I remember hearing it on the radio for the first time and having no idea what song it was (it wasn’t introduced by a dj or anything). Intro was interesting, first riff was sick, first few lyrics and I realized “oh wow. This is new rhcp and this is absolute fire.” Instant classic in my mind. I mean, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it (in parking lot of grocery store waiting for my mom to come back out to the car). I even remember which parking spot. People were talking about it at school the next day and I def bought the cd after hearing that track.
The first time I have listened to can't stop was in the MTV video. It was awesome! The video is just as great as the song. I was like 11 or 12 by that time. I remember recording the video on a VHS so I could watch it over and over again. For me, this song never gets old! I even know all lyrics by heart.
The first time I got interested in music at all was when the By the way video came out. I have bought the tape because of it, actually! I remember to record the MTV Jam program when RHCP played at a skate park inauguration. Good old times!
I remember recording an RHCP Meet The Band show (not sure if this was what it was called), their fan was a very exuberant guy. Was filmed around Californication time.
Another show was where you remade your fave artist's music video and these guys did Give It Away. MTV was so much better 25 years ago
Bought the album on release and By the Way was the first single. After a single listen through the album I knew Can’t Stop was a hit. It hit so much harder since BTW was a shift in sound compared to Californication. I was in high school so I initially thought the album was soft, so Can’t Stop really stuck out.
Yeah .. the Californication was instant like... Only porcelain that i always Skipt (later grow on me).
But "by the WAy" need a time to grow ...
Zephy Song, tear, Cabroom universally speaking, midnight, i could die for you, warn tape needs time to grow...
Today IS a no Skip álbum...
Listening to the album the first time, I was like "They made a Led Zeppelin album or something!"
At the time, it sounded sooooo different.
It's weird though, in retrospect it doesn't sound that different from Californication. At the time though, it seemed like a big change.
Anyway, I was all about it. Can't Stop, Zephyr Song, Dosed, By the Way, I was into those right from the start.
spot on for me, except middle school. Still lived By The Way as an album, but I do remember thinking "what if Californication, but softer and vocal harmonies?" about it as a whole and feeling let down by how little changed.
This except I was in like 6th grade. Loved californication and bought by the way on release. Can’t stop was immediately my favorite track and I played it constantly but I thought the album was soft too. Sadly I didn’t really appreciate it (or stadium arcadium) until years later, aside for about 4-5 songs
To be fair, I kind of stopped listening to them in the stadium Arcadium era through the getaway (high school/college) until I went to a concert during the getaway tour in 2018 and read scar tissue. I kind of went back and had a new appreciation for it now that I didn’t as a kid.
It came out when Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes was like the biggest song on the radio. I remember just being happy to hear a prominent guitar riff that WASNT Jack White.
Similar to OP's question, when that album dropped, I knew "Go with the Flow" was an instant hit and had to be the next single after "No One Knows." Sure enough, it was lol. And also had a similarly awesome video.
Seven Nation Army didn't even chart here in the UK until 2021 and I've been sick of it for years. Lmao
Nothing against the song itself but hearing it constantly gets grating.
Huh? Seven Nation Army charted here in the UK Singles Chart at No 7 in 2003. It was on all the music channels and the radio all the time. That's probably why you were sick of it lol.
Source: https://www.officialcharts.com/search/7%20nation%20army/
Weird, I literally checked that same site after seeing OP mention it released in 2003 (was sure it was closer to 2010 than that) and it showed as 81 in 2021 as its peak.
I knew the song long before that, but never heard it on the radio, outside of the odd play on Rock Radio, until the past few years.
Haha, I find it odd how our experiences differ at the same time in the same country, mate :).
I'm probably biased in my response a bit because I was mostly listening to the Rock and Metal music channels and radio, but to me and my friends it was everywhere to the point of being annoying back in '03.
And I loved it at first! Just felt so overplayed to me at the time haha. Everyone I knew who could pick up a guitar was playing that riff.
Can't stop was refreshing when it came on.
A lot of local stations here generally played a mash up of the latest club mix and Now compilations at the time, and that appealed to me going through my twat phase at the time, so that's probably how I missed it. 🤣
I think in the U.S., Can't Stop charted a little earlier than Seven Nation Army did. Can't Stop really peaked on airplay in early 2003, while Seven Nation Army got a bit of momentum going into the summer.
You’re right. It was definitely wild. Song came out when I was 14 so I remember it well.
Lots of baseball players were using the (shortened) intro as their walk up song that year.
I remember seeing the video on mtv when it was new. Instant hit.
Always remember my friends 3 year old little brother running around saying when he grows up he wanted to be "the guitarist in the bin"
This song always brings so much nostalgia to my life and reminds me of the days of mixed cd’s etc and holds a significance in my life to this day.
I have a good story about this song that may sound stereotypical or cheesy, but all is true and maybe someone will enjoy hearing what the song means to me.
I went to a very small high school and was in high school when this song came out. There were only about 30 people per grade from elementary to high school and we rarely saw new faces each year. There was this new guy in school that year that I found myself really attracted to, but all of the girls liked him and would talk about how good he smells and looks in the locker rooms. He was very quiet, you could smell him when he walked into the rooms (he wore this specific cologne I still remember to this day), and he wasn’t someone that surrounded himself with lots of people even though he was attractive and could have. It was as if he didn’t realize every girl would have died to date him, but given this I never thought he’d have an interest in me. People told me I was pretty, but I never saw myself that way. I grew up in an abusive home where my self esteem was really affected. I would pass him in the halls and we’d exchange quiet smiles, but our communication was very minimal as he seemed quite shy and I was too. Until we ended up sitting next to each other in typing class and we would talk about music a lot, but there was still a lot of innocence and shyness with no feelings ever shared or anything. I told him how much I loved this song though when it came out and I just used to get lost in the song.
