1991 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
is the fifth studio album by American rock band
Red Hot Chili Peppers
, released on September 24, 1991, by
Warner Bros. Records
. Produced by
Rick Rubin
, its musical style differed notably from the band's previous album
Mother's Milk
(1989), reducing the use of
heavy metal
guitar riffs and accentuating the melodic songwriting contributions of guitarist
John Frusciante
. The album's subject matter incorporates sexual innuendos and references to drugs and death, as well as themes of lust and exuberance.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
peaked at number three on the
US
Billboard
200
, and produced hit singles "
Under the Bridge
", "
Give It Away
", "
Suck My Kiss
", "
Breaking the Girl
" and "
If You Have to Ask
". The album propelled the band into worldwide popularity and critical acclaim. Uncomfortable with fame, Frusciante quit the band during its 1992 tour; he rejoined in 1998.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
is widely recognized as an influential and seminal release of the
alternative rock
explosion of the 1990s, with Steve Huey of
AllMusic
calling it "probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make."
[8]
Flea shared the same sentiment in 2023, calling it his favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers album.
[9]
It is the band's second best-selling album behind
Californication
.
Background
[
edit
]
The band's previous album, 1989's
Mother's Milk
, was the band's second album to enter the
Billboard
200
, peaking at number 52, at the time the biggest of their career.
[10]
Although the album was somewhat successful, the band felt unsatisfied with producer
Michael Beinhorn
. He convinced Frusciante to play with a heavier guitar tone, and instructed
Anthony Kiedis
to write lyrics that would be more radio-friendly, causing the band to feel restricted creatively.
[11]
[12]
As the band's contract with
EMI
came to an end, they began looking for a new record label. The group reached a consensus to go with
Epic
, with the proviso that they buy out their last album from EMI.
[13]
Though the label promised it would take only a few days, the process stretched out into several months.
[13]
Although a deal had been made with Epic,
Mo Ostin
of
Warner Bros. Records
called Kiedis to congratulate him on the successful deal, and complimented the rival record label.
[14]
Kiedis recalled of the situation: "The coolest, most real person we had met during all these negotiations had just personally called to encourage me to make a great record for a rival company. That was the kind of guy I'd want to be working for."
[15]
The group pursued the idea, and eventually dropped the contract with Epic in favor of a deal with Warner Bros. Ostin called an old friend at EMI, who immediately allowed for the label transfer.
[11]
[15]
Recording and production
[
edit
]
Now settled into Warner Bros. Records, the Chili Peppers began looking for a suitable producer. One in particular,
Rick Rubin
, stood out, as he was more broadminded than people the band had worked with in the past, even though Rubin had turned down the chance to produce their 1987 album
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
due to the drug problems of Kiedis and guitarist
Hillel Slovak
(who died of a
heroin
overdose a year later).
[16]
Unlike the Peppers' previous producers, Rubin was someone the band felt confident in to ask for guidance and input during times of difficulty. He would often help arrange drum beats, guitar melodies and lyrics.
[11]
[17]
The band sought to record the album in an unconventional setting, believing it would enhance their creative output. Rubin suggested
the mansion
magician
Harry Houdini
allegedly once lived in, to which they agreed. A crew was hired to set up a recording studio and other equipment required for production in the house in
Los Angeles
. The Peppers decided they would remain inside the mansion for the duration of recording, though according to Kiedis, Smith was convinced the location was haunted, and refused to stay.
[18]
He would, instead, come each day by motorcycle.
[18]
[19]
Smith himself disputes this account, and instead claims the real reason he did not stay at The Mansion was because he wanted to be with his wife.
[20]
Frusciante, however, disagreed with Smith, and said "There are definitely ghosts in the house," but he felt they were "very friendly. We [the band] have nothing but warm vibes and happiness everywhere we go in this house."
[21]
Frusciante, Kiedis and Flea each had their own rooms in the house. When not recording with the band, Frusciante would spend his time painting, listening to music, reading and recording
songs he'd written
.
[18]
Due to the seclusion, Kiedis ended up recording all his vocals in his room, as it was large enough to accommodate the recording equipment.
[18]
For more than 30 days, the Chili Peppers worked inside the house; Kiedis felt it was an accommodating and resourceful environment which allowed him to complete the rest of the lyrics.
[19]
During production, the band agreed to let Flea's brother-in-law document the creative process on film.
[18]
When the album's recording was complete, the Chili Peppers released the film, titled
Funky Monks
.
Music
[
edit
]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was written at a more rapid pace than the band's previous album.
[22]
Before the Chili Peppers relocated into the mansion, Frusciante and Kiedis collaborated at each other's homes, in order to arrange song structures and guitar riffs.
[23]
Then they presented ideas to Flea and Smith, and as a whole, they decided on what they would use for the bass, guitar, vocal and percussion ensembles.
Kiedis focused lyrically on sexual references and innuendos, as they were frequently on his mind.
