Writing and composition
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.[1][2] 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.[3]
This article is about the Red Hot Chili Peppers album. For the title track, see By the Way (Red Hot Chili Peppers song). For other uses, see By the Way (disambiguation).
2002 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Studio album by
July 9, 2002 (2002-07-09)
November 2001 – May 2002
Cello and Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California
funk rock
Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers chronology
(1999) By the Way
(2002) Greatest Hits
Red Hot Chili Peppers studio album chronology
(2002) Stadium Arcadium
Singles from By the Way
"By the Way"
Released: June 24, 2002
"The Zephyr Song"
"Can't Stop"
"Dosed"
Released: May 19, 2003
"Universally Speaking"
By the Way was lauded by critics as a departure from the band's previous styles, and is recognized for the melodic and subdued emotions given by the Chili Peppers.[3][4] Guitarist John Frusciante is credited with writing most of the album's melodies, backing vocal arrangements, bass lines and guitar progressions, therefore changing the direction of the recording dramatically: "his warm, understated guitar work and his doo-wop style vocal harmonies are king this time around."[5] By the Way contained very little of the signature punk-funk fusion the band had become known for playing.[6] 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.[7]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article By the Way, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.