involved the band improvising music while Kiedis rapped a poem he had written called "Out in L.A.".^[4] Since Slovak and Irons were already committed to another group, What Is This?, it was intended to be a one–time performance. However, the performance was so lively that the band was asked to return the following week.^[3] Due to this unexpected success, the band changed its name to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing several more shows at various LA clubs and musical venues. Six songs from these initial shows were on the band's first demo tape.^[5]

Founding guitarist Hillel Slovak performing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1983.

Several months after their first performance, the band announced that they were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and were noticed by EMI and signed with the record label in early 1984. Two weeks earlier, What Is This? had also obtained a record deal but with MCA. Slovak and Irons still considered the Red Hot Chili Peppers as only a side project and so they quit to focus on What Is This? Instead of dissolving the band, Kiedis and Flea recruited new members.^[6] Cliff Martinez, a friend of Flea's and from the punk band, The Weirdos, joined shortly thereafter. The band held auditions for a new guitarist which included Weirdos guitarist, Dix Denney but it was decided that Jack Sherman was the best fit.^[7]

Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill produced the first album. Gill, who "didn't embrace [the band's] musical aesthetic or ideology," argued constantly with the band over the record's sound.^[8] Kiedis recalled that "Andy's thing was having a hit at all costs, but it was such a mistake to have an agenda."^[9] Despite the misgivings of Kiedis and Flea, Gill pushed the band to play with a cleaner, crisper, more radio-friendly sound.^[10] Their eponymous debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers was released on August 10, 1984. Though the album did not set sales records, airplay on college radio and MTV helped to build a fan base,^[11] and the album ultimately sold 300,000 copies. However, the band was disappointed in the record's overall sound, feeling it was overly polished and as if it had "gone through a sterilizing Goody Two-shoes machine".^[12] During the ensuing tour, continuing musical and lifestyle tension between Kiedis and Sherman complicated the transition between concert and daily band life.^[13] Sherman was fired soon after, with Slovak returning to the Chili Peppers after growing tired of What is This?.^[14]

[edit] Freaky Styley (1985–86)

George Clinton produced the next album, Freaky Styley. Clinton combined various elements of punk and funk into the band's repertoire,^[15] allowing their music to incorporate a variety of distinct styles. The band often indulged in heavy heroin use while recording the album, which influenced the lyrics and musical direction of the album.^[16] The band had a much better relationship with Clinton than with Gill,^[17] but Freaky Styley, released on August 16, 1985, also achieved little success, failing to make an impression on any chart. The subsequent tour was also considered unproductive by the band.^[18] Despite the lack of success, the band was satisfied with Freaky Styley; Kiedis reflected that "it so surpassed anything we thought we could have done that we were thinking we were on the road to enormity."^[19] The band appeared in the 1986 movie Thrashin' (directed by David Winters and starring Josh Brolin) playing the song "Blackeyed Blonde" from Freaky Styley. During this time the band also appeared in the movie Tough Guys starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas performing the song "Set It Straight" at a Los Angeles nightclub.^[20]

In the spring of 1986, the band decided to begin work on their upcoming album. EMI gave the band a budget of $5,000 to record a demo tape, and the band chose to work with producer Keith Levene, because he shared the band's interest in drugs.^[21] Levene and Slovak decided to put aside $2,000 of the budget to spend on heroin and cocaine, which created tension between the band members. Martinez' "heart was no longer in the band", but he did not quit, so Kiedis and Flea fired him.^[22] After the firing of Martinez, original drummer Jack Irons rejoined the band to Kiedis, Flea, and Slovak's great surprise, which marked the first time all four founding members were together since 1983. During the recording and subsequent tour of Freaky Styley, Kiedis and Slovak were dealing with debilitating heroin addictions. Due to his addiction, Kiedis "didn't have the same drive or desire to come up with ideas or lyrics" and appeared at rehearsal "literally asleep".^[23] He was briefly kicked out of the band after the tour, and given a month to rehabilitate.

[edit] The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Slovak's death (1986–88)

The band won the LA Weekly "Band of the Year Award" which prompted Kiedis to get clean in order to continue making music. He called his mother in Michigan for guidance, who sent him to drug rehabilitation.^[24] After Kiedis completed his stint in rehab, he felt a "whole new wave of enthusiasm" due to his sobriety and wrote the lyrics to "Fight Like a Brave" on the plane ride home.^[25] He rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles to record the group's next album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.^[26] The Chili Peppers attempted to hire Rick Rubin to produce their third album, but he declined. The band eventually hired Michael Beinhorn, the band's last choice.^[27] Kiedis sat down with producer Michael Beinhorn to discuss the recording of the album; Kiedis planned to record the album in ten days and write the songs during the recording sessions.^[28] Songs began to form quickly, and the album took shape, blending the same funk feel and rhythms as Freaky Styley, with a harder, more immediate approach to punk rock.

The album was recorded in the basement of the Capitol Records Building.^[29] The recording process for the album was difficult; Kiedis would frequently disappear to seek drugs.^[30] After fifty days of sobriety, Kiedis decided to take drugs again to celebrate his new music. His drug use "made a mess of the early recording process", but the band still had an enjoyable time recording the album.^[29] The band was musically inspired by the return of their original drummer Jack Irons, who added "such an important and different element to our chemistry."^[31] Slovak helped Kiedis record his vocals on the album. In between takes, Slovak would run around the studio out of excitement and say "This is the most beautiful thing we've ever done."^[32]

On September 29, 1987, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was released, becoming their first album to appear on any chart. Although it peaked at only No.148 on the Billboard 200,^[33] this was a significant success compared to the first two. During this period, however, Kiedis and Slovak had both developed serious drug addictions,^[34] often abandoning the band, each other, and their significant others for days on end. Slovak's addiction led to his death on June 25, 1988, not long after the conclusion of the Uplift tour.^[35] Kiedis fled the city and did not attend Slovak's funeral (referenced in the song This Is The Place), considering the situation to be surreal and dreamlike.^[36] After returning to L.A. following his departure after Slovak's death, Kiedis along with Flea, Irons and manager Lindy Goetz had a meeting to figure out what to do next. Irons decided he had to leave the group, saying that he did not want to be part of a group where his friends were dying. Irons, who would battle through years of depression, went on to become a member of Seattle grunge band Pearl Jam many years later.^[37] With Slovak dead, Irons quitting, Kiedis and Flea debated whether they should continue making music, but ultimately decided to move ahead, hoping to continue what Slovak "helped build".^[38]

[edit] Mother's Milk (1988–1990)

Chad Smith became the band's drummer through open auditions in November 1988 replacing D.H. Peligro.

