Consequence of Sound rank every single RHCP song best-worst.

220. “Grand Pappy Du Plenty”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
A single musical idea stretched out over four interminable minutes. –Wren Graves

219. “Happiness Loves Company”
I’m With You (2011)
Although a positive song with a well-intentioned message, it’s so unlike anything they’ve ever done. I feel like it could be sung in some horrendous community playhouse production. –Kyle Eustice

218. “Turn It Again”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
After getting through nearly two hours of music, including the largely boring back half of Stadium Arcadium’s second disc, listeners were treated to another tired rehash of what they’d done better at least 15 times on the same album. –David Sackllah

217. “Goodbye Hooray”
I’m With You (2011)
At least the older bad RHCP songs are true failures, with sparks of creativity present. Latter ones like this are just devoid of imagination, going through the motions of mediocrity. Plus the slowed-down, psych elements of the bridge don’t fit in at all here. –David Sackllah

216. “Magpies On Fire”
I’m Beside You (2013)
It’s all downhill from the title. Lots of mewling but zero fire. –Wren Graves

215. “So Much I”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
From the stutter masquerading as a pre-chorus to the whiny hook, Kiedis spends a whole song talking about himself without saying anything. It’s the sonic equivalent of getting cornered at a party by a drunken bore. –Wren Graves

214. “Millionaires Against Hunger”
“Knock Me Down” Single (1989)
A send-up of the charitable songs that were made famous in the ’80s might have been a good idea if it was actually funny. –Philip Cosores

213. “Stranded”
Out in L.A. (1994)
Few songs come close to describing the universality of the human condition and the struggles we all face on a daily basis. In less than 30 seconds, the band perfectly captures the anxiety of the situation that is presented, one that nearly every one of us has been faced with at some point in our lives. If you haven’t listened yet, I’d rather not “spoil it” for you here. –David Sackllah

212. “Battleship”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Ever wondered what the B-52’s would sound like produced by George Clinton? Well, here’s your answer, and it is just as frightening as you can imagine. –Philip Cosores

211. “Detroit”
The Getaway (2016)
Los Angeles is to “Californication” as Detroit is to “Detroit”. Unfortunately, apart from the heavy guitar riff, there isn’t much worth listening to here. –Dan Bogosian

210. “Walkin’ On Down the Road”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
“Everybody knows and everybody thinks that I’ve done wrong” sounds like it should be sung by a bunch of drunk college kids drinking PBR. –Kyle Eustice

209. “Catch My Death”
I’m Beside You (2013)
Serious subject matter (suicide) isn’t necessarily a bad look for the band. Many of their greatest songs have weight to them. The bad part of this is a forced maturity that strips the band of any personality. –Philip Cosores

208. “Meet Me At the Corner”
I’m With You (2011)
Pleasant enough, but Frusciante’s presence is sorely missed. You can’t help but wonder if he could have elevated the underlying guitar line from breezy to tastefully dynamic. –Dan Caffrey

207. “In Love Dying”
I’m Beside You (2013)
Like most of the I’m With/Beside You tracks, it’s harmless and never takes off enough to justified the bloated runtime. —Dan Caffrey

206. “We Believe”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Kiedis is almost too chill on this track. It’s like adult contemporary Peppers, a far cry from the crew we met in 1985. –Kyle Eustice

205. “Your Eyes Girl“
I’m Beside You (2013)
I’m Beside You would have worked better if it was marketed as a minor B-sides compilation. But the double-LP treatment lathers on the slowed-down throwaways like this one until they’ve gone from mediocre to taxing. –Dan Caffrey

204. “Why Don’t You Love Me”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
A lot of artists improve Hank Williams songs when they cover them (Dropkick Murphys, The Nightwatchman, and so forth). Few artists have worsened a Hank Williams song like this. –Dan Bogosian

203. “Love of Your Life”
I’m Beside You (2013)
If there was more intensity at play, the “Roll in, roll out” could be a stoned sea shanty. Unfortunately, the softness keeps the pirate ship tethered to the dock of your local Margaritaville, even if it doesn’t have a dock to begin with. Especially if it doesn’t have a dock to begin with. –Dan Caffrey

202. “Storm In a Teacup”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
At first blush, it’s another forgettable mid-tempo rocker, with Kiedis mocking the tears of an overly dramatic woman. But the references to her “shady” reputation, and his other insinuations about her sexual activity, are worse than dull; the song smacks of condescension and slut-shaming. –Wren Graves

201. “Slowly Deeply”
“Universally Speaking” Single (2003)
Not sure what the proper name is for that guitar effect. The tin can? Let’s call it the tin can. –Dan Caffrey

180. “C’mon Girl”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
It’s ageist to assume that the band can’t still pull off more rocking funk jams in their later years, but the problem here lies in the dichotomy between the sedate verses that all of a sudden try to transition into a more rushing chorus. That jarring juxtaposition falls flat, resulting in one of the many Stadium Arcadium tracks that could have been cut for time. –David Sackllah