[24]
Songs such as "Suck My Kiss", "If You Have to Ask", "Sir Psycho Sexy", "Give It Away" and "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" all contained sexual links, with lyrics like "A state of sexual light / Kissing her virginity / My affinity" and "Glorious euphoria / Is my must / Erotic shock / Is a function of lust."
[25]
The concept behind "The Greeting Song" was a request Rubin had made. Rubin asked Kiedis to write a song solely about girls and cars. Although Kiedis disliked the concept, he wrote the song as Rubin requested and ended up disliking almost every one of the lyrics' aspects.
[22]
Kiedis also began writing songs about anguish, and the self-mutilating thoughts he experienced thanks to his addiction to both heroin and cocaine; he believed his life had come to its lowest point under a bridge in downtown Los Angeles.
[26]
[27]
Over a month later, Rubin stumbled upon a poem that eventually became the lyrics to "Under the Bridge." Also, he suggested Kiedis show it to the other band members. However, Kiedis was apprehensive because he thought the lyrics were "too soft" and different from the band's style. After singing the verse to Frusciante and Smith, the band started working on the song's structure the next day.
[28]
Both Rubin and Kiedis worked several hours on arranging the song's chords and melodies until they both accepted it as complete.
[28]
Frusciante ultimately chose the chords he played in the intro so it could balance out the song's depressing atmosphere: "my brain interpreted it as being a really sad song so I thought if the lyrics are really sad like that I should write some chords that are happier."
[29]
"Naked in the Rain" was among the first songs that the band wrote for the album. The Red Hot Chili Peppers even played once at the end of the
Mother's Milk Tour
in 1990, while the intros for "The Greeting Song" and "Sir Psycho Sexy" were also teased during the end of that tour; however, neither song was completed or had lyrics.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
integrated the band's typical
punk
and
funk
style, but moved away from that with more melodically driven songs.
[8]
Tracks like "The Righteous and the Wicked", "Suck My Kiss", "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "Give It Away" and "Funky Monks" still incorporated the use of
heavy metal
guitar riffs, but they differed from
Mother's Milk
since they contained less
distortion
.
[30]
Flea reduced his use of the
slapping
technique emphasized on earlier albums, instead favoring more traditional and melodic bass lines.
[31]
He even adopted a minimalist, "less is more" philosophy, saying, "I was trying to play simply on
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
because I'd been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting?there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good."
[31]
Kiedis thought that the album had expanded the Red Hot Chili Peppers' musical horizons and served as a departure from their previous material.
[32]
One of
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
's more melodic tracks, "Breaking the Girl", was written about Kiedis' constantly shifting relationships. He feared that he was following in his father's footsteps and simply becoming a womanizer, rather than establishing stable and long-term relationships:
[26]
"As exciting and temporarily fulfilling as this constant influx of interesting and beautiful girls can be, at the end of the day, that shit is lonely and you're left with nothing."
[32]
The track also featured a bridge in the middle, consisting of percussion instruments salvaged from a garbage dump.
[33]
Although
jams
had always served as an integral aspect of song creation for the Chili Peppers,
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
saw songs containing more structure. One specific jam caused the breakout song on the album: Frusciante, Flea, and Smith were all playing together?with Kiedis at another part of the room watching?when "Flea started playing this insane bass line, and Chad cracked up and played along ... I always had fragments of song ideas or even specific isolated phrases in my mind. I (
Kiedis
) took the mic and belted out 'Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now."
[33]
The philosophy behind the lyrics came from a conversation that Kiedis had with
Nina Hagen
, regarding selflessness and how insignificant material possessions were in his life. This was the inspiration to the song "Give It Away".
[33]
He also reminisced about late Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, composing "My Lovely Man" in his memory.
[26]
[34]
Kiedis wrote "Sir Psycho Sexy" as an over-zealous and exaggerated version of himself; a figure that could get any woman, and do anything he pleased to them.
[34]
"The Power of Equality" confronted topics concerning
racial equality
,
prejudice
, and
sexism
.
[35]
Kiedis wrote "I Could Have Lied" to document the brief relationship he had with Irish singer
Sinead O'Connor
.
[35]
Outtakes
[
edit
]
Around 25 songs were written and recorded during the
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
sessions, with 17 of those making the album's final cut. The album's singles contained four outtakes from the album sessions as B-sides. Among those were the instrumental "Fela's Cock", a cover of
The Stooges
' "
Search and Destroy
" and "Sikamikanico" (which would also appear on the
Wayne's World
soundtrack in 1992). On Oct. 3, 2019, "Sikamikanico" was performed for the first time ever at the request of guitarist
Josh Klinghoffer
for his 40th birthday.
[36]
The most notable outtake was "
Soul to Squeeze
", a song that would eventually become a hit single in 1993 when it was released on the
Coneheads
soundtrack and was also included on the band's 2003
Greatest Hits
album.
"
Little Miss Lover
" and "
Castles Made of Sand
" (a song the band had been performing live for a few years), two
Jimi Hendrix
cover songs, would eventually be released in 2006 as
iTunes
bonus tracks. An unknown song appeared in the
VH1
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
documentary,
Ultimate Albums
.