After losing two of the original band members Flea and Kiedis started looking for musicians to fill those spots. In September 1988 they chose DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, former member of Parliament-Funkadelic, to replace Slovak on guitar; D. H. Peligro of the punk rock outfit Dead Kennedys replaced Irons. The lineup ended up recording one song together, "Blues For Meister", a song sung by Flea and only played three shows before McKnight was fired. McKnight was unhappy about being fired and threatened to burn Kieidis' house down.^[39] Shortly after McKnight's firing, Kiedis and Flea found a replacement in teenage guitarist John Frusciante who joined the band for his first show in October 1988. Frusciante was originally directed to audition for the band, Thelonious Monster. An avid Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, Frusciante was, according to Flea, "a really talented and knowledgeable musician. He [Frusciante] knows all the shit I don't know. I basically know nothing about music theory and he's studied it to death, inside and out. He's a very disciplined musician—all he cares about are his guitar and his cigarettes."^[40] Flea and Kiedis had jammed with Frusciante twice before firing McKnight. Frusciante joined Kiedis, Flea and Peligro and the new lineup started writing music for the next album and went on a short tour although shortly into the tour, Kiedis and Flea felt the need to fire Peligro due to his own various drug problems. Much like McKnight, Peligro didn't take the news well and years later Kiedis said firing Peligro was one of the toughest things he ever had to do. The Chili Peppers were again without a drummer and were forced to hold open auditions in November 1988. The last to audition, Chad Smith, was a six-foot three-inch tall drummer who, according to Flea, "lit a fire under our asses". Smith was a hard-hitting musician the Chili Peppers believed they would create a strong relationship with. Kiedis later said the audition with Smith "left the band in a state of frenzied laughter that we couldn't shake out of for a half an hour". Smith was so much different from the other three. Kiedis, Flea and Frusciante were heavily influenced by the punk rock where Smith's taste in heavy metal music and biker appearance went against their punk rock views. Kiedis informed Smith he would be hired on one condition. As an initiation to the band, Smith had to cut his long heavy metal looking haircut. Smith refused though Kiedis wasn't about to argue with the much larger Smith.^[41] Smith was hired in November 1988, performed a few shows in December of that year and three months later was in the studio working on the band's next album.

Unlike the stop-start sessions for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, where Kiedis would frequently disappear to seek drugs, pre-production for Mother's Milk went smoothly. The band recorded basic tracks during March and early April 1989 at Hully Gully studios in Silver Lake; songs like "Knock Me Down" were formed from jam sessions without any input from returning producer Michael Beinhorn.^[42] Although there had been stress and conflict during the recording of other Chili Peppers albums, the Mother's Milk sessions were especially uncomfortable due to Beinhorn's incessant desire to create a hit. Frusciante and Kiedis were frustrated with the producer's attitude.^[43] In April 1989, the Chili Peppers embarked on a short tour to break in the new lineup.^[42]

Released on August 16, 1989, Mother's Milk peaked at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard 200.^[33] The record failed to chart in the United Kingdom and Europe, but climbed to number 33 in Australia.^[44] "Knock Me Down" reached number six on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks whereas "Higher Ground" charted at number eleven;^[45] the latter of the two ultimately proved to be more successful, however, by influencing foreign charts at number fifty-four in the UK and forty-five in Australia and France.^[46][47] Mother's Milk was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in late March 1990—it is now certified platinum—and was the first Chili Peppers album to ship in excess of 500,000 units.^[48]

[edit] Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Frusciante's first departure (1990–92)

In 1990, after the success of Mother's Milk, the group decided they had enough with EMI and entered a major label bidding war ultimately signing with Warner Bros. Records and hired Rick Rubin to produce their then-untitled fifth album. Rubin, who would go on to produce all of the band's subsequent studio albums, originally turned the band down in 1987 because of Anthony and Hillel's drug problems, this time felt the band was in a better place and much more focused. The writing process for this album was far more productive than it had been for Mother's Milk, with Kiedis stating, "[every day], there was new music for me to lyricize".^[49]

The band spent six-months recording a new album, with long periods of rehearsal, songwriting, and incubating ideas. However, Rubin was dissatisfied with a regular recording studio, thinking the band would work better in a less orthodox setting, believing it would enhance their creative output. Rubin suggested the mansion magician Harry Houdini once lived in, to which they agreed. A crew was hired to set up a recording studio and other equipment required for production in the house. The band decided that they would remain inside the mansion for the duration of recording, though Smith, convinced the location was haunted, refused to stay.^[50] He would, instead, come each day by motorcycle.^[50][51] Frusciante agreed with Smith, and said "There are definitely ghosts in the house," but unlike Smith, Frusciante felt they were "very friendly. We [the band] have nothing but warm vibes and happiness everywhere we go in this house."^[52] Rubin is the current owner of the studio known as The Mansion. During production, the band agreed to let Flea's brother-in-law document the creative process on film.^[50] When the album's recording was complete, the Chili Peppers released the film, titled Funky Monks. The band was unable to decide on the title of the album, but to Rubin, one particular song title stuck out: "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". Although it was not a featured song, Rubin believed it to be "clearly the best title".^[53]

On September 24, 1991, Blood Sugar Sex Magik was released. "Give It Away" was released as the first single; it eventually became one of the band's biggest and most well known songs, won a Grammy Award in 1992 for "Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal" and became the band's first number one single on the Modern Rock chart^[45][54] The ballad "Under the Bridge" was released as a second single, and went on to reach No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,^[45] the highest the band has reached on that chart as of 2011,^[45] and became one of the band's most recognizable songs. Other singles such as "Breaking the Girl" and "Suck My Kiss" also charted well. The album itself was an international sensation, selling over 15 million copies and greatly broadening the Chili Peppers' audience and becoming one of the most iconic albums of its era.^[55] Blood Sugar Sex Magik was listed at number 310 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 1992 it rose to No.3 on the U.S. album charts, almost a year after its release.

