Vocalist Anthony Kiedes (b. 1 November 1962) and bassist Michael Balzary, aka Flea (b. 16 October 1962) first met at the age of 15 in 1977 at Los Angeles's Fairfax High School, also known for the graduates including Slash (ex-Guns & Roses) and Lenny Klavitz. Although Kiedes's main interest was poetry and acting, they would listen to 70s pop music by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad and Kiss. Years later in 1984, they, along with guitarist Hillel Slovack and drummer Jack Irons, wrote a song in jam session. The song was later named Out In LA and included on their debut album. That's how the most influential rock band of 90s - Red Hot Chili Peppers was born.

The Peppers played a lot of gigs on the west coast, which opened the door for a recording contract with EMI America in 1984. However, as Irons and Slovak took a leave for their another band What Is This?, Flea and Kiedes recorded the debut album Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1984 with Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez sitting in.

What Is This? eventually broke up in the following year, leading to the return of Irons and Slovak to the band. The original Peppers recorded their second album Freaky Styley, produced by the P-funk mogul George Clinton. Their '88 third album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan saw the band reveling more in its trademark mixture rock. The band began to be recognized as a live outfit partly due to their antics onstage and on the cover of Abbey Road EP, released 1988, showing the band completely naked except for socks covering their intimate parts.

Contrary to its performing ecstasy, the Peppers always had trouble breaking the habit of drug. A catastrophe hit the band in 1988 when Slovak died from a heroin overdose. Deeply discouraged by the old friend's sudden death, Irons left the band. Despite the tragedy, the surviving members - Flea and Kiedes decided to continue on and turned their mourning into defiant energy on their fourth set - Mother's Milk. The album, recorded with John Frusciante and Chad Smith filling in for Slovak and Irons, included cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground and Jimi Hendrix's Fire as well as takes performed by Slovak and Irons.

In 1991, the Peppers ended its seven-year association with EMI and signed a new recording contract with Warner Brothers. Under the auspices of veteran rock producer Rick Rubin, their fifth album Blood Sugar Sex Magik won them their first worldwide success, selling over seven million units in the US alone. The set proved to be their monumental album, bringing out driving tunes "Suck My Kiss" and "Give It Away" and mellow ballads "Breaking The Girl" and "Under The Bridge". Their surprisingly huge success forced their former label EMI to release the compilation of their early takes, What Hits and Out In LA.

Unfortunately during the Japan tour in 1992, guitarist John Frusciante quit the group, necessitating the cancellation of Australian tour. They continued on with Arik Marshall drafted in for Lollapalooza '92 and the subsequent US tour. Marshall and the band went separate ways after the tour and Dave Navarro, formerly of Jane's Addiction, joined them as a new guitarist to record the follow-up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, One Hot Minute, released in 1995. The band launched a successful worldwide tour, which wrapped in Fuji Rock Festival, Japan 1997. Although expected to be the most powerful guitarist in the band's career, Navarro afterwards left the band for a solo career in early 1998.

Having overcome lows and misfortunes, the Peppers finally received ex-member John frusciante, fully recovered from drug addiction, back to the fold. They returned to the studio and finished recording their seventh full-length album, Californication in just three weeks. Californication became a massive worldwide hit upon its 1999 release and saw the Peppers join the ranks of the biggest bands in the world. The album also spawned hit singles Scar Tissue, Otherside and the title track, video clip of which received 2000 MTV video music award for best direction.

In 2002, their eight full-length album By The Way was released. The set finds the band in good shape and returning to more stripped-down rock. Every fan of the Peppers believes Flea and Kiedes were right to continue with the alternative rock's top band.