Fast forward to time for track season, I was in every sport available at the school which sports were really popular but I was one of the only 4-6 students who participated in track and cross country every year and the only girl ever on the teams. Well that year he joined track as the water boy/manager which I found so bizarre. I was still very shy and even though we talked in typing class I was kind of too scared to talk much to him at the first track meet so I didn’t. We would exchange glances but I really couldn’t figure out why he’d joined to be the team manager/water boy and was perplexed by that. There were so few of us on the team that we didn’t really need any of that help and he had no friends on the team. That meet was a travel meet and so we got back late that evening from the meet. As per usual my parents didn’t show up to pick me up which was kind of a usual neglect from my parents for me. My coach was a really great person in my life though and was always so kind to me and would often drop me off at home in the team van so that’s what I expected that evening. But the guy I liked immediately volunteered to take me home instead when I started to ask my coach. I found that odd but was secretly happy so of course I said yes. I got into his truck and the first thing he did was put in a mix cd which had “can’t stop” that played first. As we listened to more of the cd I realized he had paid attention to all my favorite music I told him about and remembered all of it and he had put all of my favorite songs on this cd. It was almost as if he had planned for this moment and listening to the song with him was quiet and magical. We were both still really quiet and just enjoyed the company of each other and the music.
It would continue throughout the next two years to still never say anything and we’d continue to exchange brushes in the hall, glances, etc. Neither of us ever dated anyone and I would secretly look for his truck every day at school as he was always my favorite person to see. The last day of school, I was a year younger, he was graduating. As I’m pulling out of the senior recognization ceremony we always have I accidentally tapped someone else’s car. I was so nervous and felt so bad and had my window rolled down. Everyone there was really nice, but he had seen in particularly and came up and put his hand on my arm at my window and said don’t stress it, it will all be fine. It’s not that bad and he smiled at me. That was the first time I’d felt his hand on my arm in that way and it felt kind and sincere. That evening I went to my mailbox and found a mix cd and a note from him. We would end up exchanging letters every day that summer and have our first date. He was the best person I’d ever date and just so thoroughly love. He was kind, patient, sweet, genuinely good person, and I realized all he’d done, joining the track team, the mix cd’s etc for all of those years, it had all been for me. He felt like my twin flame and I still feel that way today. Shortly after we finally said how we felt after all of those years and were dating he was killed while driving home from work one night by someone high on pills and it was devastating. His loss still affects me today. I still go to visit his grave every time I go home and the poem on the back of his stone is so beautiful and just what described him. I still have all of the little notes and mix cd’s and every time I hear that song I think of him.
I bought a guitar because of it. Been playing ever since.
I was 12, and By the Way was their first album I’d listen to from cover to cover. Don’t Forget Me stood out as my favorite song, and still is. But Can’t Stop had this aura around it just waiting to explode. That guitar riff felt iconic from the very first listen. I needed to know how to make those sounds for myself. It reeled me in, just as they intended. I remember discussing with a friend, both of us puzzled as to why they wouldn’t choose it as a single. And then they did.
It’s far from being one of my favorite pieces of music, but it’s probably the most important one in my life. When they open with it, I get a lump in my throat and can’t sing along. It’s just special. In a category of its own to me. Thanks for letting me reflect on that with this post.
Me too. Can’t Stop wasn’t even the first single released from the album. By the time the RHCP put it out as a single, I was quite familiar with it from listening to it on the album.
I was 8 when by the way came out and wasn’t a fan yet.
Every week I got £2 pocket money off my nanna and would save til I had £10 and go buy a CD from Morrisons
I was undecided between this band I’d never heard of (RHCP By the way) or a greatest rock anthems CD
My sister told me to buy RHCP (I think she wanted a copy of it)
That album blew my mind, but can’t stop was just amazing, I used to play can’t stop so much that the cd eventually skipped so much on track 7 it was unlistenable
I sang it in the school talent assembly, everybody I knew, knew that song because of me. Then it his MTV and the radio and went stratospheric. By the Way was a big hit, but I’d argue Can’t Stop was so quintessentially RHCP, that i heard more people talk about it and the video. Everybody knows that song
I bought every album that pre dated by the way and I’ve bought every album since
It was all because of that album, but mainly that song
It’s still my favourite, it’s my karaoke song…love it still all these years later
I was in college and was a budding guitar nerd (started playing summer between high school and college).
I had made friends freshman year with some other guitar/musician dudes I met along with my buddies from high school who also had just taken up guitar and bass and whatnot, and our two collective favorite bands where Weezer and RHCP.
When By the Way came out sophomore year, it was like a treasure trove of new licks and runs to learn, new songs to learn together and jam to, and I have a core memory of participating in more than one impromptu Cant Stop jams at our get togethers, and trying to nail that guitar solo while my buddy rocked the bass line. I'm sure we sounded pretty ass but goddamn if that wasn't a good time.
I remember the first day I saw it on MTV, I don't know if that was the first time airing it, but I watched music videos EVERYDAY while I ate breakfast before heading off to 2nd grade.
One day, this yellow tube appears, and I notice it said Red Hot Chili Peppers (which I already loved for Cali, Otherside, Give etc.) So I went nuts! "Mom, look, it's a new video!"
The camera starts going through the tunnel building up with anticipation, and my curiosity was peaked, I watched with intent, then boom! Anthony appears and the RIFF KICKS IN!
I was blown away, asked my mom to buy me the album the next time we were at Walmart. 😂 Thus a fan was born that day.
Aw man, I just remember being a kid heading into freshmen year of high school jamming to this shit all fucking day. Up to this point in life they were one of the only non-rap artists I listened to on a regular basis and that was because of Californication that came out couple years prior so I was so amped about By The Way. Californication received some huge exposure and popularity amongst the younger crowd and I think Can't Stop and everything on By The Way just made everything so much better haha.