The unexpected success instantly turned the Red Hot Chili Peppers into rock stars. Frusciante was blindsided by his newfound fame, and struggled to cope with it. Soon after the album's release, he began to develop a dislike for the band's popularity and personal problems between Kiedis and Frusciante began to unfold. Kiedis recalled that he and Frusciante used to get into heated discussions backstage after concerts: "John would say, 'We're too popular. I don't need to be at this level of success. I would just be proud to be playing this music in clubs like you guys were doing two years ago.'"^[56] The final dates with Frusciante were a mess and Frusciante was so disconnected from the group often changing the way he played on certain songs, which further got under Kiedis' skin. Unknown to others, Frusciante was also starting his own drug habit at the time and was shutting himself off from everyone except for his girlfriend. Frusciante abruptly quit the band hours before a show during the Blood Sugar Japanese tour in May 1992.^[2][57] The band reached out to Dave Navarro, who had just split from Jane's Addiction however he was involved in his own personal drug battles. The group had rehearsals with Zander Schloss though after a few days they decided he wasn't the right fit either. Guitarist Arik Marshall was hired to replace Frusciante and the band headlined the Lollapalooza festival in 1992. Marshall would also appear in the music videos for "Breaking the Girl", "If You Have to Ask" and on The Simpsons fourth season finale, "Krusty Gets Kancelled".

In September 1992, the Peppers, with Marshall, performed "Give It Away" at the MTV Video Music Awards. The band was nominated for seven awards including Video of the Year (which they lost) however they did manage to win three other awards including Viewer's Choice. On February 24, 1993, the band, along with George Clinton & the P.Funk All-Stars and Weapon of Choice performed "Give It Away" at the Grammy Awards, a song which won the band their first Grammy later that evening. The performance marked the end of the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour and Marshall's final performance with the band. The band had planned to begin a follow-up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik with Marshall. However, things quickly changed and they decided that Marshall failed to fit with their future plans. Jesse Tobias of the Los Angeles-based band Mother Tongue was recruited. However, his tenure with the band did not last long, with the rest of the band stating that "the chemistry wasn't right".^[58] They decided to hold open auditions, which they considered a huge mess. Flea decided to reach out to Dave Navarro again. This time he accepted and was ready to play music again.^[59]

[edit] One Hot Minute (1993–97)

Dave Navarro (pictured) replaced Jesse Tobias as the band's guitarist in 1993.

Navarro first appeared with the band at Woodstock '94. The band opened their set wearing enormous light bulb costumes attached precariously to chrome metallic suits, making it near-impossible for them to play their instruments. Navarro hated the idea but went with it. The performance saw the debut of new songs such as "Warped", "Aeroplane", and "Pea" although the songs were in the beginning stages and the lyrics were much different than the final versions. The band followed up their performance at Woodstock with a brief tour which included a performance as the opening act for The Rolling Stones. According to Kiedis, however, opening for the Stones was a horrible experience.^[60] While externally, the band appeared to be settled, the relationship between the three established members and Navarro had begun to deteriorate.^[61] His differing musical background made performing difficult as they began playing together,^[62] and continued to be an issue over the next year. Navarro admitted he didn't care for funk music or jamming. Kiedis was also struggling with his heroin addiction; he had been through a dental procedure in which an addictive sedative, Valium, was used; this caused him to relapse, and he once again became dependent on drugs, although the band wouldn't find out this fact for a while.^[63] Navarro's joining and Kiedis's continued drug addiction had a profound effect on the band and the subsequent sound of their next album, One Hot Minute. With Frusciante no longer present for collaboration, songs were written at a far slower rate.^[63] Working with Frusciante had been something Kiedis took for granted: "John had been a true anomaly when it came to song writing. He made it even easier than Hillel to create music, even though I'd known Hillel for years. I just figured that was how all guitar players were, that you showed them your lyrics and sang a little bit and the next thing you knew you had a song. That didn't happen right off the bat with Dave."^[63] To compensate, Kiedis and bassist Flea took several vacations together, during which entire songs were conceived and with Kiedis often absent from recording due to his drug problems or struggling to come up with lyrics, Flea took a much bigger role in the writing process coming up ideas for many songs including full lyrics and even singing lead on his own song, "Pea".

Navarro's only album with the band was One Hot Minute, released on September 12, 1995 after many delays and setbacks. Navarro's guitar work had created a stylistic departure in the band's sound, which was now characterized by prominent use of heavy metal guitar riffs and hints of psychedelic rock.^[64] The band described the album as a darker, sadder record compared to their previous material, which was not as universally well-received as Blood Sugar Sex Magik.^[62] Many of the lyrics written by Kiedis were drug related including the lead single, "Warped" which left Kiedis stunned that nobody else in the band picked up on his lyrics and that he was using again. Broken relationships and deaths of friends and family also played a major role in the album's darker tone and lyrics. The ballad, "Tearjerker" was written about Kurt Cobain, while "Transcending", which was written by Flea, was about longtime friend, River Phoenix; and the single "Shallow Be Thy Game" took shots at religion. Despite mixed reviews, the album was a commercial success. Selling eight million copies worldwide,^[65] it spawned the band's third No.1 single, the ballad "My Friends", and enjoyed chart success with the songs "Warped" and "Aeroplane". This iteration of the band appeared on several soundtracks. "I Found Out", a John Lennon cover, was featured on Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon. The Ohio Players cover, "Love Rollercoaster", was featured on the Beavis and Butthead Do America soundtrack, and was released as a single.

