Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have survived tragedy to become one of the most successful rock bands of all time; with combined record sales of almost 100 million and a host of Grammy Awards, induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame looks assured. Indeed, the band who wore socks on appendages other than their feet, giant lightbulbs on their heads, and adult-sized diapers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have set fire to the Los Angeles music scene and then the rest of the world with their libido-driven combination of funk, punk, metal, and rap.

They were formed in LA in 1983, but their first two albums The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the George Clinton produced Freaky Styley were not initially well received. The band had to wait until their third album for any chart presence; The Uplift Mofo Party Plan made it into the Billboard 200 peaking at No.148.

In 1988, just as the band were achieving commercial success, Hillel Slovak died as the result of his heroin addiction, and Jack Irons, who had since returned to the band, left again. With a new line-up and a new producer, the next album, Mother's Milk, reached No.52 on the US album charts and their commercial success began in earnest. The follow-up, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, sold over 12 million copies and the single "Give It Away" was their first No.1 on the Modern Rock chart. Californication was released in 1999 and was their most successful album, selling over 15 million copies worldwide and winning a Grammy Award for the single "Scar Tissue".

In 2006 the band released Stadium Arcadium which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, and Dani California became their fastest-selling single.