179. “Emit Remmus”
Californication (1999)
As accomplished and classic as Californication was, like any RHCP album, it has its fair share of duds. This is one of its most egregious, with Kiedis turning in a startlingly menacing snarl on the chorus that feels antithetical to this tale of a Californian falling for a British woman. –David Sackllah

178. “Love Trilogy”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
“Trilogy” sells it short. This is a full Bible of half-baked declarations of love. –Wren Graves

177. “Did I Let You Know”
I’m With You (2011)
The trumpets and bongos are a nice touch, but any song that uses “Mozambiquey” as an adjective (especially one by RHCP) isn’t much more than cultural tourism. Surprisingly one of their lesser offenses, though. –David Sackllah

176. “Sexy Mexican Maid”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
Eh, this I could have done without. I really don’t need to hear Kiedis fantasizing about some perceived sexy Mexican maid. Next! –Kyle Eustice

175. “Hey”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Stadium Arcadium Disc One is largely a triumph, full of the band’s best songs of the 2000s, songs that helped reinvigorate their career and usher in a new generation of fans who were children during their golden years. That’s why it’s so upsetting that what could have been a triumphant closer was instead a plodding slow-jam. They could have at least had the decency of re-sequencing and burying this on Disc Two. –David Sackllah

174. “Over Funk”
Californication Bonus Track (1999)
Don’t panic at the title. Flea’s bass kicks in as soon as the track begins to assure the band is not “over funk.” They do appear to be over writing great melodies, which the Californication sessions were known for. You can’t win them all. –Philip Cosores

173. “Joe”
“Desecration Smile” Single (2007)
Ooo, some reggae by the pool. Sun’s out. Got a Corona in my hand. Nice. Getting hotter. Corona’s gone warm. Still got the lime. Skin’s red. Should get out. Too relaxed. Lime’s dry. Should’ve worn sunscreen. This was a bad idea. Oh well. –Dan Caffrey

172. “Organic Anti-Beat Box Band”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
The Peppers wrote this song as a mission statement after Gang of Four’s Andy Gill forced them to use drum machines as the producer of their self-titled debut. Over 30 years later, this song feels as dated as a 1980’s drum machine. –Dan Bogosian

171. “Strip My Mind”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
“Strip My Mind” sounds like a John Frusciante solo song but with Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea on bass, and Chad Smith on drums. The problem is it also sounds like a mediocre Frusciante solo song. –Dan Bogosian

170. “Flea Fly”
Out in L.A. (1994)
More a children’s chant than anything, this will always have a soft spot in my heart because our high school drama teacher would use it as a vocal warm-up. Wonder if he got it from the Chili Peppers… –Dan Caffrey

169. “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
Originally a 1965 Bob Dylan song, Gregory Isaacs, bluegrass artist Tim O’Brien, Harry Nilsson, and of course, the RHCP have all covered it. A lot of Dylan fans, however, think it’s complete crap. –Kyle Eustice

168. “One Hot Minute”
One Hot Minute (1995)
It’s fitting that the title track from their Dave Navarro album sounds like a stoner rock version of Jane’s Addiction. It’s aimless, lacks elegance, goes on for way too long, but it’s kinda charming if you squint really hard. –Philip Cosore

167. “Hometown Gypsy”
I’m With You (2011)
The country-rock arrangement is a welcome change of pace, even if hearing a 50-year-old man describe himself as being “Jacked up on some Kerouac” is more than a little silly. –Dan Caffrey

166. “Buckle Down”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
You can’t be too hard on music the guys recorded in 1984. Is there any sign of the high points that were to come? Nope. But is it a drag to get through? Nope. –Philip Cosores

165. “Savior”
Californication (1999)
You can’t really talk about alt-rock radio in the last 25 years without talking about RHCP, but they always seemed to exist slightly outside of the prevalent trends, marching to the beat of their own drum (which was plenty flawed, but at least individually expressive). This was one of the moments where they veered a little too close to the norm at a time when they were making some of the best music of their career. –David Sackllah

164. “Dani California”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Theoretically, there’s only so much you can mine out of re-purposing a decades-old Tom Petty song as the lead single for your longest album to date, but this somehow became one of the band’s most successful singles. Chalk it up to general audiences not wanting to be challenged perhaps. As catchy and memorable as the song may be, the fact that it so blatantly recycles ideas from both inside and outside the band puts it closer to the bottom of this list than the top. –David Sackllah

163. “This Is the Kitt”
I’m Beside You (2013)
Grooves a tad more if you imagine Kiedis is singing about Eartha Kitt. But just a tad. –Dan Caffrey

162. “Especially In Michigan”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
This is Kiedis’ homage to his home state of Michigan, full of, as he says, “Double chins and bowling pins.” For the lyrics, the fun is in the details, although how interesting you find those details might dovetail with the amount of time you’ve spent in the Mitten State. –Wren Graves

161. “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie”
I’m With You (2011)
It’s not their best single, but as their first single in five years after Frusciante left, the fact that it’s just okay was enough for most fans. At the very least, it was a sign that the band could still make fairly competent songs as they entered this latest stage in their life cycle. –David Sackllah