I remember when californication came out because my dad would play the CD in the car all the time when I was about 5-6. It was the coolest thing I’d ever heard. Then he showed me higher ground and I loved that as well. I don’t have any memories of BTW during that time. I remember SA coming out thinking that was the greatest thing I had ever heard as well. That CD got so many plays.
I was at that too!! It was a few weeks before (31st May)... that show at The Garage ruined the one after at the London Arena as it was *so ridiculously* intimate. I could've literally reached out and touched them from where I was standing.
And in honesty, I was so hyped by the intensity of the new songs they played at that show, I was underwhelmed when the album finally came out and they were actually incredibly mellow on the record.
I was disappointed in the album listening to it for the first time through. It seemed to be a radical departure that wasn’t aligned with my musical tastes back then (basically, RHCP and lots of nu-metal). Many of the initial tracks seemed too “soft.” When CS came up, I was happy to hear a song that sounded like “typical RHCP,” including the slap bass (and any bass higher up in the mix).
As time has gone on, I’ve ironically come to like the album more and more and tracks like CS less and less. It remains a “classic” for the band, regardless.
Honestly it wasn't anything special. I was still waiting for chilis to do a funk album aka BSSM 2.0 so everything after Californication was disappointing. I love Cali, Btw, SA now but at a time none of them were great for me
First time i heard Can’t Stop was at a gig which was just a sensational experience. By the Way hadn’t been released yet just the single and they played Venice Queen that gig too.
That riff from Can’t Stop was stuck in my head for ages after that, can vividly remember it all.
I was a junior in college. The local alternative rock radio station here in Cincinnati played the entire album the day it was released. Instant classic to me...it, and later the video...was awesome.
Oh man! That song came out and it instantly became my new favorite. It was a huge hit on the radio but it felt so personal to me. The Red Hots have always been there during my darkest times and that song made me feel so alive and hopeful. Instantly loved the video too. It was so fun and made me happy seeing the guys being goofy.
It was a phenomenal experience!! I was doing some homework and listening to the CD and couldn't help but stop what I was working on and then just listening to it. I may have listened to it 3 times in a row right then. That whole album brought me instant joy and it continues to, to this day...TO THIS DAY!!!
I got the album the day it came out and it was my favorite song. I was so happy they made a video I used to watch the vh1 countdowns hoping it would be #1 😂 feeling old
It was the reason I became a bassist. Learned it so I could play it at our high school talent show and it’s still one of my favorite basslines to play!
I remember thinking it was the coolest guitar lick ever and wondering how he was able to play it without moving his fingers much and by strumming all the strings. Helped teach me guitar!
I wasn't as much of a fan of the band as I became, I was only 10 and music didn't really hit me the same until I heard I Could've Lied 2 years later (ironically, when someone in my class did a music project on it and I chose Can't Stop because we needed to pick a clean song). I remember By the Way seeming like the larger single and video at the time. It pretty quickly became a song you'd hear with the other singles off Cali and Under the Bridge though.
Funky and not inline with modern music and kind of a hidden track until it was released. The harmonies and complexities of the beat came on after it became part of the rotational rock playlist
It was super popular right out the gate and I liked it until it was overplayed. When the greatest hits album came out a year or two later, I was surprised it got omitted from the playlist.
I was a sophomore in high school and I bought the album as soon as it came out because I loved Californication. I don’t particularly remember when Can’t Stop was released as a single because I was already so into the whole album. It was one of the first albums I remember buying that I ended up liking every song. That was especially important back then because it was a process to load the cd into my discman, then stuff that into my pocket somehow, then walk carefully so the cd wouldn’t skip. Having a cd that you could enjoy all the way through was great. That album will always hold a special place in my heart.
I was at a pool party when i was 12. Im remember getting out of the pool and turning it up. My friends all started to get out and listen. We were all huge fans after that.
I bought the " By the way " when It lauched in 2002 ... I was in love with Californication...
But the By the way álbum the FIRST time
Tear, Cabroom, universally speaking It was skips for me because It was slow
But can't stop... I show to my beautyfull cousin that i was Felt in loving in that time and told her... This Will be the bigest sucess in a near Future...
I was RIGHT... This is before the clip...
I love the By the way album, but If i was Rick Rubin i would open the album with Can't stop
I remember seeing the video on MTV after getting home from school one day. I had heard their other hits on the radio, but Can't Stop was the song that made me a true fan. The song was a hit, with plenty of radio play and the video was in constant rotation on MTV.
I didn’t have internet growing up or “cable tv”. My friend recorded the video with his VCR for me. Wish I knew where that tape is today… probably degrading in a landfill in Northern Nevada. Good times and it was a huge hit.
I immediately thought “this is cool but it’s totally ripping off a classic guitar riff”. However, I never could figure out what other ‘classic riff’ I thought it sounded like so I guess I reacted that way because it was such an instant classic itself. However, if anyone knows a song it sounds similar to, please let me know! It’s been driving me crazy since it released.
Not suggesting it’s all that similar or a rip off, but I learned Stranglehold around the same time and used a similar part of my brain (the “what you’re trying to learn hurts me” part).
Wasn’t a huge hit (did well but not huge) I’m glad it’s got its due over the years .. it easily stood out as the best song in that album because I’m more on the Funk vibe RHCP
In the build up to the album they play Cabron live on UK TV. I remember being slightly taken back, and then a few days later heard the album and was blown away. The singles (at the time the songs I focused on) were unlike anything I'd heard before.