[37]
A rough mix of the album surfaced on the Internet and contains some alternate versions of the songs recorded during the album's sessions.
[38]
Artwork
[
edit
]
All photography, paintings and art direction for
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
were credited to filmmaker
Gus Van Sant
,
[39]
with the exception of the "tongue illustration", which, according to the album booklet, is credited to Hanky Panky (
Henk Schiffmacher
). The cover of the album features the four band members' faces positioned around a
rose
, with thorny vines in black and white coming out of their open mouths and converging on the rose. The lyrics are printed in white lettering across a black background, hand written by Kiedis.
[39]
The booklet also contains a collage of photos assembled to showcase the band members' various tattoos, which feature faces of Native American tribal leaders, animals and sea creatures, as well as various symbols and phrases. Photographs of each band member alone, and two photographs of the band as a whole are also included.
[39]
Singles released to coincide with the album share little with
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
's artwork. The cover of "Give It Away" was a painting of a Chinese infant, surrounded by fish, vegetables, fruits and
sushi
; "Under the Bridge" is a photograph of a bridge in the city of Los Angeles; "Suck My Kiss" had a black and white photograph of the band, with Kiedis and Flea holding a large fish; "If You Have to Ask" is an illustration of an avocado next to a girl's large buttocks in a yellow bikini; and "Breaking the Girl" featured a painting of a human being covered in
magma
.
Dedication
[
edit
]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was dedicated to musician
Mike Watt
of the bands
Minutemen
and
fIREHOSE
,
[40]
in thanks for his friendship and musical inspiration to the band.
[41]
Promotion and release
[
edit
]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was released on September 24, 1991, the same day as
Nirvana
's breakthrough album
Nevermind
. It was certified
gold
on November 26, 1991, and certified platinum on April 1, 1992; since then it has gone seven times platinum in the United States.
[42]
The album peaked at number 3 on the
Billboard
200
.
[43]
[44]
Originally, "Give It Away" did not fare well in the mainstream; one of Warner Bros.' target radio stations refused to air it, telling the band to "come back to us when you have a melody in your song".
[45]
KROQ
(of Los Angeles), however, began to play the single several times daily, and that, according to Kiedis, "was the beginning of the infusion of 'Give It Away' into mass consciousness."
[46]
The single ultimately peaked at number 9 on the
UK Top 40
and number 73 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
.
[47]
[48]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
has sold over 13 million copies worldwide.
[49]
Due to the success of "Give It Away", the band did not foresee "Under the Bridge" as being equally viable. Warner Bros. sent representatives to a Chili Peppers' concert in order to figure out what would ultimately be the next single. When Frusciante began playing "Under the Bridge", Kiedis missed his cue; the entire audience began singing the song, instead. Kiedis was initially "mortified that I'd fucked up in front of Warner's people ... I apologized for fucking up but they said 'Fucking up? Are you kidding me? When every single kid at the show sings a song, that's our next single.
'
"
[50]
"Under the Bridge" was, therefore, selected as
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
's second single. By January 1992, "Under the Bridge" had exploded, peaking at number 2 on the
Billboard
Hot 100.
[48]
[50]
To promote the album in Europe, Kiedis and Frusciante both agreed they would make the trip.
[45]
However, it proved difficult for Frusciante to adapt to life outside of the mansion, after being in near-seclusion for almost 30 days. Kiedis recalled of the situation: "He had such an outpouring of creativity while we were making that album that I think he really didn't know how to live life in tandem with that creativity."
[45]
It was also during this period when Frusciante began to experiment with heroin, which further compromised his mental stability.
[51]
The European promotional trek took its toll on Frusciante, and he decided to return home when he and Kiedis reached London.
[46]
Critical reception
[
edit
]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was well received by critics, who praised the Chili Peppers for not overpowering the listener with heavy metal guitar riffs as their previous album had.
Rolling Stone
'
s
Tom Moon
credited Rick Rubin for the change in style; Rubin "[gave] the Chilis' dynamic".
[58]
He went on to praise the overall sound, which "displayed a growing curiosity about studio texture and nuance".
[58]
NME
reviewer
Steven Wells
found that Rubin's "cold precision" was evident on what Wells deemed "a babbling, rambling 17-track bastard classic" featuring "a clinical but writhing state-of-the-art fusion of funk,
rap
and metal scrapings".
[55]
Steve Huey of
AllMusic
said the album was "The Red Hot Chili Peppers' best album ... John Frusciante's guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent."
[8]
He considered
Blood Sugar
to be "varying ... it expands the group's musical and emotional range."
[8]
Guitar Player
magazine credited Frusciante with the Chili Peppers' drastic change in style: "by blending acid-rock, soul-funk, early art-rock, and blues style with a raw, unprocessed Strat-and-Marshall tone, [Frusciante] hit on an explosive formula that has yet to be duplicated".
[61]
Devon Powers of
PopMatters
said that "in one funked-out, fucked up, diabolical swoop,
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
reconfigured my relationship to music, to myself, to my culture and identity, to my race and class".