140. “Factory of Faith”
I’m With You (2011)
There were a lot of qualms around the band’s first album in five years and first without Frusciante (after his second, seemingly more permanent departure), so at least the band had the wherewithal to frontload the record with one of the few decent tracks on it. At least stay for the way Kiedis pronounces “factually”; the amount of syllables he wrings out of that is quite impressive. –David Sackllah

139. “Blackeyed Blonde”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Here, “Blackeyed” refers to something in between “wearing heavy eyeliner” and “containing a great inner evil.” The top highlight is the section of grunts and yelps, which gives a primal urgency to this somewhat standard tale of a femme fatale. –Wren Graves

138. “Out of Range”
“The Zephyr Song” Single (2002)
Seed-blowing guitars, stratospheric harmonies, and mariachi trumpet? Should’ve been a track on By the Way — albeit a hidden one. –Dan Caffrey

137. “21st Century”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
By this point, Flea and Frusciante had gotten the formula down pat: Flea goes for smooth walks and Frusciante stutter-strums in this funky song of modern anxiety. It worked for punk dangerous before, and it works for stadium friendly here. –Wren Graves

136. “Tearjerker”
One Hot Minute (1995)
It may have another word in its title, but “Tearjerker” finds RHCP upping their ballad game much more succinctly than the slightly inferior “Tear”. A lesson in minimalism. –Dan Caffrey

135. “She Looks to Me”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
This is a solid example of latter-day Peppers power pop. Frusciante channels Clapton for a series of short solos, and a cello adds a bit of drama. –Wren Graves

134. “Rivers of Avalon”
“The Zephyr Song” Single (2002)
Because “Rivers of Avalon” never lets up in momentum, some of the subtler flourishes get lost. But where so much of what came after the By the Way era feels directionless, deliberate speed goes a long way. –Dan Caffrey

133. “Million Miles of Water”
“Dani California” Single (2006)
RHCP often get made fun of for all their California imagery, but their central H20 metaphor brings out a sweetness in the chorus that couldn’t have come from any other band. –Dan Caffrey


132. “Annie Wants a Baby”
I’m With You (2011)
“Annie Wants a Baby” is a character study of unhappy women. This song works because of Josh Klinghoffer’s bluesy licks and Chad Smith’s thumping beat. –Wren Graves

131. “Teatro Jam”
“Around the World” Single (1999)
The word “jam” is enough to give me pause in front of any Chili Peppers song, and yet the arrangement has enough dynamics to live up to all the best parts of that word. If Kiedis ever wrote words to it, it might even be one of their better (and deeper) album cuts. –Dan Caffrey

130. “Show Me Your Soul”
Pretty Woman OST (1990)
Released in 1990, “Show Me Your Soul” got the most traction during a scene in the movie Pretty Woman, when Vivian, a prostitute played by Julia Roberts, walks into a seedy club looking for her roommate. It was originally the B-side from the singles of “Knock Me Down” and “Taste the Pain”. –Kyle Eustice

129. “Stadium Arcadium”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
The lyrics are abstract and image-heavy. Musically, it starts at low tide, ebbing and flowing until it washes over the listener. –Wren Graves

128. “On Mercury”
By the Way (2002)
A ska song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers has no reason to work, or maybe it does? Certainly not the best song on By the Way, but the musicianship was so — God, help me — organic at that time that the band could find a natural way into just about any genre. –Dan Caffrey

127. “Death of a Martian”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
There’s a time and a place for a good pet story. Flea wrote this song about his old dog, Martian, who weighed 200 pounds and died during the recording of Stadium Arcadium. –Wren Graves

126. “Body of Water”
“The Zephyr Song” Single (2002)
Fuzz and muscle: a surprising combination that allows this lyrically spare B-side to roll back and forth like ocean waves. –Dan Caffrey


125. “Little Miss Lover”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik Bonus Track (1991)
Given their numerous covers of his work, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Peps pulled a Ryan Adams and recorded their own version of Electric Ladyland. Even a virtuoso like Frusciante could never harness the same ax power as Hendrix, but that doesn’t take away from the genuine spirit that radiates from the music. –Dan Caffrey

124. “Desecration Smile”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Laugh all you want, but it’s a winning combination of two very different sides of the Eagles: Laurel Canyon folk-rock and chromatic guitar duels. Less dramatic camaraderie, too. –Dan Caffrey

123. “Freaky Styley”
Freaky Styley (1985)
George Clinton’s production hand did some good and some bad for the group. One upside is it let their freak flag fly. “Fuck ’em just to see the look on their face” is a funk mantra if there ever was one. –Dan Bogosian

122. “I’ll Be Your Domino”
“Snow” Single (2006)
At first listen, it’s just a B-side. On second listen, it’s the funkiest B-side they’ve ever had. –Dan Bogosian

121. “Backwoods”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
“Backwoods” is a punk funk banger, and it pays tribute to black pioneers of rock’n’roll: Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Little Richard, and Howlin’ Wolf. –Wren Graves