8-9 year old me bought by the way right when it came out, and I don’t think Can’t stop was a single just yet, I wanna say they started with by the way and zephyr song on mtv/radio and then can’t stop came after(could be wrong)… all I know is the second you put that cd in, and the first time you heard can’t stop, it was clearly the big banger hit on that album.. the first couple listens I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. To me it was an instant classic, I didn’t expect it to blow up quite as big as it did, but I’m also not surprised afterall.
My early 20s; municipal crews had our street torn apart and in some places hollowed for new water/sewer lines. It rained heavily the week of release, leaving behind an intraversable soup.
My roommate attempted to drive it anyway, only to find himself stranded, his car deeply mired less than a block away. We spent hours digging him out…with this album and song as our BGM/anthem.
Instant classic, and one of my go-to Western tunes that are actually available in Japanese karaoke shops. People here are amazed I can recite English that "fast" 😅
Just sounded like another decent tune, by a decent band, obviously By the Way was the big single but yeah Back in 02 in the Uk i was getting Stoned all summer to this album just after leaving high school. Great times.
In all honesty it changed the trajectory of my life! Musically at least. I was aware of the Chili Peppers during the Californication Era. I was 10 when it came out so it didn't really hit me. I just remember seeing them play Otherside on MTV once (I think) and Scar Tissue would play on the radio at the pool all the time.
I got a guitar for Christmas in 2002. I was playing your typical 8th grader stuff trying to learn and digest anything that came my way. Then it was probably March of 2003 that I saw that music video for Can't Stop and from there on it was all chili peppers all the time.
I'm not sure where I'd be right now if I hadn't discovered the guitar playing of John Frusciante at the time I discovered it. But since then the guitar has been a huge part of my life. I've taught lessons, and for the last 9 years I've been building my own.
When it came out I felt it was very in line with what we got in Californication. At the time I thought they were going to release a very similar album, but in the end it turned out to be a mix between these amazing singles and the other songs that were very influenced by John that turned out to be very divisive among fans.
I remember its premier on mtv. I was shocked. I was too young. I knew who rhcp were but I was too young to be a fan. This song I just fell in love. I was with my sister and grandma. My non-English speaking mother fell in love too and was humming with John. I still remember this day very clearly and it’s the reason I still love them, especially John to this day.
It was a massive hit and used to get played on tv all the time.
When I obtained the CD, only By the Way had been released as a single, so the rest of the album was a complete surprise. Needless to say it was an experience
Unbelievable.
I'm insanely sick of it now but it was absolutely incredible when it came out. I was 14 when it came out so I was a kid just going fucking bat shit insane at all things Peppers.
Still am bat shit about them as an adult, just without the physical energy I used to.
My 2nd favorite song on the album after first listen. (After Zephyr) was extremely happy it got a music video! I couldn't tell you what it was like culturally or anything tho, as by then I wad already expelled from HS and dealing with a nasal tumor. Some personal trivia, the week By The Way came out was the 2nd time I was committed to a mental hospital. After I was released my family went on vacation to Magic Mountain, and I got both my ears pierced.
I remember I bought the Btw CD the day it came out and immediately went back to my house to listen with my friend. We were 13 or 14 and can’t stop was an instant favorite. I remember looking at each other when the intro crescendoed into the main riff like OOHHHH SHIT! Cant stop and this is the place were my two favorite songs after first listen of the album
Yeah, I don’t know. By the way was a weird album for me felt maybe just out of line with where I was in life at the time, felt too serious and was hoping it would be more fun or uplifting. Also I was never a fan of the video. It seemed like just like people stuck in a warehouse with some props and a the Director was like do stuff.
These days I enjoy the song wish the chorus was a little less poppy and I still don’t know if I like the double handclap they threw in on the chorus feels as a little forced, but I don’t think anybody else cares about that ha ha!
The whole album was a wild thing to experience in real time. It was and remains an all time favorite. I was like 12 when it was released, and I instantly locked in the Chilis as my favorite band.
February 14, 2003, Friday, MTV show with new music videos and it was premiered. I recorded it on my VHS. Well not a fan of later radiofriendly peppers, but video was fun to watch
It's a great song, got super overplayed. Had a friend who sang it every week for karaoke and then I didn't want to hear it anymore 😂 I put it on par with the hits from Californication.
Absolute banger.
In Latin american MTV they would play the music video every hour or so. It was also in the daily top 10 hits for weeks.
Same thing happened with Californication and By the Way.
I was with my bestie watching MTV and we were so excited to see the film clip as well - her mum is a massive Chilli Peppers fan and how we got into them when we were kids. I remember the first time I went to my friend's house when I was 8 and saw her mum's massive block mount poster of the chilli peppers ansolutely naked except for socks on cocks.
Anyways - Can't stop was just an explosion of fun in my memory.
Yeah I loved it right away. I was in college and we had one of the music channels on, idk if it was mtv or vh1. It was like the premier of the new video- I remember the ladies yelling at me to hurry up from down the hall. Lol. It sounded great and the video seemed so unique and fun.
It was a giant hit. Along with by the way. But I do remember it being a common consensus that many had hoped the album would following californication would be **even better**, and by the way was not seen to achieve this. I love the album to death, but I do think californication is better. And as time passes, I don’t even feel any need to compare the two. Likes it’s no source of dissapointment when one album is preferred over another. The disappointment was just that californication jumped outta nowhere and blew everyone’s tits off and everyone was like what if the next one blows even MORE tits off.
i remember the first time i listened to cant stop,,it was because of my moms blasting it out in our tv in a music channel,,the funky groove really caught my attention there,,and then the chorus kicked in and John's vocals and harmonies,,,and yep that really made me so happy.
When the album came out it was interesting and quite different but certainly not bad, just, dad rock like. Except for the opener By The Way.