[62]
In an article published in
The Tampa Tribune
, editor Philip Booth praised the record as "an ambitious effort that amounts to a culmination and blossoming of the musical forces that have been brewing in the band's sound since Kiedis and Flea birthed the band in 1983".
[63]
Robert Christgau
gave it an honorable mention in his
Village Voice
consumer guide, naming "Give It Away" and "Breaking the Girl" as highlights while writing "they've grown up, they've learned to write, they've got a right to be sex mystiks."
[64]
Chicago Sun-Times
critic Michael Corcoran was more reserved in his praise, deeming the record "great" only on occasion while finding the length of the album excessive.
[65]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
is considered to be an influential album, throughout the nineties, by establishing itself as a fundamental foundation for alternative rock.
[58]
[62]
[66]
It has also been referred to as "the cornerstone album of funk rock" by
FasterLouder
.
[67]
"Under the Bridge", which became a breakout song for the band, was considered to be a highlight of the album by several critics.
[8]
[58]
[62]
AllMusic reviewed the song individually and called it a "poignant sentiment ... it is self evident among the simple guitar which cradles the introductory verse, and the sense of fragility that is only doubled by the still down-tempo choral crescendo", and ultimately "has become an integral part of the 1990s alterna-landscape, and remains one of the purest diamonds that sparkle amongst the rough-hewn and rich funk chasms that dominate the Peppers' own oeuvre."
[68]
However,
Entertainment Weekly
criticized the seriousness that the Red Hot Chili Peppers explored as being "disapproving of the band's usual Red Hot antics", and "Under the Bridge" had "fancy-shmancy touches".
[52]
The song ended up peaking at number 2 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
in April 1992.
[68]
"Give It Away" was also praised, though as "... a free-associative mixture of positive vibes, tributes to musical heroes, and free love", with Frusciante "adding the song's two most unpredictable change-ups: a sudden contrast to Kiedis' hyperactivity in the form of a languid solo pre-recorded and dubbed backwards over the rhythm track, and a hard-rocking riff which is not introduced until the song's outro".
[69]
Tracks such as "Sir Psycho Sexy", however, were criticized for being overly explicit. Devon Powters of
PopMatters
said that "Eight minutes of 'Sir Psycho Sexy' will turn RHCP's young listeners into quivering masses of hormonal jello. Oversexed lines sneak their way into 'Apache Rose Peacock'; 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', simply, sounds like fucking. Even the purest virgin comes away from
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
with a degree of sexual maturity; even the slickest playa can learn a couple of new moves."
[62]
In contrast, "Suck My Kiss", according to Amy Hanson of AllMusic, "completely flew in the face of the established pecking order of alternative rock."
[70]
With the song, the Chili Peppers "fully allied themselves with the very few genre-bending bands that were able to make a radical impact on the sonic landscape that was dominated, it seemed, from every minute angle by grunge."
[70]
Accolades
[
edit
]
Tour and Frusciante's departure
[
edit
]
Before the
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
tour began, Kiedis saw the music video for
the Smashing Pumpkins
' "
Rhinoceros
" on MTV. He called the band's manager
[
clarification needed
]
and asked him to accommodate the Smashing Pumpkins for the tour.
[81]
Several days after the Pumpkins confirmed they would accompany the Chili Peppers, former Chili Peppers drummer
Jack Irons
called and asked the band to allow his friend's new group,
Pearl Jam
, to open for them on the forthcoming tour.
[81]
[
clarification needed
]
The first show following the release of
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was at the
Oscar Mayer Theater
in Madison, Wisconsin,
[81]
which was met with positive reactions from the
Milwaukee Journal
: "the audience was a swirling mass of airborne cups, ice cubes, shoes, shirts, pogo dancers, body-passers and stage divers. And it wasn't purely a boy's club in the moshpit?many females bought into the mayhem, stripping down to their bras and flinging themselves about madly as the band tore through 'Higher Ground', 'Suck My Kiss', and 'Give it Away', which was Goth-ed up by Frusciante when he added a riff from
Black Sabbath
's '
Sweet Leaf
'."
[82]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
began receiving heavy radio play and massive sales in the middle of their U.S. tour. Frusciante, who wanted the Chili Peppers to remain in the underground music scene, entered a state of denial and depression.
[83]
According to Kiedis, "He began to lose all of the manic, happy-go-lucky, fun aspects of his personality. Even onstage, there was a much more serious energy around him."
[83]
Frusciante began to form grudges against his bandmates.
[11]
[83]
He saw the band's newfound popularity as shameful.
[83]
Onstage tension began to grow between Kiedis and Frusciante.
[11]
Kiedis recalled an argument after a show in New Orleans: "We had a sold-out house and John just stood in the corner, barely playing his guitar. We came offstage and John and I got into it."
[84]
With the Peppers now playing shows at arenas rather than theaters, the promoters decided that Pearl Jam should be replaced with a more successful act.