120. “Lately”
“Dani California” Single (2006)
“This Is the Place” came before it, but this feels like a mostly successful trial run for its loud-soft dynamics. –Dan Caffrey

119. “Jungle Man”
Freaky Styley (1985)
This is Kiedis’ love letter to his best friend, Flea (“Crackin’ from his thumb bone came felonious thunder”). Clinton’s production is aggressively stereo, fading between the left and right speaker. –Wren Graves

118. “Make You Feel Better”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Kudos to Chad Smith for knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em — his simplistic snare hits give this high point of Stadium Arcadium its power. –Dan Caffrey


117. “Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
Another seemingly Parliament-influenced track, Kiedis talks about “testifying” and how his race is a disgrace. Complete with a female choir backing him up, it could have been made in the ‘70s. –Kyle Eustice

116. “Walkabout”
One Hot Minute (1995)
The most dramatic moment of the song is the very beginning. It’s indicative of the growing maturity of the band that they chose to precede this relaxing stroll with a burst of anxiety and stress. –Wren Graves

115. “This Velvet Glove”
Californication (1999)
Does anyone else think this wouldn’t sound out of place on the Desperado soundtrack? Cantina strumming combines with dramatic soloing and an examination of how one’s own ego can fuel their substance abuse. Action movies can be introspective, too. –Dan Caffrey

114. “Good Time Boys”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
The hook on this song always got stuck in my head. “Good, good time boys/ Make me feel good/ Give me good times/ Yeah yeah, yeah yeah” — enough said. Includes snippets of Bonin’ in the Boneyard” by Fishbone, “Try” by Thelonious Monster, and “White Girl” by X. –Kyle Eustice

113. “I Found Out”
Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon (1995)
In which the Chili Peppers make Lennon sound like Hendrix. –Dan Caffrey

112. “We Turn Red”
The Getaway (2016}
There are references to travel and allusions to war, and Kiedis seems to spend at least part of the song singing from the perspective of a soldier. Danger Mouse turns the guitar volume up during the verses until it’s dueling the vocals for prominence. –Wren Graves

111. “Castles Made of Sand”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik Bonus Track (1991)
In which the Chili Peppers make Hendrix sound like the Chili Peppers (in a good way). –Dan Caffrey

110. “American Ghost Dance”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Kiedis has English, Irish, French, and Dutch ancestry, but the part of his parentage that has most occupied him — at least in song — is the Mohican. “American Ghost Dance” is a bitter saga of Native American genocide, with a few satirical flourishes — for instance, the phrase “white trash” is accented with a snatch of The Chicken Dance. –Wren Graves

109. “Havana Affair”
We’re a Happy Family: A Tribute to The Ramones (2011)
In their younger days, RHCP would have probably just kept this Ramones cover faithful in its speed. Thankfully, they recorded this in middle age, pushing themselves musically and sludging up the joint. As a result, this sounds more appropriate for a Cuban beach, even one filled with political intrigue. –Dan Caffrey

108. “Dark Necessities”
The Getaway (2016)
Stanky bass and hand claps are a good place to start. But Kiedis is getting more vague as he ages, and that makes it harder to emotionally connect. –Wren Graves

107. “Hollywood (Africa)”
Freaky Styley (1985)
During the Freaky Styley era, it seems like all Flea and Kiedis did was listen to Parliament Funkadelic and apparently The Meters. “Hollywood” is a cover of the song “Africa” by The Meters, from their 1974 album Rejuvenation. –Kyle Eustic

106. “Midnight”
By the Way (2002)
Full disclosure: The order of this list is compiled after much voting, discussing, arguing, and last-minute tweaks. But if it were solely up to me (good thing it’s not), “Midnight” would be in the top 10. 106 ain’t bad either, but it doesn’t do justice to the non-corny astrological lyrics, the Verve-esque (sorry, Rolling Stones-esque) strings swooping in at the end, the way Kiedis rhymes “lotus kids” with “note of this.” What the hell is a lotus kid anyway? I don’t know for sure, but it’s exactly the type of term the Red Hot Chili Peppers would coin. —Dan Caffrey

105. “Ethiopia”
I’m With You (2011)
Not every frontman could pull off a chorus that essentially equates to a lesson on four vowels. Anthony Kiedis can. –Dan Caffrey

104. “Pea”
One Hot Minute (1995)
This is the one One Hot Minute song that the group kept playing live when Frusciante rejoined (and later when Klinghoffer joined). The reason may be because it’s basically a Flea solo song – but it’s also a profound bit of pacificist poetry. –Dan Bogosian

103. “Right On Time”
Californication (1999)
There is no more impressive bass playing from Flea than the chorus to this song, with his fingers replicating a synth’s bass function. It may be a collection of Kiedis gibberish, but it’s some of the most lovable gibberish he’s ever half-rapped. –Dan Bogosian


102. “Blues For Meister”
Out in L.A. (1994)
Long before “The Death of a Martian” mourned the passing of Flea’s dog, “Blues for Meister” grieved over the death of Flea’s cat. It’s a quirky, bass-intensive gem that makes me miss having a pet (while also worshipping the bizarre guitar solo and epic trumpet work). –Dan Bogosian

