Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983, were originally called Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, and consisted of Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak, Jack Irons, and Michael "Flea" Balzary. The group’s first show in L.A. was intended to be a one time performance, with Slovak and Irons were already committed to another group, What Is This?. However, their performance was so lively that the band were asked to return the following week. The band subsequently changed its name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and played several more shows at various LA venues, with 6 songs from these performances recorded for the band's first demo tape. Several months later the band signed to EMI. However, 2 weeks earlier, What Is This? had obtained a record deal with MCA, and as Slovak and Irons considered the Red Hot Chili Peppers a side project, they quit to focus on What Is This?. Kiedis and Flea recruited new members, with Cliff Martinez, an acquaintance of Flea's, joining on drums, and auditions for a new guitarist produced Jack Sherman. Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill was hired to produce their first album, “The Red Hot Chili Peppers”, which was released in August 1984. It initially sold around 25,000 copies. Tension between Kiedis and Sherman grew, and Sherman was fired, with Slovak returning to the Chilis after growing tired of What is This?.

George Clinton was selected to produce the next album, “Freaky Styley”, which was recorded in the United Sound Systems studios In Detroit, but, after its release in August 1985, it achieved little success. Martinez was dismissed from the group in the summer of 1986, with Kiedis saying that he sensed that Martinez wished to leave. The band temporarily hired Chuck Biscuits before Jack Irons, out of work and finally separated from other commitments, rejoined the group. The Chilis asked Rick Rubin to produce their third album, but he turned them down, so Michael Beinhorn was enlisted to help. In September 1987, “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan” was released, becoming the first Red Hot Chili Peppers album to appear on any chart, peaking at number 148 on the Billboard Hot 200. During this period, however, Kiedis and Slovak had both developed serious drug addictions, with Slovak's leading to his death in June 1988. Jack Irons subsequently left the group, saying that he did not want to be part of a group where his friends were dying. In an attempt to cope with the death of Slovak and the departure of Irons, Kiedis and Flea temporarily employed Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro and former P-Funk guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, although both were rapidly replaced. However, an acquaintance of Peligro, John Frusciante, auditioned for the now vacant guitarist role. Following a constructive jam (which would later appear on “Mother's Milk” as "Pretty Little Ditty"), the band unanimously decided that Frusciante should join. Despite several auditions, the band were still without a drummer. A close friend of the band told them about a drummer she knew, Chad Smith, who was so proficient on the drums he ‘ate (them) for breakfast’. At his audition, Smith not only matched Flea's intricate and complex rhythm, he even began to lead him – impressed, Kiedis, Frusciante and Flea admitted Smith into the Chilis. Their fourth album, “Mother's Milk”, was released in August 1989, reaching number 52 on the Billboard 200, with the singles “Knock Me Down” (a tribute to Slovak) and a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" becoming hits.

In 1990, the group switched labels to Warner Bros. Records, with Rick Rubin hired for production duties (Rubin has produced all of the band's subsequent studio albums). In September 1991, fifth LP “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” was released, First single "Give It Away" won a 1992 Grammy award for "Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal", and became the band's first number 1 on the Modern Rock chart. Follow up single "Under the Bridge" reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with subsequent singles "Breaking the Girl" and "Suck My Kiss" also doing well on the charts. The album itself climbed to number 3 on the US Album chart almost a year after its release, and has sold over 13 million copies. Frusciante quit the band during the Blood Sugar Japanese tour in May 1992, being overwhelmed by their success, and also a drug addiction. Arik Marshall, and then Mother Tongue’s Jesse Tobias filled in temporarily, but the band eventually settled on former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. However, the relationship between the 3 established members and Navarro quickly begun to deteriorate, and his first and only album with the Chilis, “One Hot Minute”, released in September 1995, sold 5 million copies worldwide, and gave the band a third number 1 single, "My Friends". Around this time the Chilis also featured on several soundtracks - "I Found Out", a John Lennon cover, was featured on “Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon”, and a cover of The Ohio Players’ "Love Rollercoaster" was featured on the “Beavis and Butthead Do America” soundtrack. In April 1998 it was announced that Navarro had left the band due to creative differences. Frusciante, fresh out of rehab, received a visit from Flea, where the bassist invited Frusciante to re-join the band. Frusciante readily accepted.

In June 8, 1999, after over a year of production and meticulous practice, ”Californication” beccame the band's seventh studio album. It peaked at number 3 in the US and produced 3 more number 1 Modern Rock hits - "Scar Tissue" (which won the 2000 Grammy Award for “Best Rock Song”), "Otherside" and "Californication". In 2001, the Chilis released their first concert DVD, “Off the Map”, with footage was taken from numerous different concerts. ”Californication” has sold over 15 million copeies worldwide.

Eighth LP ”By The Way” was released in July 2002, and it sold over a million copies in first week, making number 2 on the Billboard 200. The European leg of the tour to support ”By The Way” produced the band's second full-length concert DVD, “Live at Slane Castle”, which was recorded during the show at the legendary Irish venue in August 2003. The band also went on to release their first full-length live album, “Live in Hyde Park”, an event which was attended by over 258,000 people over the 3 nights - the event ranked number 1 on Billboard's Top Concert Boxscores of 2004.

The Chilis recorded 2 new songs, "Fortune Faded" and "Save the Population", for their “Greatest Hits” album, which was released in November 2003 and made number 18 on the Billboard 200.

In 2006 the band released the double album “Stadium Arcadium”, their first album to debut at number 1 on the US charts, where it stayed for 2 weeks. It also debuted at number 1 in the UK, as well as 25 other countries. In it’s first week, it sold 442,000 copies in the US, and over 1.1 million worldwide. It was eventually the best-selling album of 2006, with over 7 million copies sold. First single "Dani California" debuted at number 1 on the Modern Rock chart, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 2 in the UK. Second single "Tell Me Baby" also topped the charts. "Snow ((Hey Oh))", released in late 2006, became their 3rd consecutive and 11th overall number 1 (these 11 singles spent a combined total of 81 weeks at number 1). In February 2007, the Chilis won 5 Grammys – “Best Rock Album” (“Stadium Arcadium”), “Best Rock Song”, “Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal” and “Best Short Form Music Video” (all "Dani California") and “Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package”, with Rick Rubin winning “Best Producer” (for “Stadium Arcadium”).

2008 saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers on a break, with Kiedis occupied with taking care of his new son, Flea experimenting with new musical ideas, Frusciante continuing a solo career, and Chad Smith in Japan working with a jazz band. The band’s hiatus varies in length, depending on which member is asked.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold over 50 million albums worldwide.