[84]
Kiedis contacted
Nirvana
drummer
Dave Grohl
, who accepted an offer for Nirvana to replace Pearl Jam. The Smashing Pumpkins'
Billy Corgan
, however, refused to play with Nirvana as he had once dated frontman
Kurt Cobain
's wife
Courtney Love
. The Pumpkins were, therefore, replaced with Pearl Jam.
[66]
[85]
The upshot for the tour (albeit not by design) then, was the Smashing Pumpkins being replaced by Nirvana while Pearl Jam maintained their
status quo
.
Their first show with Nirvana was at the L.A Sports Arena. Kiedis described Nirvana's act as "raw energy; their musicality, their song selection, they were like a chain saw cutting through the night".
[85]
When the Red Hot Chili Peppers finished touring with Nirvana, they traveled to Europe, where Frusciante, in need of someone to connect to, brought along his girlfriend Toni Oswald. Kiedis said that "John had broken our unwritten rule of no spouses or girlfriends on the road".
[81]
Briefly interrupting the European tour, the Chili Peppers flew to New York City and performed on an episode of
Saturday Night Live
. They played "Under the Bridge" as the second song; a performance that Kiedis felt was sabotaged by Frusciante:
[86]
[Frusciante] was experimenting the way he would have if we'd been rehearsing the tune. Well we weren't. We were on live TV in front of millions of people and it was torture. I started singing in what I thought was the key he was playing in. I felt like I was getting stabbed in the back and hung out to dry in front of all of America while this guy was off in a corner in the shadow, playing some dissonant out-of-tune experiment.
The band took a two-week hiatus between the European and Japanese legs of the tour, which began in May 1992.
[
clarification needed
]
Minutes before the Chili Peppers were scheduled to perform in Tokyo, Frusciante refused to go on stage, saying he had quit.
[11]
[26]
[87]
After half an hour of coaxing, Frusciante agreed to play the show, though he said it would be his last. Kiedis recalled of the situation: "It was the most horrible show ever. Every single note, every single word, hurt, knowing that we were no longer a band. I kept looking over at John and seeing this dead statue of disdain ... And that night, John disappeared from the topsy-turvy world of the Red Hot Chili Peppers."
[87]
The band hired guitarist
Arik Marshall
to complete the tour, which included
Lollapolooza
and several European and South American festivals.
[11]
[88]
[89]
He was fired at the end of the tour.
[88]
Live performances
[
edit
]
As of 2023, songs from the album remain the most performed out of any album from the band's catalog. "Give it Away" and "Under the Bridge" are the two most performed songs ever by the band with "Give it Away" being performed over 1000 times and at every show since 1991. "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "I Could Have Lied", "If You Have to Ask", "Sir Pyscho Sexy", "Suck My Kiss" and "They're Red Hot" also remain regulars during the band's shows as of 2023. The only songs to never have been performed from the album are "Mellowship Slinky in B Major" and "The Righteous & the Wicked". "Apache Rose Peacock" has been partially performed 3 times while "The Greeting Song" has also been partially performed or teased a few times. "Funky Monks" was first performed in 1991 and not again until 2006 when they performed it twice. It hasn't been performed again since then. "Naked in the Rain" was one of the earliest songs from the album to be performed live. It was first performed on December 31, 1990, and only performed one time since then in November 1991. Despite being one of the album's singles, "Breaking the Girl" has only been performed 22 times with its last performance coming in 2019 with guitarist
Josh Klinghoffer
. It was only performed a total of 10 times with
John Frusciante
. "My Lovely Man" was performed many times since 1991 however it has not been performed since 2004.
Legacy
[
edit
]
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
was placed atop many "Best Of" lists, especially those pertaining to the '90s.
Spin
magazine charted the album at number 58 on their "Top 90 Albums of the 90s", and
Pause and Play
ranked it number 11 on a similar list.
[72]
[75]
In a 2021 article listing "The Best Albums of 1991" from the staff of
Paste
magazine,
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
ranked number 15 on the list.
[5]
The record was also placed in
Guitarist Magazine's
"101 Essential Guitar Albums";
[77]
and included in the book
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
[90]
In 2003,
Rolling Stone
released their list of the
500 Greatest Albums of All Time
with
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
ranked at 310.
[91]
In 2012, a revised list was released with
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
again ranked at 310.
[92]
In 2020,
Rolling Stone
again released a revised version of their list with
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
now ranking much higher at 186.