The band began its tour for One Hot Minute in Europe on September 27, 1995 and played 16 shows. A US tour was to follow but was postponed after Chad Smith broke his wrist. The band spent most of 1996 playing shows in the United States and Europe. By 1997, for the first time, the band cancelled many shows. Most of this was again due to problems within the band. Flea at that point was talking about quitting the band and Anthony had recently been involved in a motorcycle accident which left one arm in a sling and created yet another drug relapse. Even Navarro was back to using drugs. 1997 saw the band playing just one show. This was at the very first Fuji Rock Festival on July 26, 1997. A massive typhoon hit that day but the band played anyway. They played through 8 song set before having to cut the show short due to the storm. This would be the final show with Navarro and due to Flea's previous comments left many speculating if it was the end of the band.

After making attempts to carry on with Navarro and record a follow-up to One Hot Minute things were not working out and due to Navarro's drug problems and lack of effort in the studio the band felt it was time to part ways. In April 1998 it was announced that Navarro had left the band due to creative differences; Kiedis stated that the decision was "mutual".^[66] Reports at the time, however, indicated Navarro's departure came after he attended a band practice under the influence of drugs, which at one point involved him falling backwards over his own amp.^[65]

[edit] Return of Frusciante, Californication (1998–2001)

In the years following his departure from the band, it became public that John Frusciante had developed a heroin addiction, which left him in poverty and near death.^[67] Frusciante had lost contact with most of his friends. However, Flea always remained in contact, and he helped talk Frusciante into admitting himself to Las Encinas Drug Rehabilitation Center in January 1998.^[68][69] He concluded the process in February of that year and began renting a small apartment in Silver Lake.^[70] He acquired many injuries/problems in the years of his addiction, some requiring surgery, including permanent scarring on his arms, a restructured nose, and new teeth to prevent fatal infection.^[71]

After Navarro's departure in early 1998, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the verge of breaking up. Flea told Kiedis, "the only way I could imagine carrying on [with the Red Hot Chili Peppers] is if we got John back in the band."^[72] Kiedis was surprised and thought there was no way Frusciante would ever want to work with him as the two still had unresolved personal problems from when Frusciante quit in 1992. With Frusciante free of his addictions and ailments, Kiedis and Flea thought it was an appropriate time to invite him back. In April 1998, when Flea visited him at his home and asked him to rejoin the band, Frusciante began sobbing and said "nothing would make me happier in the world."^[70][73] Flea decided to contact Anthony and have him meet with John to try and resolve any personal problems that the two might have had. Flea was relieved to find out that both had no bad blood towards each other and were once again excited to make music together. Within the week and, for the first time in six years, the reunited foursome jump-started the newly reunited Red Hot Chili Peppers.^[74] Anthony Kiedis said of the situation:^[75]

Despite the band's elation, Frusciante was both mentally and physically torn. Frusciante had not played with the band since his departure and other than his solo albums had not picked up a guitar in years. He had lost his guitars in a house fire from which he barely escaped,^[67] he experienced a difficult time resuming his prior life. The group began jamming in Flea's garage and it didn't take long for Frusciante to regain his talent, however, and new songs began to roll out. Frusciante's return restored a key component of the Chili Peppers' sound, as well as a healthy morale. He brought with him his deep devotion to music, which had an impact on the band's recording style during the album.^[76] Frusciante has frequently stated that his work on Californication was his favorite.^[76] On June 8, 1999, after more than a year of production and meticulous practice, Californication was released as the band's seventh studio album. The album ultimately sold over 15 million copies and became the band's most successful recording to date.^[77] Californication contained fewer rap-driven songs than its predecessors, instead integrating textured, consistent, and melodic guitar riffs, vocals and bass-lines.^[78] Californication produced three more number one modern rock hits, "Scar Tissue", "Otherside" and "Californication".^[45] Californication gained positive critical acceptance in contrast to its less popular predecessor, One Hot Minute, and was a greater success worldwide.^[78] While many critics credited the success of the album to Frusciante's return, they also noted that Kiedis' vocals had also greatly improved.^[79]

In July 1999, as part of the band's two-year long international world tour in support of their new album, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played at Woodstock 1999, which became infamous for the violence it resulted in.^[2][80] Some 10 minutes before the show, they were asked by Jimi Hendrix's stepsister to play a cover of her brother's songs. After some hesitation due to not having performed the song in years, the band decided to play his classic "Fire", which they had covered on Mother's Milk. Coincidentally, about two thirds of the way into the band's set, the closing set of the three day concert, a small fire escalated into full-fledged vandalism and resulted in the intervention of riot control squads.^[81] The disruption escalated into violence when nearby property including ATMs and several semi-tractor trailers were looted and destroyed.^[82][83] Kiedis felt that "It was clear that this situation had nothing to do with Woodstock anymore. It wasn't symbolic of peace and love, but of greed and cashing in... We woke up to papers and radio stations vilifying us for playing 'Fire'."^[84] The tour also originated the band's first concert DVD, 2001's Off the Map.^[85]

[edit] By the Way (2001–04)

The writing and formation of the band's next album, By the Way began immediately following the culmination of Californication's world tour, in the Spring of 2001. As with Californication, much of the creation took place in the band members' homes, and other locations of practice, such as a recording studio stage.^[86] Kiedis recalled of the situation: "We started finding some magic and some music and some riffs and some rhythms and some jams and some grooves, and we added to it and subtracted from it and pushed it around and put melodies to it."^[86] Frusciante and Kiedis would collaborate for days straight, discussing and sharing guitar progressions and lyrics.^[87] For Kiedis, "writing By the Way...was a whole different experience from Californication. John was back to himself and brimming with confidence."^[86]

The band performing during the By the Way Tour.