101. “Minor Thing”
By the Way (2002)
RHCP at their most minor often means RHCP at their most propulsive. In other words, “Minor Thing” leaves no room for jamming or dick-fingered sex jokes — just a perfect slice of (minor) pop rock. –Dan Caffrey

80. “Instrumental #2”
Californication Bonus Track (1999)
This is the ultimate slap showcase for Flea: While not harmonically amazing, it’s non-stop, fast-thumb action. And honestly, with Frusciante’s sly guitar play, this is as great as ’90s rock instrumentals could get. –Dan Bogosian

79. “What It Is (aka Nina’s Song)”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
Though the lyrics would go on to contribute to “The Brothers Cup”, the music in “What It Is” is even tighter. Just AK on vocals and Flea on bass, that slap line is something to behold. –Dan Bogosian

78. “Skinny Sweaty Man”
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
The early Chili Peppers loved to write super short joke songs; luckily, “Skinny Sweaty Man” is more song than joke. The surreal imagery gives it weight. –Wren Graves

77. “Out In L.A.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
The first song the band ever wrote, it hasn’t been played in years, but it’s still a classic. It established what would become everything RHCP would be known for: crazy, punk-infused funk and over-the-top mentions of California.–Dan Bogosian

76. “Mercy Mercy”
“Tell Me Baby” Single (2006)
The two funkiest Stadium Arcadium songs didn’t make the album. This B-side (along with its sister, “A Certain Someone”) is ranked higher than the single it was attached to, because it’s one of the band’s best works in the past 15 years. Mercy me, indeed. –Dan Bogosian

75. “Stone Cold Bush”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
RHCP once played this on Saturday Night Live even though they were promoting Blood Sugar Sex Magik and not Mother’s Milk. Flea wore weird-ass white face paint. That’s how good this song is. –Dan Bogosian

74. “Venice Queen”
By the Way (2002)
This was Kiedis’ ode to Gloria Scott, the woman who helped him recover from his addiction. Not the very best of their more personal songs, but still fairly touching. –David Sackllah

73. “Fire”
The Abbey Road EP (1988)
Most bands shouldn’t cover Hendrix, but RHCP did a good job of matching the chaotic energy of the original on this rendition. A small but impactful lyric change also dedicated the song to Hillel, who died months before this recording. –David Sackllah

72. “Bob”
One Hot Minute Bonus Track (1995)
This was the first song they wrote with Navarro on guitar. It’s also one of the best they ever did with Navarro on guitar. –Dan Bogosian

71. “Quixoticelixir”
Californication Bonus Track (1999)
It took years for this to come out, but it ended up being one of the album bonus tracks that was actually worth it. That outro makes the long wait worthwhile. –Dan Bogosian

70. “Nobody Weird Like Me”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
Flea beats the bass like a bat outta hell while Kiedis proudly proclaims what a freak he is, which is of course nothing new, but in 1989, this sentiment was more likely to be shared by Rick James rather than a group of twentysomething hooligans from Los Angeles. –Kyle Eustice

69. “The Brothers Cup”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Take the funky lyrics from “What It Is (aka Nina’s Song)” and give them a Clinton-esque funk environment. You now have “The Brothers Cup”. –Dan Bogosian

68. “Porcelain”
Californication (1999)
Written about a mother in a recovery meeting who was struggling trying to get sober, this resulted in one of Kiedis’ simpler, more heartbreaking ballads, appropriately accompanied by musical restraint. –David Sackllah

67. “If You Want Me”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Many of the band’s early hits came from their ability to add their own spin to classics, and this cover of the Sly and The Family Stone staple was a prime example of that. That they were able to do the original justice is impressive on its own. –David Sackllah

66. “Apache Rose Peacock”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Their absolute funkiest jam. Rarely played live outside of New Orleans, but who cares? Never been a sweeter bassline or trumpet part. –Dan Bogosian

65. “Fela’s Cock”
Live Rare Remix Box (1994)
Both John Frusciante and Flea were outspoken admirers of the legendary Fela Kuti, and this B-side from 1991 was their attempt to pay tribute to the legendary musician. This fast-paced instrumental found the Peppers in fine form, playing at the height of their abilities to try and pay homage to one of their

64. “Naked In the Rain”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Something tells me these dudes like to be naked. This was one of the first songs written for Blood Sugar Sex Magik and was even played at the end of the Mother’s Milk tour in 1990. –Kyle Eustice

63. “Transcending”
One Hot Minute (1995)
The last song on One Hot Minute was written about the death of River Phoenix, particularly the media coverage surrounding it. Kiedis felt strongly about the way addicts are treated, and this was one of his more outspoken rejoinders. –David Sackllah

62. “Goodbye Angels”
The Getaway (2016)
Anthony Kiedis’ vocals prevent this from reaching true greatness, but that outro slap line provides a good counter argument. Few bands ever make such a unique flavor taste as good as that instrumental ride. –Dan Bogosian