[93]
Track listing
[
edit
]
All tracks are written by Red Hot Chili Peppers, except where noted
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
track listing
Title
| Writer(s)
|
---|
1.
| "The Power of Equality"
|
| 4:03
|
---|
2.
| "
If You Have to Ask
"
|
| 3:36
|
---|
3.
| "
Breaking the Girl
"
|
| 4:55
|
---|
4.
| "Funky Monks"
|
| 5:22
|
---|
5.
| "
Suck My Kiss
"
|
| 3:36
|
---|
6.
| "I Could Have Lied"
|
| 4:04
|
---|
7.
| "Mellowship Slinky in B Major"
|
| 3:59
|
---|
8.
| "The Righteous & the Wicked"
|
| 4:07
|
---|
9.
| "
Give It Away
"
|
| 4:42
|
---|
10.
| "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
|
| 4:31
|
---|
11.
| "
Under the Bridge
"
|
| 4:24
|
---|
12.
| "Naked in the Rain"
|
| 4:25
|
---|
13.
| "Apache Rose Peacock"
|
| 4:41
|
---|
14.
| "The Greeting Song"
|
| 3:13
|
---|
15.
| "My Lovely Man"
|
| 4:39
|
---|
16.
| "Sir Psycho Sexy"
|
| 8:16
|
---|
17.
| "
They're Red Hot
"
| Robert Johnson
| 1:09
|
---|
Total length:
| 73:56
|
---|
Personnel
[
edit
]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.
[94]
Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Anthony Kiedis
? lead vocals, percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- John Frusciante
? electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- Flea
? bass, backing vocals, trumpet on "Apache Rose Peacock", piano on "Mellowship Slinky in B Major", percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- Chad Smith
? drums,
tambourine
on "Funky Monks", "Mellowship Slinky in B Major", "If You Have to Ask", "Sir Psycho Sexy" and "Give It Away",
marimba
on "Sir Psycho Sexy", percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
Additional musicians
- Brendan O'Brien
?
Mellotron
on "Breaking the Girl" and "Sir Psycho Sexy",
Hammond B-3
Organ on "Suck My Kiss", "Under The Bridge"
[95]
and "Give It Away",
synthesizer
on "If You Have to Ask", toy
celeste
on "Apache Rose Peacock"
- Gail Frusciante and her friends ? choir vocals on "Under the Bridge"
- Pete Weiss ?
Jew's harp
(credited as juice harp) on "Give It Away"
Production
Design
Charts
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
|
Certifications
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Stanley, Bob (2013).
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop
. Faber & Faber.
ISBN
978-0-571-28198-5
.
Archived
from the original on May 21, 2021
. Retrieved
October 15,
2020
.
- ^
Gittins, Ian (2015).
The Periodic Table of Heavy Rock
. Random House.
ISBN
978-1-78503-165-6
.
Archived
from the original on May 21, 2021
. Retrieved
October 15,
2020
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
Double J
. September 8, 2016.
Archived
from the original on May 21, 2021
. Retrieved
January 13,
2020
.
- ^
Jenkins, Mark (October 27, 1991).
"California's Funk-Metalists, Putting on Airs"
.
The Washington Post
.
Archived
from the original on July 2, 2018
. Retrieved
September 8,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
Jackson, Josh (May 31, 2021).
"The Best Albums of 1991"
.
Paste
. Retrieved
September 8,
2021
.
- ^
"New Releases: Singles".
Music Week
. February 29, 1992. p. 21.
- ^
"New Releases: Singles".
Music Week
. August 1, 1992. p. 19.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Huey, Steve.
"
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
? Red Hot Chili Peppers"
.
AllMusic
.
Archived
from the original on August 14, 2012
. Retrieved
July 21,
2007
.
- ^
Childers, Chad.
"Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea Names Band's Worst Album + Shares Reservation About Their Best"
.
Loudwire
. Retrieved
July 3,
2023
.
- ^
"Mother's Milk"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on September 29, 2007
. Retrieved
June 7,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
VH1
's
Behind the Music
:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
? 2002
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 240?44
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 260
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 261
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 261?262
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 257
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 270?280
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 274?275
- ^
a
b
Red Hot Chili Peppers;
Funky Monks
- ^
Kiedis, Anthony; Balzary, Michael; Frusciante, John; Smith, Chad; Mullen, Brendan (October 19, 2010).
An Oral/Visual History by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. ItBooks. pp. 166?167.
ISBN
978-0-06-135191-4
.
- ^
Apter, 2004. p. 225
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 264
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 263?267
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 266
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 260?275
- ^
a
b
c
d
David Fricke.
"The Naked Truth"
.
Rolling Stone
. Archived from
the original
on October 13, 2007
. Retrieved
August 10,
2007
.
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 265?266
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 267
- ^
The Making of "Under the Bridge"; Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits
- ^
Apter, 2004. p. 288
- ^
a
b
Malandrone, Scott (October 1995). "Flea Interview".
Bass Player
.
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 271
- ^
a
b
c
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 272
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 273
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman 2004. p. 275
- ^
"
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Offer Live Debut Of 27-Year-Old Original In Rio"
"
.
Archived
from the original on May 21, 2021
. Retrieved
October 4,
2019
.
- ^
stipemate (March 5, 2012).
"Red Hot Chili Peppers ? VH1 Ultimate Albums ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
Archived
from the original on April 11, 2016
. Retrieved
October 2,
2016
– via YouTube.
- ^
"Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik ? Red Hot Chili Peppers Sessions Archive"
.
Archived
from the original on February 1, 2017
. Retrieved
October 2,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
booklet and liner notes
- ^
"Shootin' The Breeze with Mike Watt"
.
Smash Mag
. Archived from
the original
on October 3, 2022
. Retrieved
May 10,
2022
.