Before recording By the Way, the Chili Peppers decided that they would again have Rick Rubin produce the album.^[88] In the past, Rubin had given the band creative freedom on their recording material; this was something they thought essential for the album to be unique, and could only occur with his return.^[89] Originally the album was headed in a much different direction than the final production. The album started out as a group of fast, hardcore punk songs which Rubin rejected. Frusciante also wanted a darker, 1980s UK pop/new wave sound mixed in with 1980s hardcore. The recording process was tough for Flea who felt like an outsider in the band and that his role was being diminished due to a musical power struggle with Frusciante.^[90] Flea wanted to create more funk-inspired songs, while Frusciante felt that the band had overused their funk side.^[90] Flea considered quitting the band after the album, but the two eventually worked out all their problems.^[91]

By The Way was released on July 9, 2002 and produced four singles; "By the Way", "The Zephyr Song", "Can't Stop" and "Universally Speaking". The album was their most subdued album to date, focusing primarily on melodic ballads as opposed to their classic rap-driven funk. Frusciante also concentrated on a more layered texture on many of the songs, often adding keyboard parts that featured low in the mix, and also writing string arrangements for songs such as "Midnight" and "Minor Thing".^[92] The album was followed by an eighteen month-long world tour.^[93] The European leg of the By the Way tour produced the band's second full-length concert DVD, Live at Slane Castle, recorded at Slane Castle in Ireland on August 23, 2003. The band released their first full-length live album, Live in Hyde Park; recorded during their performances in Hyde Park, London.^[94] More than 258,000 fans paid over $17,100,000 for tickets over three nights, a 2004 record; the event ranked No.1 on Billboard's Top Concert Boxscores of 2004.^[95]

In November 2003, the Chili Peppers released their Greatest Hits album, which featured two new songs, "Fortune Faded" and "Save the Population"^[96] The two songs were selected out of sessions that generated fifteen tracks,^[97] which Chad later said the band had hopes to use along with new compositions to create a full album after finishing the tour, but the idea was vetoed by Frusciante because his musical influences and styles had evolved and wanted to do something new.^[98]

[edit] Stadium Arcadium (2005–07)

In 2006 the band released the Grammy Award–winning Stadium Arcadium produced by Rick Rubin. Although 38 songs were created with the intention of being released as three separate albums spaced six months apart,^[99] the band instead chose to release a 28-track double album, and released nine of the ten as B–sides. It was their first album to debut at No.1 on the US charts, where it stayed for two weeks, and debuted at number one in the UK and 25 other countries. Stadium Arcadium sold over seven million units.^[100]

The record's first single, "Dani California", was the band's fastest-selling single, debuting on top of the Modern Rock chart in the U.S., peaking at No.6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reaching No.2 in the UK. "Tell Me Baby", released next, also topped the charts in 2006. "Snow ((Hey Oh))" was released in late 2006, breaking multiple records by 2007. The song became their eleventh number one single, giving the band a cumulative total of 81 weeks at number one. It was also the first time three consecutive singles by the band made it to number one. "Desecration Smile" was released internationally in February 2007 and reached number 27 on the UK charts. "Hump de Bump" was planned to be the next single for the US, Canada, and Australia only, but due to positive feedback from the music video, it was released as a worldwide single in May 2007.^{[citation needed]}

The band began another world tour in support of Stadium Arcadium in 2006, beginning with promotional concerts in Europe and culminating in a two-month long European tour from late May to mid-July. During this tour Frusciante's friend and frequent musical collaborator Josh Klinghoffer joined the touring band, contributing guitar parts, back up vocals, and keyboards. Klinghoffer's presence allowed the live performances of songs to sound more like the recorded versions in which Frusciante laid down multiple tracks himself. The group toured North America from early August to early November, returning to Europe later in November for a second leg that ran until mid–December. The Chili Peppers began 2007 with a second North American leg, this time including Mexico, from mid–January to mid–March. This was followed by April shows in various cities in Australia and New Zealand and concerts in Japan in early June. The Peppers concluded their tour with a third European leg from late June to late August. They appeared at the Live Earth concert at London's Wembley Stadium on July 7, 2007. The band appeared at several festivals, including Denmarks Roskilde festival, Ireland's Oxegen in July 2006, Lollapalooza in August 2006 in Grant Park, Chicago, a subsequent set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in late April 2007 and in August 2007 they appeared as one of three headliners at the Reading and Leeds festivals along with Razorlight and Smashing Pumpkins.

In February 2007, Stadium Arcadium won five Grammys: Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song ("Dani California"), Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal ("Dani California"), Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package, and Best Producer (Rick Rubin).^[54]

Hiatus and Frusciante's second departure (2008–09)[link]

Following the last leg of the Stadium Arcadium tour, the band members took an extended break. Kiedis attributed this to the band being worn out from their years of nonstop work since Californication. Kiedis explained that he was preoccupied with taking care of his new son and possibly creating a short television series called Spider and Son^[101] which was set to recap his autobiography. Flea began taking music theory classes at the University of Southern California, and revealed plans to release a mainly instrumental solo record that was being recorded in his home; guest musicians include Patti Smith and a choir from the Silverlake Conservatory.^[102] Flea also joined Thom Yorke of Radiohead in the supergroup Atoms for Peace.^[103] Frusciante continued his solo career and released his solo album, The Empyrean.^[104] Chad Smith worked with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony in the supergroup Chickenfoot, as well as on his solo project, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats.^[105] The band planned to remain on hiatus for "a minimum of one year." The band's only recording during this time was in 2008 with George Clinton on his latest album George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love. Accompanied by Kim Manning, the band recorded a new version of Shirley and Lee's classic "Let the Good Times Roll".^[106]

