Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Otherside

If you were ever looking for melody and harmonies in Red Hot Chili Peppers' catalogue, "Otherside" is the first track to dig into. The band's third single from the "Californication" album, it may be another musing on addiction from the book of Kiedis, but it pulls in a less grandiose direction than "Under the Bridge" before it, swelling into a much more gradual build that comes from a more traditional bridge and solo.

"Otherside" appeared on six Billboard charts in the U.S., topping the US Alternative Airplay chart (and going five times platinum in the States). It would remain at the top of said charts longer than any other Chili Peppers track in their heyday, and it would go on to be a natural concert mainstay.

Answer: Dani California

2006 marked the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' ninth studio album, "Stadium Arcadium", and with it came a handful of strong offerings starting with the first single, "Dani California". You may ask-- 'RHCP? Singing about California?' You'd be right.

They do. But where this one differs is in its upbeat radio-friendliness. "Dani California" would be one of their most successful songs to date, winning two Grammy Awards and debuting at the top of not only the Billboard US Mainstream Rock chart, but US Alternative Airplay and US Adult Alternative Airplay.

It would help the ambitious "Stadium Arcadium" album as a whole hit number one in more than a dozen countries.

Answer: Give It Away

Red Hot Chili Peppers were already on their fifth album when they pushed the funk rock hit "Give It Away" to radio stations, kicking off what many consider to be their breakout disc release. An alt-rock classic of the early 1990s, the band has commonly regarded "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" as their best album.

"Give It Away", meanwhile, has remained a classic, next-to-never being removed from the band's concert setlists since its introduction. On the charts, it topped the Billboard US Alternative Airplay list, managing number nine on the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: Californication

The band's first single of the new millennium, "Californication" was the title track of their seventh album release and featured not only one of their classic sounds, but their most typical themes. A Los Angeles band at its core, the Chili Peppers tap into the obvious with "Californication". While it wouldn't make waves on the Billboard Hot 100, it would receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song (losing to Creed's "With Arms Wide Open") and top the US Alternative Airplay and US Mainstream Rock charts.

Notably, the music video for this track featured the band members as video game avatars running through a California setting. Releasing in 2000, it would become the band's most-watched music video in short order, a result of launching at the advent of accessible internet.

Answer: Under the Bridge

While "Give It Away" led "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" with a hefty 4/4 funk beat, "Under the Bridge" took a different direction in tone and melody. Written as a reflection on singer Anthony Kiedis' addiction to heroin, "Under the Bridge" was added to the track listing for the album almost explicitly because producer Rick Rubin encouraged the emotional turn, feeling the impact of Kiedis' poetry. It has since gone on to have a legacy of its own.

"Under the Bridge" became, by far, the band's top-selling single. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, going six-times platinum in the U.S. The music video, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant, is also well known for its artistic styling and its heavy MTV rotation in the early 1990s.

Answer: Scar Tissue

Leading the band's third collaboration with Rick Rubin, following the lesser-played 1995 album "One Hot Minute", "Scar Tissue" was the first single to come from the band's popular "Californication" album, hitting the airwaves in mid-1999. This one was known best, perhaps, for its guitar use-- classic riffs run throughout the song; slides punctuate each major verse-- but it's also a crowd-pleaser, commonly sung by concert crowds due to its popularity.

"Scar Tissue" appeared on six U.S. Billboard charts, topping two of them. It would also go on to win the Grammy for Best Rock Song-- their first nomination. They would be nominated again for the title track from the album the following year.

Answer: By the Way

Running off the success of "Californication", the Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to the studio to release "By the Way" in 2002, barely a year after their last single release from that disc. Considered a departure from the band's heavier, funkier tones of the 1990s, "By the Way" is still quite well-regarded by critics, listeners, and the band itself, who found the transition from funk to modern alt-rock successful.

The title track, released as the first single, ended up being the most successful, chart-wise, for the band on this album, but the third track, "Can't Stop", outsold it by double. Both are considered strong offerings from this era of the band nonetheless.

Answer: Dark Necessities

"Dark Necessities", part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers 2016 album, "The Getaway" (their eleventh!) was the result of a shakeup to the band's long-established formula. In addition to having Frusciante remain on hiatus (he would return for the band's next album, "Unlimited Love", in 2022), this was the first instance in nearly two decades where the Chili Peppers had a producer other than Rick Rubin-- they brought in Danger Mouse for this one.

With this said, "Dark Necessities" was a successful lead single, topping out the Billboard US Rock & Alternative Airplay chart. Other tracks from the album, including "Goodbye Angels" and "Go Robot", also proved strong, deeper cuts from their later catalogue, both of them inevitably becoming singles themselves.

Answer: Snow (Hey Oh)

Although "Tell Me Baby" became "Stadium Arcadium's" second single, "Snow (Hey Oh)" continued the momentum of the album, becoming the third number one track for the band (in a row) on the Billboard US Alternative Airplay chart, nudging the foursome into record territory for most number one songs on said chart (which they would continue to hold with later songs into the next decades).

Despite the band's critical success and popular tour, and despite the fact that all of the Chili Peppers were on better terms coming out of this album than some of their past releases, John Frusciante would leave the band a couple years after, only rejoining in 2022.

Answer: The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

A bit more of a laid-back radio rock track, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" was the band's first single from the 2011 album "I'm with You", which was the first to replace John Frusciante with touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. While the album was still nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album (losing to Foo Fighters' "Wasting Light"), "I'm With You" wouldn't hit the high highs of the band's 2000s streak.

"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie", known for its (obviously) funk-inspired bass line and catchy chorus, would go platinum in the U.S. while "I'm With You" would still see success in sales...just not quite near "Stadium Arcadium".