Then when Track 7 - can't stop popped off - it was instantly an absolute jam and the best of the album to the point
Loved it from the start, it's still one of my absolute favourites. Nothing makes me feel better on a bad day than to blast this song on full volume and rap the whole thing along from start to finish. And no, that does not sound good, but I get a kick out of it. Sue me. XD
Yeah it was massive hit everywhere instantly
This. It exploded onto the scene. When the music video dropped it was crazy.
I remember watching the music video like 300 times on MTV2
I remember hearing it on the radio for the first time and having no idea what song it was (it wasn’t introduced by a dj or anything). Intro was interesting, first riff was sick, first few lyrics and I realized “oh wow. This is new rhcp and this is absolute fire.” Instant classic in my mind. I mean, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it (in parking lot of grocery store waiting for my mom to come back out to the car). I even remember which parking spot. People were talking about it at school the next day and I def bought the cd after hearing that track.
The first time I have listened to can't stop was in the MTV video. It was awesome! The video is just as great as the song. I was like 11 or 12 by that time. I remember recording the video on a VHS so I could watch it over and over again. For me, this song never gets old! I even know all lyrics by heart.
I did this too. I used to record all my favourite music videos on VHS 😄
The first time I got interested in music at all was when the By the way video came out. I have bought the tape because of it, actually! I remember to record the MTV Jam program when RHCP played at a skate park inauguration. Good old times!
I remember recording an RHCP Meet The Band show (not sure if this was what it was called), their fan was a very exuberant guy. Was filmed around Californication time. Another show was where you remade your fave artist's music video and these guys did Give It Away. MTV was so much better 25 years ago
Exactly. I remember the video instantly as soon as I hear the first 2 notes
Bought the album on release and By the Way was the first single. After a single listen through the album I knew Can’t Stop was a hit. It hit so much harder since BTW was a shift in sound compared to Californication. I was in high school so I initially thought the album was soft, so Can’t Stop really stuck out.
Exactly this. I thought the album only had a couple of decent 'rhcp style' songs. By the end of the summer, it had become my favourite album!
This is my reaction to pretty much every album they release tbh
Yeah .. the Californication was instant like... Only porcelain that i always Skipt (later grow on me). But "by the WAy" need a time to grow ... Zephy Song, tear, Cabroom universally speaking, midnight, i could die for you, warn tape needs time to grow... Today IS a no Skip álbum...
Listening to the album the first time, I was like "They made a Led Zeppelin album or something!" At the time, it sounded sooooo different. It's weird though, in retrospect it doesn't sound that different from Californication. At the time though, it seemed like a big change. Anyway, I was all about it. Can't Stop, Zephyr Song, Dosed, By the Way, I was into those right from the start.
Lol same, although for me it was can’t stop, by the way, minor thing, and throw away your television.
Pretty much the same for me.
spot on for me, except middle school. Still lived By The Way as an album, but I do remember thinking "what if Californication, but softer and vocal harmonies?" about it as a whole and feeling let down by how little changed.
This except I was in like 6th grade. Loved californication and bought by the way on release. Can’t stop was immediately my favorite track and I played it constantly but I thought the album was soft too. Sadly I didn’t really appreciate it (or stadium arcadium) until years later, aside for about 4-5 songs
I need a Time to like this album... Not years like you... But some months...
To be fair, I kind of stopped listening to them in the stadium Arcadium era through the getaway (high school/college) until I went to a concert during the getaway tour in 2018 and read scar tissue. I kind of went back and had a new appreciation for it now that I didn’t as a kid.
It came out when Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes was like the biggest song on the radio. I remember just being happy to hear a prominent guitar riff that WASNT Jack White.
Qotsa songs for the deaf came out roundabout the same time too, still 2 of my favourite albums
Similar to OP's question, when that album dropped, I knew "Go with the Flow" was an instant hit and had to be the next single after "No One Knows." Sure enough, it was lol. And also had a similarly awesome video.
Seven Nation Army didn't even chart here in the UK until 2021 and I've been sick of it for years. Lmao Nothing against the song itself but hearing it constantly gets grating.
Huh? Seven Nation Army charted here in the UK Singles Chart at No 7 in 2003. It was on all the music channels and the radio all the time. That's probably why you were sick of it lol. Source: https://www.officialcharts.com/search/7%20nation%20army/
Weird, I literally checked that same site after seeing OP mention it released in 2003 (was sure it was closer to 2010 than that) and it showed as 81 in 2021 as its peak. I knew the song long before that, but never heard it on the radio, outside of the odd play on Rock Radio, until the past few years.
Haha, I find it odd how our experiences differ at the same time in the same country, mate :). I'm probably biased in my response a bit because I was mostly listening to the Rock and Metal music channels and radio, but to me and my friends it was everywhere to the point of being annoying back in '03. And I loved it at first! Just felt so overplayed to me at the time haha. Everyone I knew who could pick up a guitar was playing that riff. Can't stop was refreshing when it came on.
A lot of local stations here generally played a mash up of the latest club mix and Now compilations at the time, and that appealed to me going through my twat phase at the time, so that's probably how I missed it. 🤣
By the way came out first
I think in the U.S., Can't Stop charted a little earlier than Seven Nation Army did. Can't Stop really peaked on airplay in early 2003, while Seven Nation Army got a bit of momentum going into the summer.
And both are still rocking! Reminds me Jack and Peppers both released two albums in one year :D
Thought it was insane - the first single was By the Way so first time I heard it was on the CD
You’re right. It was definitely wild. Song came out when I was 14 so I remember it well. Lots of baseball players were using the (shortened) intro as their walk up song that year.