61. “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
These four words have been immortalized in the annals of history because of this album, and though this song does its best to convey their message, it’s doubtful anyone will ever truly comprehend their meaning besides Kiedis himself. This song represents one of the beautiful mysteries in this world that will hopefully be pondered for generations to come. –David Sackllah

40. “Easily”
Californication (1999)
It’s not just the singles that make Californication such a legendary album, but the album cuts that never got the same amount of radio play. Each member of the band truly locks in to build up the momentum on this fan favorite, as unhinged as the band would ever sound at this point in their career. –David Sackllah

39. “Torture Me”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
In three and three-quarters minutes, the Peppers pack in five furious musical movements. “Torture Me” starts on a tear, slowly breaks down, cries softly to itself, and screams towards a wild finish. –Wren Graves

38. “Get Up and Jump”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
When you picture Flea doing fast slap punk-funk, you are picturing this song. Don’t overthink it: Just enjoy this first album cut. –Dan Bogosian

37. “The Power of Equality”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
RHCP will likely not be remembered as one of the more politically outspoken bands of the last 30 years, and while it wasn’t exactly revolutionary to decry the KKK in 1991, it’s still admirable that their most successful album to date opened with a song that name-dropped Public Enemy and spoke out harshly against racism. –David Sackllah

36. “Gong Li”
“Scar Tissue” Single (1999)
Few bands could make switching between time signatures of 5/8, 4/4, 5/8, and 10/8 sound pretty. The Red Hot Chili Peppers make it sound beautiful and simple. –Dan Bogosian

35. “True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
For this, the first song on the Chili Peppers’ first album, Kiedis snarls and barks his way through a psychedelic western, riding first a “saber-toothed horse” and then a “paisley dragon.” The band’s sound would change quite a bit, but “True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes” established several of their most enduring themes, including surrealism, the tension between white settlers and Native Americans, and the city of Los Angeles. –Wren Graves

34. “This Is the Place”
By the Way (2002)
Kiedis’ lyrics always resonate more when he speaks from experience, and this song about battling the demons of addiction is no exception. One of their better songs from the last 15 years, “This Is the Place” is pretty much the epitome of a strong, more-fast-paced latter-day RHCP track. –David Sackllah

33. “The Righteous & The Wicked”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
This song just rips. When you think of the band’s edge, their more raucous, funky songs, this is what you think of. Flea just kills it throughout the track, and even though it’s a bit on the harsher side lyrically (saying the world needs “global abortion”), it’s one of their more uncompromising songs all around. –David Sackllah

32. “Melancholy Mechanics”
Twister OST (1996)
Perhaps the closest the Dave Navarro era ever came to matching the original Red Hot Chili Peppers sound, “Melancholy Mechanics” goes on a Blood Sugar Sex Magik-esque chorus and bridge while keeping the touch of Jane’s Addiction for the outro. If Navarro stayed in the band, this is the direction they should’ve headed in. —Dan Bogosian

31. “They’re Red Hot”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Originally written and performed by blues artist Robert Johnson, the RHCP’s version was recorded in 1991 at the Rick Rubin-owned compound The Mansion. Kiedis “raps” along to a sped-up beat as Chad Smith does an impressive job keeping up. –Kyle Eustice

30. “Yertle the Turtle”
Freaky Styley (1985)
Dr. Seuss would be damn proud of this, down to how George Clinton’s drug dealer voices the man being blown away by Yertle’s speed. The funkiest cut, it would be a treat if the complete “Yertle Trilogy” returned to the live set. –Dan Bogosian

29. “Funny Face”
“Snow” Single (2006)
This B-Side to the “Snow” single is sonically strange, in a good way. It starts off as a bit of flirty ska before unleashing a power-ballad guitar solo in the last minute. –Wren Grave

28. “Sir Psycho Sexy”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Slow and funky, Kiedis takes a stab at creating a fictional character, Sir Psycho Sexy, and although “he’s a freak of nature,” they love him so. With demons in his semen, the song is pretty much just about sex — big surprise. –Kyle Eustice

27. “Snow (Hey Oh)”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Before he left the band to return to a career of increasingly challenging solo records after decades of proving his mettle as one of the most accomplished rock guitarists of the past 30 years, John Frusciante gave us one of his most classic riffs. Incredibly melodic and deceptively simple, this riff was probably the last truly universally recognizable moments the band ever put forth. The rest of the song ain’t half bad either. –David Sackllah

26. “Knock Me Down”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
“Knock Me Down” was inspired by Hillel’s death and is one of the most powerful songs in the band’s discography. A plea to everyone who deals with addiction, the song is a sobering rejoinder of the disastrous combination of pride and addiction. Few RHCP songs have this much passion inside of them. –David Sackllah

25. “The Zephyr Song”
By the Way (2002)
Fourteen years later and this song still makes no sense. It doesn’t really matter though, as this instrospective psychedelic sing-along makes for one of the band’s most recognizable songs, a truly celebratory single that transcended the fact that it’s full of nonsense. –David Sackllah