- ^
Dan Boghosian (2020). Red Hot Chili Peppers FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Best-Selling Alternative Band. Backbeat Books, ISBN 9781493051427, p. 235
- ^
"Gold and Platinum: Searchable Database"
. RIAA. n.d. Archived from
the original
on June 26, 2007
. Retrieved
June 24,
2007
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers' singles charts"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
"
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
charting"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on September 29, 2007
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
c
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 280
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 281
- ^
a
b
"UK Top 40 Singles Chart"
. Everyhit.com.
Archived
from the original on October 29, 2019
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Artist Chart History: Singles"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
October 3,
2007
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers discography"
. Top40.
Archived
from the original on September 6, 2015
. Retrieved
September 12,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
Apter, 2004. pp. 284?285
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 290
- ^
a
b
Wyman, Bill (September 27, 1991).
"
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
"
.
Entertainment Weekly
. Archived from
the original
on June 3, 2012
. Retrieved
August 13,
2007
.
- ^
Hochman, Steve (September 15, 1991).
"Chili Peppers Get Some Humility"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Archived
from the original on April 22, 2023
. Retrieved
November 25,
2015
.
- ^
Eccleston, Dan (July 2004). "The best of Red Hot Chili Peppers".
Mojo
. No. 128. p. 75.
- ^
a
b
Wells, Steven
(October 12, 1991). "Tools You Can Trust".
NME
. p. 36.
- ^
Gordon, Jeremy (July 31, 2016).
"Red Hot Chili Peppers:
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
"
.
Pitchfork
.
Archived
from the original on August 1, 2016
. Retrieved
September 21,
2016
.
- ^
Odell, Michael (May 2006). "Supersonic".
Q
. No. 238. p. 85.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Moon, Tom
(August 28, 2003).
"
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
"
.
Rolling Stone
.
Archived
from the original on April 8, 2023
. Retrieved
July 22,
2007
.
- ^
Perry, Andrew (November 1991). "Red Hot Chili Peppers:
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
".
Select
. No. 17. p. 77.
- ^
Mack, Bob (1995). "Red Hot Chili Peppers". In
Weisbard, Eric
; Marks, Craig (eds.).
Spin Alternative Record Guide
.
Vintage Books
. pp. 323?324.
ISBN
0-679-75574-8
.
- ^
Di Perna, Allen (November 1991). "
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
".
Guitar Player
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Devon Powers.
"
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
review"
.
Pop Matters
.
Archived
from the original on February 16, 2011
. Retrieved
July 22,
2007
.
- ^
Booth, Philip. "ChiliPeppers will sock it to ya".
The Tampa Tribune
. August 21, 1992.
- ^
Christgau, Robert
(January 26, 1993).
"Consumer Guide"
.
The Village Voice
.
Archived
from the original on November 5, 2011
. Retrieved
October 30,
2016
.
- ^
Apter, 2004. p. 234
- ^
a
b
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Biography"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
July 22,
2007
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Fasterlouder.com.au. February 10, 2004. Archived from
the original
on February 20, 2013
. Retrieved
May 7,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"
"Under the Bridge" song review"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
"
"Give It Away" song review"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
Hanson, Amy.
"Suck My Kiss review"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
January 21,
2008
.
- ^
"The Most Important Albums of the 90s"
. Visions.
Archived
from the original on March 24, 2012
. Retrieved
May 6,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
"The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums"
.
Pause & Play
. Archived from
the original
on September 27, 2007
. Retrieved
August 10,
2007
.
- ^
"500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time"
.
Rolling Stone
. 2012.
Archived
from the original on August 23, 2019
. Retrieved
September 9,
2019
.
- ^
"100 Greatest Albums of the Nineties"
.
Rolling Stone
. Archived from
the original
on June 17, 2011
. Retrieved
June 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Top 90 Albums of the 90's"
.
Spin
.
Archived
from the original on October 29, 2019
. Retrieved
August 11,
2007
.
- ^
"90 Greatest Albums of the 90s"
.
Q magazine
.
Archived
from the original on October 19, 2018
. Retrieved
August 11,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
"101 Essential Guitar Albums"
. Guitarist Magazine.
Archived
from the original on April 27, 2012
. Retrieved
August 11,
2007
.
- ^
Apter, 2004. p. 256
- ^
"Australia's Favourite Albums of All Time"
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia). Archived from
the original
on October 17, 2007
. Retrieved
October 20,
2007
.
- ^
"The Definitive 200: Top 200 Albums of All-Time"
. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (United States). Archived from
the original
on March 24, 2007
. Retrieved
April 7,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 282
- ^
Apter, 2004. p. 237
- ^
a
b
c
d
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 284
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 286
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 288
- ^
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 300?301
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 295
- ^
a
b
Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 298?304
- ^
"Artist Bio"
. MTV. Archived from
the original
on July 18, 2007
. Retrieved
July 23,
2007
.
- ^
Dimery, Robert. (November 2006).
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. Universe Publishing.
