Red Hot Chili Peppers California Songs: A Half-Assed Study

There are quite a few Red Hot Chili Peppers California songs. But how many are there actually? That’s the question I’m hoping to answer here.

 

Full disclosure: I am not a data scientist. I am a rock radio DJ who also creates pieces like this for the internet. So this is not an exhaustive study by any stretch. Still, it’s a topic that I feel should be explored. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are from California. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have referenced California or written songs specifically about the Golden State quite often in their almost-forty years as a band. But how often?

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers California Songs: A Half-Assed Study

My initial digging unearthed this 10-year-old blog post: The Geographical Statistics of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In it, the author explored not just California references, but ALL geographic references. He even made a cool pie chart!

 

Fancy! Of course, this was published in 2013, so it’s now dated data. That meant more digging for me. Next, I came across this Reddit thread which attempts to catalog every mention of California in every Red Hot Chili Peppers song. Like most Reddit threads, it starts strong with some helpful information, then devolves into confusion. And, it’s from 2016, so again: dated data.

 

Still, with the Geographical Statistics piece, the Reddit thread, and my own institutional knowledge of the music of the Chili Peppers, I feel confident that I can provide you with a comprehensive list of Red Hot Chili Peppers California songs. I chose the word “comprehensive” and not “exhaustive” on purpose: they won’t all be here. Again, I am not a data scientist. I am a rock radio DJ. So if there are any glaring omissions from my list, feel free to do your own research and put together your own damn study. Have a nice day.

• "Out In L.A."

  Self-explanatory. From their self-titled debut album.

• "Hollywood (Africa)"

  Technically, it’s a cover. “Africa” was recorded by The Meters in 1974. So the Chili’s Californiaized it for their Freaky Styley album.

• "Hollywood Jam"

  You gotta dig deep into this b-sides album to unearth this one.

• "Magic Johnson"

  Track 4 from Mother’s Milk. And I don’t want to hear any comments about how this one is “a stretch.”

• "Under The Bridge"

  Write a song about L.A. without actually mentioning L.A. in the title? Done.

• "Around The World"

  Some say the Californiacation album opener marks the beginning of the “name-checking geography” era of the band.

• "Californication"

  I mean, obviously.

• "Dani California"

  This is my 14-year-old’s favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers song.

• "Readymade"

  “Makin’ trouble in the state of California…”

• "La La La La La La La La"

  Is it a chorus of la-las? Or another L.A. reference? From the band’s second album of 2022, Return of the Dream Canteen.