Kiedis was honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in May 2009 at the fifth annual MusiCares event for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and for his commitment to helping other addicts with addiction and recovery process.^[107] Kiedis' fellow band members, minus Frusciante were on hand to pay tribute and under the name, 'The Insects', Kiedis, Smith, Flea along with Ron Wood, Josh Klinghoffer and Ivan Neville performed a brief set of cover songs.^[108]

The band officially ended their hiatus in October 2009 and, without Frusciante, entered the studio to begin writing for their tenth studio album. The band was joined by Josh Klinghoffer, who to the public was still the band's backup touring guitarist, although it was later confirmed that he was already an official member and Frusciante's replacement. In December 2009, Frusciante made the announcement that he had officially quit the band sometime before 2009. Frusciante explained on his MySpace page that there was no drama or anger about him leaving the band this time and that the other members were very supportive and understanding. Frusciante said he felt his musical interests had led him in a different direction and that he needed to fully focus his efforts on his solo career.^[109]

[edit] I’m with You (2010–present)

Josh Klinghoffer (pictured), who acted as backup touring guitarist for the band in 2007, replaced John Frusciante in 2009 as the band's full-time guitarist.

The band, with Josh Klinghoffer on guitar, made their live comeback on January 29, 2010, paying tribute to Neil Young with a cover of "A Man Needs a Maid" at MusiCares. After months of speculation, in February 2010 Klinghoffer was officially confirmed by Chad Smith as Frusciante's full-time replacement.^[110] The band officially began recording their tenth studio album with producer Rick Rubin in September 2010. According to Rubin, the band recorded enough material to release a second double album, following Stadium Arcadium but ultimately decided not to. Rubin notes, "it was painful not to share all of the material that we had, but we felt it would be too much. We really wanted it to be twelve songs but it ended up being fourteen just because nobody could agree on which twelve." The recording process lasted until March 2011. Many of the songs were written between October 2009 and August 2010 and according to Flea around 60-70 songs were written in the ten months prior to entering the studio to record the album. Rubin spoke about Klinghoffer and the new music by saying "Josh is fantastic. He played with John Frusciante for many, many years and he actually toured with the Chili Peppers before, so he's sort of part of the extended family. He's stylistically very close to John but has a completely different trip. It sounds like the Red Hot Chili Peppers that you've never heard before." According to Kiedis, the writing and process this time around was much different. In the past many of their songs came through jams, but this time around many were thought out and planned thanks to Flea's new knowledge of music theory.^[111]

In July 2011 the band kicked off a trio of invitation only warm-up dates in California. These were the first shows the band played since August 2007 and their first official shows with Josh as their lead guitarist.^[112][113]

I'm with You, the band's tenth studio album was released in the United States in August 2011. The album topped the charts in 18 different countries although failed to provide the band with their second straight number one debut in the U.S.. The album was met with mostly positive reviews from the critics, although some felt the new album lacked the focus and creativity of the previous records, especially those that featured John Frusciante. The album's first single, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" was released a month earlier and went on to become the band's twelfth number one hit single, topping their own record. Kreayshawn was tapped to direct the music video for the single however due to unknown reasons, the video shot by Kreayshawn went unreleased and a second video directed by Marc Klasfeld was released in its place.^[114][115] "Monarchy of Roses" and "Look Around" followed as singles. "Brendan's Death Song" would be the next single.^[116]

The band kicked off a month long promotional tour in August 2011 starting in Asia. On August 30, 2011, the band appeared on movie screens throughout the world via satellite from Cologne, Germany performing the entire new album in sequence, minus "Even You Brutus" and adding "Give It Away" and "Me and My Friends".^[117] The band officially kicked off the I'm with You Tour on September 11, 2011. The tour is expected to last into 2013 and be one of the band's biggest to date. All shows from the upcoming world tour will be made available to purchase as downloads through LiveChiliPeppers.com.^[118] The North American leg of the tour, which was expected to begin on January 19, 2012, had to be postponed due to a surgery Kiedis went to resolve multiple foot injuries he had suffered through since the Stadium Arcadium tour. The first U.S. leg of the tour, including dates in Canada, kicked off in March 2012 and will last into June with the rest of the already scheduled U.S. dates being made in August through October 2012. Dates in Australia and Asia, which were expected in 2012, have yet to be scheduled.^[119]

The band was nominated for two MTV Europe Music Awards awards for Best Rock Band and Best Live Artist^[120] and nominated for Best Group at the 2012 People's Choice Awards^[121] I'm with You was also nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.^[122]

The band released 2011 Live EP on March 29, 2012. The EP a free five live song MP3 download through their website. The five songs were selected by Chad Smith from the band's 2011 European live albums, which were released for purchase through their website as well. May 1, 2012 saw the release of digital download only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Covers EP which consisted of previously released studio and live covers of artists that influenced the band.

On May 27, 2012, Chad confirmed that ten b'sides for I'm with You will be released within the next six months and will be released on 7-inch vinyl and digital download.^[123]A few days later on May 29, 2012, Flea announced that eighteen new songs in total would be released over the next six months. He also confirmed that the band has been writing new music while touring. ^[124]

Recognition[link]