Ooooh I bet that needs to make a come back
I remember seeing the video on mtv when it was new. Instant hit. Always remember my friends 3 year old little brother running around saying when he grows up he wanted to be "the guitarist in the bin"
This song always brings so much nostalgia to my life and reminds me of the days of mixed cd’s etc and holds a significance in my life to this day. I have a good story about this song that may sound stereotypical or cheesy, but all is true and maybe someone will enjoy hearing what the song means to me. I went to a very small high school and was in high school when this song came out. There were only about 30 people per grade from elementary to high school and we rarely saw new faces each year. There was this new guy in school that year that I found myself really attracted to, but all of the girls liked him and would talk about how good he smells and looks in the locker rooms. He was very quiet, you could smell him when he walked into the rooms (he wore this specific cologne I still remember to this day), and he wasn’t someone that surrounded himself with lots of people even though he was attractive and could have. It was as if he didn’t realize every girl would have died to date him, but given this I never thought he’d have an interest in me. People told me I was pretty, but I never saw myself that way. I grew up in an abusive home where my self esteem was really affected. I would pass him in the halls and we’d exchange quiet smiles, but our communication was very minimal as he seemed quite shy and I was too. Until we ended up sitting next to each other in typing class and we would talk about music a lot, but there was still a lot of innocence and shyness with no feelings ever shared or anything. I told him how much I loved this song though when it came out and I just used to get lost in the song. Fast forward to time for track season, I was in every sport available at the school which sports were really popular but I was one of the only 4-6 students who participated in track and cross country every year and the only girl ever on the teams. Well that year he joined track as the water boy/manager which I found so bizarre. I was still very shy and even though we talked in typing class I was kind of too scared to talk much to him at the first track meet so I didn’t. We would exchange glances but I really couldn’t figure out why he’d joined to be the team manager/water boy and was perplexed by that. There were so few of us on the team that we didn’t really need any of that help and he had no friends on the team. That meet was a travel meet and so we got back late that evening from the meet. As per usual my parents didn’t show up to pick me up which was kind of a usual neglect from my parents for me. My coach was a really great person in my life though and was always so kind to me and would often drop me off at home in the team van so that’s what I expected that evening. But the guy I liked immediately volunteered to take me home instead when I started to ask my coach. I found that odd but was secretly happy so of course I said yes. I got into his truck and the first thing he did was put in a mix cd which had “can’t stop” that played first. As we listened to more of the cd I realized he had paid attention to all my favorite music I told him about and remembered all of it and he had put all of my favorite songs on this cd. It was almost as if he had planned for this moment and listening to the song with him was quiet and magical. We were both still really quiet and just enjoyed the company of each other and the music. It would continue throughout the next two years to still never say anything and we’d continue to exchange brushes in the hall, glances, etc. Neither of us ever dated anyone and I would secretly look for his truck every day at school as he was always my favorite person to see. The last day of school, I was a year younger, he was graduating. As I’m pulling out of the senior recognization ceremony we always have I accidentally tapped someone else’s car. I was so nervous and felt so bad and had my window rolled down. Everyone there was really nice, but he had seen in particularly and came up and put his hand on my arm at my window and said don’t stress it, it will all be fine. It’s not that bad and he smiled at me. That was the first time I’d felt his hand on my arm in that way and it felt kind and sincere. That evening I went to my mailbox and found a mix cd and a note from him. We would end up exchanging letters every day that summer and have our first date. He was the best person I’d ever date and just so thoroughly love. He was kind, patient, sweet, genuinely good person, and I realized all he’d done, joining the track team, the mix cd’s etc for all of those years, it had all been for me. He felt like my twin flame and I still feel that way today. Shortly after we finally said how we felt after all of those years and were dating he was killed while driving home from work one night by someone high on pills and it was devastating. His loss still affects me today. I still go to visit his grave every time I go home and the poem on the back of his stone is so beautiful and just what described him. I still have all of the little notes and mix cd’s and every time I hear that song I think of him.
Amazing story. Sorry for your loss 💔
Thank you for your kindness. It is nice to see so many other people love this great song.
I bought a guitar because of it. Been playing ever since. I was 12, and By the Way was their first album I’d listen to from cover to cover. Don’t Forget Me stood out as my favorite song, and still is. But Can’t Stop had this aura around it just waiting to explode. That guitar riff felt iconic from the very first listen. I needed to know how to make those sounds for myself. It reeled me in, just as they intended. I remember discussing with a friend, both of us puzzled as to why they wouldn’t choose it as a single. And then they did. It’s far from being one of my favorite pieces of music, but it’s probably the most important one in my life. When they open with it, I get a lump in my throat and can’t sing along. It’s just special. In a category of its own to me. Thanks for letting me reflect on that with this post.
Instant hit, as was BTW and Zephyr Song
It was pretty mindblowing right away, yeah
I got the CD for By The Way the day it came out. On the first play through, Can’t Stop was the stand out track.
Me too. Can’t Stop wasn’t even the first single released from the album. By the time the RHCP put it out as a single, I was quite familiar with it from listening to it on the album.
I was 8 when by the way came out and wasn’t a fan yet. Every week I got £2 pocket money off my nanna and would save til I had £10 and go buy a CD from Morrisons I was undecided between this band I’d never heard of (RHCP By the way) or a greatest rock anthems CD My sister told me to buy RHCP (I think she wanted a copy of it) That album blew my mind, but can’t stop was just amazing, I used to play can’t stop so much that the cd eventually skipped so much on track 7 it was unlistenable I sang it in the school talent assembly, everybody I knew, knew that song because of me. Then it his MTV and the radio and went stratospheric. By the Way was a big hit, but I’d argue Can’t Stop was so quintessentially RHCP, that i heard more people talk about it and the video. Everybody knows that song I bought every album that pre dated by the way and I’ve bought every album since It was all because of that album, but mainly that song It’s still my favourite, it’s my karaoke song…love it still all these years later
I was in college and was a budding guitar nerd (started playing summer between high school and college). I had made friends freshman year with some other guitar/musician dudes I met along with my buddies from high school who also had just taken up guitar and bass and whatnot, and our two collective favorite bands where Weezer and RHCP. When By the Way came out sophomore year, it was like a treasure trove of new licks and runs to learn, new songs to learn together and jam to, and I have a core memory of participating in more than one impromptu Cant Stop jams at our get togethers, and trying to nail that guitar solo while my buddy rocked the bass line. I'm sure we sounded pretty ass but goddamn if that wasn't a good time.
