Greatest Hits (Red Hot Chili Peppers album)

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Greatest Hits is the Red Hot Chili Peppers' second compilation album released on November 18, 2003 by Warner Bros. Records.

While What Hits!? encompassed material from their 1984 debut to 1989's Mother's Milk, this collection of songs takes off from that point, including material from the Mother's Milk album up to 2002's By the Way. It was during this period of their career that the band became a major commercial force in the music industry. Therefore this compilation includes the majority of hit singles released since their breakthrough cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" (also included on What Hits!?).

As most greatest hits compilations nowadays tend to feature new songs by the band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded 16 tracks for possible inclusion. The two that made the cut were the hit single "Fortune Faded" and "Save the Population". A music video was filmed and released for Fortune Faded but for some reason left off of the dvd included in this package. Two other songs from these sessions were released on the Fortune Faded single, these being "Bunker Hill" (known to have been written from the band's Californication era) and "Eskimo." The names of the other twelve songs are unknown, however there are rumours that the songs Leverage of Space and Rolling Sly Stone, which were included in Live in Hyde Park, were recorded at this time. It is unknown if these songs will ever be released.

The reason that only one pre-Blood Sugar Sex Magik track was included was for contractual reasons. When the Red Hot Chili Peppers switched from EMI America to Warner Music, each record company agreed that one song from the contract was allowed to be included on the other company's catalogue (in What Hits!? it was 'Under The Bridge'). This time 'Higher Ground' was chosen in favour of other hits such as 'Knock Me Down' and 'Taste The Pain'.

The absence of Can't Stop and The Zephyr Song are the most surprising due to their worldwide recognition and the part it had to play in the success of the album By the Way. It has recently been revealed that the band was under tension during the By the Way era, and this is likely why the song has been left off along side The Zephyr Song. However, the compilation included Universally Speaking, a lesser-known single from By The Way, released in the UK.

"My Friends" is the only track included from the 1995 album, One Hot Minute. It is known that guitarist John Frusciante is not a fan of Dave Navarro's time with the band and this is likely to be the reason why other hits from the period such as Warped or Aeroplane are not included though ironically the music video for Aeroplane is featured on the dvd that comes with the cd. Note: This album has been released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions.

Track listing

All tracks written by Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary, John Frusciante, Chad Smith Except Track 11, written by Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary, Dave Navarro, Chad Smith and Track 12 written by Stevie Wonder

"Under the Bridge" – 4:35 (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Give It Away" – 4:47 (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Californication" – 5:32 (from the album Californication)
"Scar Tissue" – 3:38 (from the album Californication)
"Soul To Squeeze" – 4:52 (from the soundtrack to Coneheads)
"Otherside" – 4:17 (from the album Californication)
"Suck My Kiss" – 3:38 (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"By the Way" – 3:38 (from the album By the Way)
"Parallel Universe" – 4:31 (from the album Californication)
"Breaking the Girl" – 4:57 (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"My Friends" – 4:11 (from the album One Hot Minute)
"Higher Ground" – 3:24 (from the album Mother's Milk)
"Universally Speaking" – 4:19 (from the album By the Way)
"Road Trippin'" – 3:28 (from the album Californication)
"Fortune Faded" – 3:23
"Save the Population" – 4:07

DVD

Greatest Hits and Videos is a package that was also released with the tracks above plus a DVD containing the following music videos:

"Higher Ground" (from the album Mother's Milk)
"Suck My Kiss" (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Give It Away" (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Under the Bridge" (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Soul to Squeeze" (from the soundtrack Coneheads)
"Aeroplane" (from the album One Hot Minute)
"My Friends" (from the album One Hot Minute) (studio version)
"Around the World" (from the album Californication)
"Scar Tissue" (from the album Californication)
"Otherside" (from the album Californication)
"Californication" (from the album Californication)
"Road Trippin'" (from the album Californication)
"By the Way" (from the album By the Way)
"The Zephyr Song" (from the album By the Way)
"Can't Stop" (from the album By the Way)
"Universally Speaking" (from the album By the Way)

The DVD omitted the following Warner Brothers era music videos:

"Breaking The Girl" (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"If You Have To Ask" (from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
"Warped" (from the album One Hot Minute)
"Coffee Shop" (from the album One Hot Minute)
"My Friends" (from the album One Hot Minute) (Anton Corbijn version)
"Love Rollercoaster" (from the album Beavis And Butthead Do America)
"Fortune Faded" (from the album Greatest Hits)

Breaking the Girl may have been left off as the video was the only one to feature Arik Marshall, and the band may have not wanted to imply too many line up changes, which may explain the omission of the rest of the videos without John Frusciante. Anton Corbijn's video for My Friends was left off because they didn't like the video as revealed in the commentary.

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