By The Way Songs Ranked

By the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Singles included “By the Way,” “The Zephyr Song,” “Can’t Stop,” “Dosed” and “Universally Speaking”. The lyrical subject matter vocalist Anthony Kiedis addresses in By the Way is a divergence from previous Red Hot Chili Peppers albums, with Kiedis taking a more candid and reflective approach to his lyrics. By the Way, contained very little of the signature punk-funk fusion the band had become known for playing. Frusciante has stated that writing “By the Way [was] one of the happiest times in my life.” The album went on to sell more than eight million copies worldwide. Here are all of By The Way songs ranked.

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16. Warm Tape

“‘Warm tape’ begins with an eerie sound of longing and lost fortunes but like most tracks on BTW rips into a melody heavy chorus that rolls along like a runaway freight train and is very reminiscent of ‘Easily’ from Californication.”

15. Midnight

“Another lovely showcase for Anthony’s vocals, this time with a more soaring, harmony-laden chorus. Its a bit of a bummer that this and the previous track are placed together because I don’t think having two consecutive ballads creates good album flow. Nevertheless, this is still a fine song. Verdict: Not Filler, but perhaps could’ve been placed elsewhere.”

14. I Could Die For You

“Gorgeous vocal melodies. This song is one of the simpler, more subtle songs on the record, but is a lovely showcase for Anthony’s vocals. This is the meaning of romantic and powerful. They give it there all on this powerhouse.”

13. Throw Away Your Television

“Finally, its time for John, Chad and Flea to take over again. Musically, this is a solid track. The only weak thing about this is Anthony; he sounds bored and his lyrics here are repetitive (“Its a repeat” for sure), a huge step down for him on this album. The jungle groove of this album and John’s ending jam pick this track up by its bootstraps. Like “Don’t Forget Me”, this is exponentially better live.”

See more: Red Hot Chili Peppers Albums Ranked

12. Cabron

“Anthony redeems himself! This song is so mellow and pretty, with Spanish-sounding acoustic guitar. I want to give someone a hug after hearing this. Say one thing for By The Way, say it has variety. Verdict: Not Filler, even though it sounds absolutely nothing like a “typical” Chili Pepper song.”

11. Universally Speaking

“This song makes me HAPPY! 😀 I think of sunshine and rainbows when I hear this. The critics prattled on about the album having 60’s influences, and here it is most apparent.”

10. Tear

“Another lovely Anthony ballad with a soaring chorus, and this time John’s harmonies are up front. The piano is perfect. The vocals a great. The drums are a good addition. And guitar! There’s a solo, nor really on guitar, I’m not sure what it is, and a trumpet solo, too, which add so much. The main stricter is the piano, lead vocals and harmonies, which are incredible! The chorus is one of my favorites ever!”

9. On Mercury

“Listen to that trumpet! This song is so energetic and passionate like the best RHCP songs. One of the best choruses on the album to boot.”

8. Minor Thing

“My personal favorite track on the album and one of my top 5 RHCP tracks period (the others being Easily, This Velvet Glove, Wet Sand and I Could Have Lied). For me, this is the “quintessential” By The Way track, combining lovely guitar solos, harmonies, melodies, rapping, singing, and its one of the few tracks here where you can hear Flea thump his bass (during the rapping). Basically, its all here in a neat little package. Has the finest outro on the album.”

7. This is the Place

“One of the most meaningful songs about Anthony’s past (his dad giving him drugs, Hillel’s death, Anthony missing his funeral to shoot heroin). Good anti-drug messages. GREAT chorus. One of the catchiest RHCP songs! Some of the best bass playing on the album too.”

6. Don’t Forget Me

“I admit that this song is twice as good live, but even on album form, Frusciante kills it and Anthony presents some of his best lyrics.”

See more: Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs Ranked

5. The Zephyr Song

“Another song that makes me HAPPY! 😀 I recall an interview where John said that he was obsessed with the Beach Boys toward the end of creating this album. I believe this is one of the Beach Boy-inspired tracks. My favorite use of John’s harmonies on the album.”

4. By the Way

“The funkiest song on this album, which isn’t exactly saying a whole lot considering this is purposely their least funky (yet most melodic) album. Well, this thing rocks, great melodies, fun chorus. It was the single for a reason.”

3. Venice Queen

“Here it is, the greatest RHCP album closer. I love how its two songs in one, kind of like something Paul McCartney does in some of his songs. Another heartfelt track, this time a tribute to a fallen friend of the band (a rehab counselor, if I understand correctly). Although I still love Sir Psycho Sexy, I think this is the most epic RHCP track.”

2. Dosed

“A song so beautiful, even people who hate RHCP admit they like it. This song alone makes life worth living. Thank you John.”

1. Can’t Stop

“A rap-rock song that I can actually love. I’m usually not a huge fan of Anthony’s rapping, but its fine here, and John works both his guitar and vocal magic to make this an uplifting and catchy track. Popular for a good reason.”