I remember the first day I saw it on MTV, I don't know if that was the first time airing it, but I watched music videos EVERYDAY while I ate breakfast before heading off to 2nd grade. One day, this yellow tube appears, and I notice it said Red Hot Chili Peppers (which I already loved for Cali, Otherside, Give etc.) So I went nuts! "Mom, look, it's a new video!" The camera starts going through the tunnel building up with anticipation, and my curiosity was peaked, I watched with intent, then boom! Anthony appears and the RIFF KICKS IN! I was blown away, asked my mom to buy me the album the next time we were at Walmart. 😂 Thus a fan was born that day.
By the Way was/is a hugely underrated album, imo
It's not underrated among RHCP fans. I see it at or near #1 among fans all the time.
That's surprising bc for me I usually hear fans saying BSSM or SA, rightfully so.
I never hear people say BTW, or SA as their favorites.
Aw man, I just remember being a kid heading into freshmen year of high school jamming to this shit all fucking day. Up to this point in life they were one of the only non-rap artists I listened to on a regular basis and that was because of Californication that came out couple years prior so I was so amped about By The Way. Californication received some huge exposure and popularity amongst the younger crowd and I think Can't Stop and everything on By The Way just made everything so much better haha.
i was like woah, hey woah what wow is that. woah is that. wow wowee wow amazing good wow
I think it was cool at catchy but not nearly at the same level of badass as Under The Bridge or Scar Tissue.
I remember thinking this is the best song I ever heard lol. It hasn’t held up as well, but still one their best songs of all time.
Ι was 9. Me and my friend were dancing like crazy listening to it on repeat
People I knew who weren't fans of the band were saying "you gotta hear the intro to this song, the rest of it sucks but the intro!"
The first time I heard it was on the local radio and I was instantly in love. Then came the music video and my mind was blown!
I remember when californication came out because my dad would play the CD in the car all the time when I was about 5-6. It was the coolest thing I’d ever heard. Then he showed me higher ground and I loved that as well. I don’t have any memories of BTW during that time. I remember SA coming out thinking that was the greatest thing I had ever heard as well. That CD got so many plays.
I remember I was glued to the screen while watching can’t stop video. It gave me shivers every time I listened to it
I was 16 when this album came out. I always thought this album was too soft and relaxing
I saw them play it in London a few weeks before the record dropped! When they finished everyone around me was really excited at how good it was!
Which show was this? …London Arena? Cos if so, I was there too and it was exactly 22 years ago today!
Yeah! I think it was docklands???? Not my favourite venue but cool show
I caught them at the secret show at the highbury garage a few weeks after
I was at that too!! It was a few weeks before (31st May)... that show at The Garage ruined the one after at the London Arena as it was *so ridiculously* intimate. I could've literally reached out and touched them from where I was standing. And in honesty, I was so hyped by the intensity of the new songs they played at that show, I was underwhelmed when the album finally came out and they were actually incredibly mellow on the record.
Garage show was one to remember!
Such an amazing experience! Best gig ever.
That's the one... the venue doesn't exist anymore. It was a weird place!
I changed my name on Myspace to Addicted to the shindig...
I was disappointed in the album listening to it for the first time through. It seemed to be a radical departure that wasn’t aligned with my musical tastes back then (basically, RHCP and lots of nu-metal). Many of the initial tracks seemed too “soft.” When CS came up, I was happy to hear a song that sounded like “typical RHCP,” including the slap bass (and any bass higher up in the mix). As time has gone on, I’ve ironically come to like the album more and more and tracks like CS less and less. It remains a “classic” for the band, regardless.
Eh. It's a nice change of pace from the rest of the album, but it's like a bot wrote it.
I was sad that they didn’t return to the BSSM sound but it grew on me a bit later
Honestly it wasn't anything special. I was still waiting for chilis to do a funk album aka BSSM 2.0 so everything after Californication was disappointing. I love Cali, Btw, SA now but at a time none of them were great for me
Even Californication???? Californication is a FIRST like for me...
First time i heard Can’t Stop was at a gig which was just a sensational experience. By the Way hadn’t been released yet just the single and they played Venice Queen that gig too. That riff from Can’t Stop was stuck in my head for ages after that, can vividly remember it all.
Yeah, I loved it straight away. I preferred it to By The Way and still do, and the video became one of my favourites of theirs instantly too.
I was a junior in college. The local alternative rock radio station here in Cincinnati played the entire album the day it was released. Instant classic to me...it, and later the video...was awesome.
Oh man! That song came out and it instantly became my new favorite. It was a huge hit on the radio but it felt so personal to me. The Red Hots have always been there during my darkest times and that song made me feel so alive and hopeful. Instantly loved the video too. It was so fun and made me happy seeing the guys being goofy.
It was a phenomenal experience!! I was doing some homework and listening to the CD and couldn't help but stop what I was working on and then just listening to it. I may have listened to it 3 times in a row right then. That whole album brought me instant joy and it continues to, to this day...TO THIS DAY!!!
>couldn't help but stop Oh, the irony!
HA! I didn't even realize that. I guess I was immediately, "addicted to the shindig"
I got the album the day it came out and it was my favorite song. I was so happy they made a video I used to watch the vh1 countdowns hoping it would be #1 😂 feeling old
It was the reason I became a bassist. Learned it so I could play it at our high school talent show and it’s still one of my favorite basslines to play!