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012 by actor/comedian, Chris Rock, who is a longtime friend and fan of the band. The induction line-up was Kiedis, Flea, Smith, Klinghoffer, Frusciante, Slovak, Irons and Martinez. Despite recording one album with the band, Dave Navarro and Jack Sherman were the only two former recording band members not inducted for reasons unknown. At 32, Klinghoffer was the youngest artist ever to be inducted into the hall of fame passing Stevie Wonder, who was 38 at the time of his induction.^[125] Frusciante did not attend the ceremony. Smith said "We asked him, he said, 'I'm just not really comfortable with that, but good luck and thanks for inviting me.' He's the kind of guy, I think, that once he's finished with something he's just on to the next phase of his life. The Chili Peppers are not really on his radar right now."^[126] They performed four songs, including "By the Way", "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" and "Give it Away", which included Irons and Martinez on drums. It was the first time Kiedis and Flea had performed with Irons in 24 years and Martinez in 26 years.^[127] To end the ceremony, the band was joined by George Clinton, Slash, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool, Ronnie Wood and Kenny Jones for a performance of "Higher Ground". On April 15, the date following their Hall of Fame induction, the band performed a free concert in downtown Cleveland, Ohio in support of President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. The requirement for getting into the concert was agreeing to volunteer for the Obama 2012 phone bank. The event quickly met its capacity limit after being announced.^[128] To commemorate the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Red Hot Chili Peppers released a iTunes digital-only EP, entitled Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Covers EP, on May 1, 2012. The EP features live and studio cover versions of six songs from previous Hall of Fame inductees, all of whom have influenced the band musically: The Ramones, The Stooges, Neil Young, David Bowie, The Beach Boys, and Dion and the Belmonts.^[129]

Musical style[link]

Techniques[link]

"Fight Like a Brave" noicon "Fight Like a Brave", the first single from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, exemplifies the band's typical punk and funk rock sound of the period, also marked by Anthony Kiedis' rapping lyrics. The song is also noted for its backing vocals sung by football fans.[130] "Knock Me Down" noicon "Knock Me Down", the first single from Mother's Milk, exemplifies a stylistic divergence away from the band's typical punk and funk rock into more alternative territory. The track was originally intended to be a duet between guitarist John Frusciante and vocalist Anthony Kiedis but was mixed in a way that Frusciante's voice is more prominent. "Under the Bridge" noicon "Under the Bridge", the second single from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was a reflective and melodic composition that would go on to become one of the defining songs of the nineties.

Problems listening to these files? See media help.

The Peppers' musical style is a mix of funk, alternative rock, hard rock and punk rock. The band's influences include Defunkt, Parliament-Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Gang of Four, Bob Marley, Sly and the Family Stone, Ohio Players, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Black Flag, Ornette Coleman, Led Zeppelin, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Fishbone, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, Santana, Elvis Costello, The Stooges,^[131] The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees,^[132] Devo, and Miles Davis.^[133]

Kiedis provided multiple vocal styles. His primary approach up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik was spoken verse and "rapping". Complemented with traditional vocals, he helped the band maintain a consistent style.^[134] Nevertheless, as the group matured, starting with Californication the group reduced the number of rapped verses. By the Way contained only two rap-driven-verse/melodic chorus form.^[135] Kiedis' more recent style was developed through ongoing coaching.^[136]

Hillel Slovak's style was strongly based on blues and funk. Slovak was primarily influenced by hard rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, KISS and Led Zeppelin.^[137] His playing method was highly based on improvisation, a style commonly used in funk music.^[138] He also was noted for his aggressive playing style; he would often play with such force that his fingers would "come apart."^[138] Kiedis observed that his playing evolved during his time away from the group in What Is This?, with Slovak adopting a more fluid style featuring "sultry" elements as opposed to his original hard rock techniques.^[139] On The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, Slovak experimented with genres outside of traditional funk music including reggae and speed metal.^[140] His guitar riffs would often serve as the basis of the group's songs, with the other members writing their parts to complement his guitar work. His melodic riff featured in the song "Behind the Sun" inspired the group to create "pretty" songs with an emphasis on melody.^[29] Kiedis describes the song as "pure Hillel inspiration".^[141] Slovak also used a talk box on songs such as "Green Heaven" and "Funky Crime", in which he would sing into a tube while playing to create psychedelic effects.^[142]

Frusciante's musical style has evolved over the course of his career. His guitar playing employs melody and emotion rather than virtuosity. Although virtuoso influences can be heard throughout his career, he has said that he often minimizes this.^[143] Frusciante brought a more melodic and textured sound to albums such as By the Way, Californication and Stadium Arcadium. This contrasts with his previous abrasive approach in Mother's Milk,^[144][145] as well as his dry, funky and more docile arrangements on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. On Californication and By the Way, Frusciante derived the technique of creating tonal texture through chord patterns from post-punk guitarist Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column, and bands such as Fugazi and The Cure.^{[76][146][147]} He originally intended By the Way to be made up of "these punky, rough songs", drawing inspiration from early punk artists such as The Germs and The Damned. However, this was discouraged by producer Rick Rubin, and he instead built upon Californication's melodically-driven style.^[148] During the recording of Stadium Arcadium, he moved away from his New Wave influences and concentrated on emulating flashier guitar players such as Hendrix and Van Halen.^[149]

Navarro brought an entirely different sound to the band during his tenure, with his style based on heavy metal, progressive rock and psychedelia.^[150]

Flea's electric bass style is an amalgamation of funk, psychedelic, punk, and hard rock.^[151] The groove-heavy, low-tuned melodies, played through either finger–picking, or slapping, contributed to their signature style. While Flea's slap bass style was prominent in earlier albums, albums after Blood Sugar Sex Magik^[151] have more melodic and funk–driven bass lines. He has also used double stops on some newer songs. Flea's bass playing has changed considerably throughout the years. When he joined Fear his technique centered largely around traditional punk rock bass lines,^[152] however he was to change this style when the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed. He began to incorporate a "slap" bass style that drew influence largely from Bootsy Collins.^[153] Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw a notable shift in style as it featured none of his signature technique but rather styles that focused more on traditional and melodic roots.^[154] His intellectual beliefs on how to play the instrument were also altered: "I was trying to play simply on Blood Sugar Sex Magik because I had been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting—there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good."^[154]