24. “My Friends”
One Hot Minute (1995)
One of the best songs to come out of the Navarro era, “My Friends” paints a portrait of country-fried anguish. This song found the band members at their lowest point, dealing with grief, addiction, resentment, and sorrow. That they were able to synthesize those feelings and distill them into a single song like this is a triumph in and of itself. –David Sackllah

23. “By the Way”
By the Way (2002)
As the title track for the RHCP’s eight studio album, the song helped sell eight million copies and was supposedly recorded during one of the happiest times in Kiedis’ life. It’s been performed at almost every show since its debut in 2002, making it one of the band’s most performed songs ever with well over 350 performances and counting.
By the way, it rules. –Kyle Eustice

22. “If You Have to Ask”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
I’m sure “If You Have to Ask” was multitracked rather than recorded live in one take — not that you’d know it from the musicality. Everything’s in the pocket, from Flea’s bass rumbling to form the backbone of the song to the falsetto vocals during the chorus, as if a trio of intergalactic backing singers has just emerged from the wings at a club show. To drive home the lived-in feel of its funkiness, the song concludes with a small audience clapping in the studio. If there’s footage of the Peppers recording each instrument track by track, I don’t want to see it. –Dan Caffrey

21. “Higher Ground”
Mother’s Milk (1989)
The band’s first hit was a cover, but where Stevie Wonder’s original version is relaxed, the Peppers are relentless. Flea’s opening bass is a funky feint; the electric arrangement owes less to acts like Parliament and Stevie Wonder and more to thrash metal. –Wren Graves

10. “I Could Have Lied”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Perhaps one of the most subdued RHCP songs, Kiedis is full of regret as he laments over a lost relationship. That relationship was reportedly with Sinead O’Connor, although that sounds a little far fetched. She supposedly dumped him amid cheating rumors. In a 2009 interview with Q Magazine, O’Connor denied she ever had a relationship with Kiedis, saying, “I hung out with him a few times and the row we had was cos he suggested we might become involved.” O’Connor said she doesn’t “give a shit about” this song, adding: “I’m not a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. I can’t bear them, I don’t get it.” Whether or not it’s true, it’s still one their best, even though Kiedis is basically admitting he’s a douchebag. –Kyle Eustice

09. “Hard to Concentrate”
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Fifteen years earlier, a Red Hot Chili Peppers song called “Hard to Concentrate” would have come with an “Explicit” label, but the band that used to want to “Party on your pussy” was now ready to propose. It was Flea who was actually getting married at the time, and his bass forms the palpitating heartbeat of the best pure love song in the Chili Peppers’ canon.

The lyrics are scatterbrained and very sweet. The way Kiedis starts a thought and runs it into another and another mimics a kind of manic nervousness. The band that broke through on the back of their braggadocio found a new depth by being utterly vulnerable. –Wren Graves

08. “Don’t Forget Me”
By the Way (2002)
This came from a spontaneous jam, but the end product features Frusciante on both bass and guitars (and no Flea anywhere!). Listen closely to the light backing vocal and keyboard part during Frusciante’s three-note solo to have an extra layer of ethereal touch, but on its own this song is still great. It features a handful of toss-away Kiedisisms, but it also touches on something greater: that sense of loss and the need to be remembered. Though never released as a single, it’s still become a trademark of the band’s live show, even with Klinghoffer in the lineup. –Dan Bogosian

07. “Soul to Squeeze”
Coneheads OST (1993)
Forget the Coneheads connection — there’s no other RHCP hit that weeps like this one. Weeping doesn’t always mean sad. It means emoting through music, through their instruments, through their bond with each other, through the tear-shaped notes floating away from Frusciante’s guitar neck. He had already left the band for the first time when “Soul to Squeeze” was released, and looking back, it sounds like his farewell letter. Even if there were hard feelings at the time, they no doubt become softer every time this plays. –Dan Caffrey

6. "Otherside”
Californication (1999)
The European tour in support of The Uplift Mofo Party Plan had been hell, but with the support of his friends, Hillel Slovak had managed to keep his heroin addiction under control. When he returned home, however, he became reclusive and stopped returning his bandmates’ calls. The coroner would later say that Slovak had overdosed two days before his body was found.

Anthony Kiedis struggled with addiction himself, and for years he was haunted by a kind of survivor’s guilt. Some of the Chili Peppers’ best songs deal with Slovak’s death, including “Knock Me Down” and “My Lovely Man”. But the greatest of them all is “Otherside”. Frusciante’s 13-note riff is one of the most iconic in modern rock, but the brilliance of the song is in the way that tension builds, releases, and returns again — always a little stronger than before. It’s the furious helplessness of it all, the cycle of rage and resignation, the acknowledgment of where you’re heading and the admission that you are powerless to stop it. –Wren Graves

05. “Aeroplane”
One Hot Minute (1995)
Opened with Flea’s childish “Yeah, aw yeah” vocals whispered lightly, this song has it all: a children’s choir, a bass solo, one of the all-time greatest slap basslines by any artist, some sweet wah-wah guitar, and lyrics that aren’t gibberish at all. Kiedis raps about secretly spiralling back into his drug addiction and his personal insecurities. Everyone’s on fire for the whole session. It was somehow left off of Greatest Hits in favor of “My Friends” — apparently only one One Hot Minute track could survive — but don’t let that fool you about this top 40 hit. It’s almost as good as it gets. –Dan Bogosian

