Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. For most of its career, the group has consisted of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary, and drummer Chad Smith.

The band's varied musical style has fused traditional rock with various elements of funk, punk rock, alternative rock, rap, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock.

The Chili Peppers' fifth album, 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was a critical success and sold over twelve million copies. Around this time, Frusciante grew increasingly uncomfortable with the band's success and abruptly left in 1992. Kiedis, Flea, and Smith employed Dave Navarro (of Jane's Addiction) for their subsequent album, 1995's One Hot Minute.

It failed, however, to match the critical acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik and was a commercial disappointment, selling less than half the copies of its predecessor. Shortly afterwards, Navarro was fired from the band due to creative differences with the original members.

The reunited foursome returned to the studio to record 1999's Californication, which went on to sell fifteen million units worldwide, becoming their most successful album to date. It was followed three years later with By the Way, which continued their success.

In 2006, the group released the double album Stadium Arcadium. Stadium Arcadium was voted the second best album of 2006 by Rolling Stone magazine and nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy in 2007.