Smith blends rock with funk. He mixes funk, rock, metal and jazz to his beats. Influences include Buddy Rich to John Bonham.^[155] He brought a different sound to Mother's Milk, playing tight and fast. In Blood Sugar Sex Magik, he displays greater power. He is recognized for his ghost notes, his beats and his fast right foot. MusicRadar put him in sixth place on their list of the "50 Greatest Drummers Of All Time", behind Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, Keith Moon, Rich and Bonham.^[156]

Lyrics and songwriting[link]

Through the years, Kiedis' lyrics covered a variety of topics, which shifted as time progressed. Early in the group's career, Kiedis wrote mostly comical songs filled with sexual innuendos as well as songs inspired by friendship and the band members' personal experiences. However, after the death of his close friend and band mate Hillel Slovak, Kiedis' lyrics became much more introspective and personal, as exemplified by the song "Knock Me Down" which was dedicated to Slovak. When the band recorded "One Hot Minute" Kiedis had turned to drugs once again, which resulted in darker lyrics.^[157] He began to write about anguish, and the self mutilating thoughts he would experience as a result of his heroin and cocaine addiction.^[158][159] During the recording of the album One Hot Minute, Kiedis once again struggled with his addictions, which contributed to his melancholy and sometimes cryptic lyrics.^[63] After witnessing Frusciante's recovery from his heroin addiction, Kiedis wrote many songs inspired by rebirth and the meaning of life on Californication. He was also intrigued by the life lessons that the band had learned,^[57] including Kiedis' experience with meeting a young mother at the YMCA, who was attempting to battle her alcohol addiction while living with her infant daughter.^[160] On By the Way, Kiedis was lyrically influenced by love, his girlfriend, and the emotions expressed when one fell in love.^[161] Drugs also played an integral part in Kiedis' writings, as he had only been sober since December 2000.^[162] Tracks like "This Is the Place" and "Don't Forget Me" expressed his intense dislike for narcotics and the harmful physical and emotional effects they caused him. Stadium Arcadium continued the themes of love and romance; Kiedis stated that "love and women, pregnancies and marriages, relationship struggles – those are real and profound influences on this record. And it's great, because it wasn't just me writing about the fact that I'm in love. It was everybody in the band. We were brimming with energy based on falling in love."^[163]

Themes within his repertoire include love and friendship,^[164][165] teenage angst, good-time aggression,^[166] various sexual topics and the link between sex and music, political and social commentary (Native American issues in particular),^[167] romance,^{[164][168][169]} loneliness,^[170] globalization and the cons of fame and Hollywood,^[171] poverty, drugs, alcohol, dealing with death, and California.^[172]

Band members[link]

• Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals (1983–1986, 1986-present)
• Michael "Flea" Balzary – bass, piano, trumpet, backing vocals (1983–present)
• Chad Smith – drums, percussion (1988–present)
• Josh Klinghoffer – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2009–present)

Timeline[link]

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:60 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1983 till:31/12/2012 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:01/01/1983

Colors =

id:Vocals  value:red     legend:Lead_vocals
id:Guitar  value:green   legend:Guitar_&_BVs
id:Bass    value:blue    legend:Bass
id:Drums   value:purple  legend:Drums
id:Lines   value:black   legend:Studio albums

LineData =

at:10/08/1984 color:black layer:back
at:16/08/1985 color:black layer:back
at:29/09/1987 color:black layer:back
at:16/08/1989 color:black layer:back
at:24/09/1991 color:black layer:back
at:12/09/1995 color:black layer:back
at:08/06/1999 color:black layer:back
at:09/07/2002 color:black layer:back
at:09/05/2006 color:black layer:back
at:26/08/2011 color:black layer:back

BarData =

bar:Kiedis text:"Anthony Kiedis"
bar:Slovak text:"Hillel Slovak"
bar:Sherman text:"Jack Sherman"
bar:McKnight text:"DeWayne McKnight"
bar:Frusciante text:"John Frusciante"
bar:Marshall text:"Arik Marshall"
bar:Tobias text:"Jesse Tobias"
bar:Navarro text:"Dave Navarro"
bar:Klinghoffer text:"Josh Klinghoffer"
bar:Flea text:"Flea"
bar:Irons text:"Jack Irons"
bar:Martinez text:"Cliff Martinez"
bar:Peligro text:"D.H. Peligro"
bar:Smith text:"Chad Smith"

PlotData=

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Kiedis from:start till:end color:Vocals
bar:Flea from:start till:end color:Bass           
bar:Slovak from:start till:15/08/1983 color:Guitar     
bar:Irons from:start till:15/08/1983 color:Drums
bar:Sherman from:20/12/1983 till:15/10/1984 color:Guitar 
bar:Martinez from:01/11/1983 till:15/03/1986 color:Drums
bar:Irons from:15/03/1986 till:25/06/1988 color:Drums
bar:Slovak from:15/01/1985 till:25/06/1988 color:Guitar  
bar:McKnight from:10/08/1988 till:01/09/1988 color:Guitar
bar:Peligro from:10/08/1988 till:01/11/1988 color:Drums
bar:Frusciante from:08/10/1988 till:07/05/1992 color:Guitar
bar:Smith from:01/11/1988 till:end color:Drums
bar:Marshall from:10/07/1992 till:15/09/1993 color:Guitar
bar:Tobias from:15/09/1993 till:15/10/1993 color:Guitar
bar:Navarro from:15/10/1993 till:14/04/1998 color:Guitar   
bar:Frusciante from:15/04/1998 till:11/10/2009 color:Guitar   
bar:Klinghoffer from:12/10/2009 till:end color:Guitar   

</timeline>

Discography[link]

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
• Freaky Styley (1985)
• The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
• Mother's Milk (1989)
• Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
• One Hot Minute (1995)
• Californication (1999)
• By the Way (2002)
• Stadium Arcadium (2006)
• I'm with You (2011)

See also[link]

• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of Saturday Night Live episodes
• List of awards and nominations received by Red Hot Chili Peppers

References[link]

Footnotes