- ^
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003)"
. Rolling Stone.
Archived
from the original on September 23, 2020
. Retrieved
September 23,
2020
.
- ^
"Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2012 edition"
. Music Brainz
. Retrieved
September 23,
2020
.
- ^
"186- Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'
"
. Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020.
Archived
from the original on October 20, 2020
. Retrieved
September 23,
2020
.
- ^
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Credits"
.
AllMusic
.
Archived
from the original on May 13, 2021
. Retrieved
March 9,
2021
.
- ^
"What Makes This Song Great? Ep.75 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (#2)"
.
Archived
from the original on July 9, 2021
. Retrieved
July 4,
2021
– via www.youtube.com.
- ^
"Australiancharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Austriancharts.at ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in German). Hung Medien.
- ^
"Ultratop.be ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^
"Ultratop.be ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in French). Hung Medien.
- ^
"Top RPM Albums: Issue 2016"
.
RPM
.
Library and Archives Canada
.
- ^
"Dutchcharts.nl ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^
"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in Finnish).
Musiikkituottajat ? IFPI Finland
.
- ^
"Lescharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Offiziellecharts.de ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in German).
GfK Entertainment Charts
.
- ^
"Album Top 40 slagerlista ? 2022. 26. het"
(in Hungarian).
MAHASZ
.
- ^
"Italiancharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Charts.nz ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Norwegiancharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Swedishcharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Swisscharts.com ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
. Hung Medien.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (
Billboard
200)"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Vinyl Albums)"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"ARIA Charts ? End Of Year Charts? Top 50 Albums 1992"
.
Australian Recording Industry Association
.
Archived
from the original on March 3, 2016
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1992"
(PDF)
.
RPM
. Vol. 56, no. 25. December 19, 1992. p. 13.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on February 25, 2021
. Retrieved
June 3,
2021
.
- ^
"Jaaroverzichten ? Album 1992"
(in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl.
Archived
from the original on November 10, 2020
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"1992 Year-End Sales Charts"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. December 19, 1992. p. 17.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on March 8, 2021
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"Top 100 Album ? Jahrescharts 1992"
(in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts.
Archived
from the original on January 6, 2016
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"Top Selling Albums of 1992"
. Recorded Music NZ.
Archived
from the original on January 8, 2021
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992"
(in German). hitparade.ch.
Archived
from the original on August 22, 2014
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"Billboard 200 Albums ? Year-End 1992"
.
Billboard
.
Archived
from the original on November 3, 2017
. Retrieved
February 26,
2021
.
- ^
"The Top 200 Artist Albums of 1999"
(PDF)
.
Chartwatch: 1999 Chart Booklet
. Zobbel.de. p. 40.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on March 13, 2016
. Retrieved
June 19,
2021
.
- ^
"Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002"
.
Jam!
. Archived from
the original
on September 2, 2004
. Retrieved
March 28,
2022
.
- ^
"Top 100 Metal Albums of 2002"
.
Jam!
. Archived from
the original
on August 12, 2004
. Retrieved
March 23,
2022
.
- ^
"Discos de oro y platino"
(in Spanish).
Camara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas
. Archived from
the original
on July 6, 2011
. Retrieved
October 3,
2018
.
- ^
"ARIA Charts ? Accreditations ? 2006 Albums"
(PDF)
.
Australian Recording Industry Association
. Retrieved
October 3,
2018
.
- ^
"Austrian album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic"
(in German).
IFPI
Austria
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
- ^
"Canadian album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
Music Canada
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
- ^
"French album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in French).
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
. Archived from
the original
on December 24, 2013
. Retrieved
June 3,
2021
.
- ^
"Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Red Hot Chili Peppers;
'
Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik
'
)"
(in German).
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
- ^
"Italian album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
(in Italian).
Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana
. Retrieved
May 27,
2024
.
- ^
"Dutch album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik"
(in Dutch).
Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers
. Retrieved
October 3,
2018
.
Enter
Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik
in the "Artiest of titel" box.
Select
2001
in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen"
.
- ^
"New Zealand album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
Recorded Music NZ
. Retrieved
June 6,
2019
.
- ^
"IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993?2011"
(in Norwegian).
IFPI
Norway
. Retrieved
February 22,
2019
.
- ^
"Wyro?nienia ? Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2000 roku"
(in Polish).
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
. January 19, 2000
. Retrieved
November 28,
2018
.
- ^
Solo Exitos 1959?2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995?1999
. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005.
ISBN
8480486392
.
Archived
from the original on December 27, 2013
. Retrieved
October 3,
2018
.
- ^
"Guld- och Platinacertifikat ? Ar 1987?1998"
(PDF)
(in Swedish).
IFPI Sweden
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on May 17, 2011
. Retrieved
October 3,
2018
.
- ^
"British album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
- ^
"American album certifications ? Red Hot Chili Peppers ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
.
Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
EPs
| |
---|
Single series
| |
---|
Live releases
| |
---|
Compilations
| |
---|
Videos
| |
---|
Tours
| |
---|
Related articles
| |
---|
|