Red Hot Chili Peppers

With more than 120 million records sold worldwide, the Red Hot Chili Peppers rank among the best-selling bands of all time. Formed in Los Angeles in 1982, the group built its sound from funk, punk rock, hard rock, hip-hop, psychedelic rock and alternative rock. Its current lineup is Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea on bass, Chad Smith on drums and John Frusciante on guitar. The band has also been credited with influencing the development of funk metal, rap metal, rap rock and nu metal.

Kiedis and Flea formed the band with guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. Slovak and Irons were committed to other groups when the Chili Peppers made their 1984 self-titled debut, so guitarist Jack Sherman and drummer Cliff Martinez played on the record instead. Slovak returned for Freaky Styley in 1985, while Irons rejoined for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan in 1987. Slovak died of a drug overdose in June 1988, after which Irons left the group.

Frusciante and Smith joined for Mother's Milk in 1989 and Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991, the latter becoming the band's first major commercial success. Frusciante left abruptly while touring in 1992, uncomfortable with the band's new level of popularity. Following several temporary guitarists, Dave Navarro became his replacement. The 1995 album One Hot Minute didn't match the success of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and both Frusciante and Kiedis struggled with drug addiction during the 1990s.

Navarro departed in 1998, and Frusciante returned. The reunion produced Californication in 1999, the band's biggest commercial success, selling 16 million copies worldwide. By the Way followed in 2002, then Stadium Arcadium in 2006, which became the Chili Peppers' first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. Frusciante left again in 2009 to pursue solo work. Josh Klinghoffer took over on guitar and appeared on I'm with You in 2011 and The Getaway in 2016. Frusciante rejoined in 2019, and the band released its 12th and 13th albums, Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen, in 2022.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers hold records for 15 number-one singles, 91 cumulative weeks at number one and 28 top-ten songs on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. They have won three Grammy Awards, entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022.