This band has seen several genres come and go: the 1980s hair metal of Bon Jovi, the 1990s grunge rock of Nirvana and the pop-punk of Blink 182.
Throughout, the Chilli Peppers have maintained originality and a unique sound, all while progressing and evolving as a band.
Initially, the Peppers fused punk and funk, creating adrenaline drenched jams such as Give It Away and Higher Ground. These tracks featured groovy bass lines and high energy, rapped vocals.
Success proved too much.
Lead guitarist John Frusciante left the band for nearly a decade because of heroin addiction; he lived a good part of the nineties in squalor and extreme poverty, often times near death.
Lead singer Anthony Kiedis battled the same addiction, entering rehab on and off for six years.
Both members have been clean since 2000, and this new-found sobriety has given the band a sense of purpose.
This combination of tragedy and maturity allowed the Peppers to develop its present-day sound -- traditional rock with psychedelic and R&B overtones. The vocals are sung as opposed to rapped, and the music is mellow and melodic.
The Peppers are infamous for eccentric dress during live performances -- tube socks placed over the nether-regions and nothing else. The band is considered one of the greatest concert bands of all time.
Must have album: Californication
Greatest songs: Under The Bridge, Scar Tissue, Otherside
Image: Anthony Kiedis, right, and bassist Flea, left, perform in Munich in June. Photograph: Joerg Koch/AFP/Getty Images
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