04. “Californication”
Californication (1999)
On some level, typically the surface, every RHCP song is about their hometown of California. In a sense, their entire existence has been built around the band trying to come to terms with the lurid history of their state and its impact on the millions who live there. Their approach is often clumsy, and they may place more importance than is really necessary, but every once in a while, they are able to truly capture the many nuances of the grand dreams and crushing disappointments that California has to offer.
“Californication” is one of those times, a somber meditation on the cost of fame, both physically and emotionally, and the parts of themselves people sacrifice to try and achieve it. Sure, the song’s a little ludicrous in moments, but that’s the whole point. No one understood the cliches of rock and roll quite like RHCP, and this song sums up their lifelong conflict with its draws and destructive nature. One of the band’s most well-known songs, it epitomizes their puzzling, tragic nature in a way unlike any part of their discography, no small feat. No one really knows exactly what the term “Californiation” means, but we all understand it. If not their best, this is truly the quintessential Red Hot Chili Peppers song. –David Sackllah

03. “Give It Away”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
In 8th grade, this song was like an anthem of rebellion for me. I was a K-Swiss-wearing, MC Hammer-loving teenager on the verge of graduating from Catholic school and just beginning to discover “alternative” music. My father had exposed me to The Clash, Beastie Boys, Iggy Pop, and things like that, but the RHCP were the first group I felt I truly discovered on my own (although, in retrospect, I did steal Mother’s Milk out of my father’s cassette collection). “Give It Away” represented artistic freedom, a wild adventure, and unadulterated funk. Kiedis apparently wrote the song’s lyrical refrain in response to an experience he shared with ex-girlfriend Nina Hagen regarding (his?) altruistic behavior and the value of selflessness. The video was even more alluring — who wears gold glitter on their lips? The RHCP do — that’s who. –Kyle Eustice

02. “Scar Tissue”
Californication (1999)
The RHCP knocked it out of the park with the first single from their seventh studio album, 1999’s Californication. After an extended “break” (read: rehab) from the band, Frusciante — at Flea’s request — returned once again to round out the lineup with Flea, Kiedis and Smith. Dave Navarro had just been fired, and the classic lineup obviously had the magic formula. Californication sold over 16 million copies and earned the group a Grammy Award in 2000. “Scar Tissue” now gets frequently mentioned in the same breath as “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away” as part of the group’s very best work. –Kyle Eustice

01. “Under The Bridge”
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Few songs reach the same level of universal fame that this does, and even fewer of those songs are as profoundly meaningful. Kiedis was driving around Los Angeles thinking about his time as a junkie (and one specific time he pretended to be his drug dealer’s brother to get a score under a bridge), former guitarist John Frusciante wrote the music, and everything swiftly fell into place.

It hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It got covered by All Saints. The Peppers performed it on Saturday Night Live with a strung-out Frusciante rebelling against the others and again in the Tsunami tribute after Kanye West famously said “George Bush hates black people.” Kiedis claims in his autobiography that within a month after Blood Sugar Sex Magik’s release, he lost his voice during this song, but the crowd already knew all the words and sang so loud he could hear it — and that was what convinced them to make it a single. True or not, it’s one of the few universally beautiful songs out there that seems to say something deeper about loneliness and where you’re from, even if the music video is just a shirtless Californian walking around Los Angeles. –Dan Bogosian

This list is full of shit, embarrassing really for those who wrote it. Their opinion I guess so that's cool, but yeah, laughable really...

Nope, I have no idea what they say about opinions and assholes haha! Opinions are subjective, I respect that and acknowledge everyones viewpoint but I'm just being plain honest when I say this list is no good. That just represents how i feel about it. Of course we will never agree on what goes where, especially when ranking so many songs. Once again its subjective, we all have different tastes and stuff.

Nothing was trashed. They have some songs in good places on there, just don't agree with a lot of the placings on the list going through it (whether too high, too low etc.). It would be a poor representation on how i'd probably rank my best to worst. Once again its subjective. I don't see the issue in thinking the rankings are no good.

All good !

Maybe I was over exaggerating calling it full of shit haha, so I apologize! But like just for an example and some context; for me Hard to Concentrate, Pretty Little Ditty, They're Red Hot, Love Rollercoaster or Funny Face would be no where near top 30 quality or in contention. I agree 100% on yours and sicklove's thoughts with The Hunter (such a beautiful track - it is very underrated) and all the songs you've mentioned as being too low. Definitely should be higher on the list

I think this was a shit list because they clearly listened to each song one time and came up with the list that way and gave little to no reasoning for why a song was good or bad. They gave Shallow Be Thy Game a lower score than it would have otherwise had just because that guy didn't like the title.

Shallow Be Thy Name is a great song. My favourite on OHM.