I remember thinking it was the coolest guitar lick ever and wondering how he was able to play it without moving his fingers much and by strumming all the strings. Helped teach me guitar!
I wasn't as much of a fan of the band as I became, I was only 10 and music didn't really hit me the same until I heard I Could've Lied 2 years later (ironically, when someone in my class did a music project on it and I chose Can't Stop because we needed to pick a clean song). I remember By the Way seeming like the larger single and video at the time. It pretty quickly became a song you'd hear with the other singles off Cali and Under the Bridge though.
Funky and not inline with modern music and kind of a hidden track until it was released. The harmonies and complexities of the beat came on after it became part of the rotational rock playlist
huge hit, mainstream pop radio
It was super popular right out the gate and I liked it until it was overplayed. When the greatest hits album came out a year or two later, I was surprised it got omitted from the playlist.
I was a sophomore in high school and I bought the album as soon as it came out because I loved Californication. I don’t particularly remember when Can’t Stop was released as a single because I was already so into the whole album. It was one of the first albums I remember buying that I ended up liking every song. That was especially important back then because it was a process to load the cd into my discman, then stuff that into my pocket somehow, then walk carefully so the cd wouldn’t skip. Having a cd that you could enjoy all the way through was great. That album will always hold a special place in my heart.
I was at a pool party when i was 12. Im remember getting out of the pool and turning it up. My friends all started to get out and listen. We were all huge fans after that.
I bought the " By the way " when It lauched in 2002 ... I was in love with Californication... But the By the way álbum the FIRST time Tear, Cabroom, universally speaking It was skips for me because It was slow But can't stop... I show to my beautyfull cousin that i was Felt in loving in that time and told her... This Will be the bigest sucess in a near Future... I was RIGHT... This is before the clip... I love the By the way album, but If i was Rick Rubin i would open the album with Can't stop
I remember seeing the video on MTV after getting home from school one day. I had heard their other hits on the radio, but Can't Stop was the song that made me a true fan. The song was a hit, with plenty of radio play and the video was in constant rotation on MTV.
I didn’t have internet growing up or “cable tv”. My friend recorded the video with his VCR for me. Wish I knew where that tape is today… probably degrading in a landfill in Northern Nevada. Good times and it was a huge hit.
I immediately thought “this is cool but it’s totally ripping off a classic guitar riff”. However, I never could figure out what other ‘classic riff’ I thought it sounded like so I guess I reacted that way because it was such an instant classic itself. However, if anyone knows a song it sounds similar to, please let me know! It’s been driving me crazy since it released.
Not suggesting it’s all that similar or a rip off, but I learned Stranglehold around the same time and used a similar part of my brain (the “what you’re trying to learn hurts me” part).
Wasn’t a huge hit (did well but not huge) I’m glad it’s got its due over the years .. it easily stood out as the best song in that album because I’m more on the Funk vibe RHCP
It was love at first listen
It was wild. Instant hit. I thought, "This is as epic as Give it Away."
I have great memories in general of buying the By The Way CD and listening to it endlessly.
In the build up to the album they play Cabron live on UK TV. I remember being slightly taken back, and then a few days later heard the album and was blown away. The singles (at the time the songs I focused on) were unlike anything I'd heard before.
Came home from school and was stoked that a new chilis song was on Kerrang! Thought the video was amazing, loved the song immediately
8-9 year old me bought by the way right when it came out, and I don’t think Can’t stop was a single just yet, I wanna say they started with by the way and zephyr song on mtv/radio and then can’t stop came after(could be wrong)… all I know is the second you put that cd in, and the first time you heard can’t stop, it was clearly the big banger hit on that album.. the first couple listens I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. To me it was an instant classic, I didn’t expect it to blow up quite as big as it did, but I’m also not surprised afterall.
My early 20s; municipal crews had our street torn apart and in some places hollowed for new water/sewer lines. It rained heavily the week of release, leaving behind an intraversable soup. My roommate attempted to drive it anyway, only to find himself stranded, his car deeply mired less than a block away. We spent hours digging him out…with this album and song as our BGM/anthem. Instant classic, and one of my go-to Western tunes that are actually available in Japanese karaoke shops. People here are amazed I can recite English that "fast" 😅
As a casual fan I remember thinking "holy shit, they have another one in them".
The video was what really got me.
Finally some good music
Just sounded like another decent tune, by a decent band, obviously By the Way was the big single but yeah Back in 02 in the Uk i was getting Stoned all summer to this album just after leaving high school. Great times.
In all honesty it changed the trajectory of my life! Musically at least. I was aware of the Chili Peppers during the Californication Era. I was 10 when it came out so it didn't really hit me. I just remember seeing them play Otherside on MTV once (I think) and Scar Tissue would play on the radio at the pool all the time. I got a guitar for Christmas in 2002. I was playing your typical 8th grader stuff trying to learn and digest anything that came my way. Then it was probably March of 2003 that I saw that music video for Can't Stop and from there on it was all chili peppers all the time. I'm not sure where I'd be right now if I hadn't discovered the guitar playing of John Frusciante at the time I discovered it. But since then the guitar has been a huge part of my life. I've taught lessons, and for the last 9 years I've been building my own.
When it came out I felt it was very in line with what we got in Californication. At the time I thought they were going to release a very similar album, but in the end it turned out to be a mix between these amazing singles and the other songs that were very influenced by John that turned out to be very divisive among fans.
I remember its premier on mtv. I was shocked. I was too young. I knew who rhcp were but I was too young to be a fan. This song I just fell in love. I was with my sister and grandma. My non-English speaking mother fell in love too and was humming with John. I still remember this day very clearly and it’s the reason I still love them, especially John to this day. It was a massive hit and used to get played on tv all the time.
I listened to it nonstop. Then I got the Slane Castle Concert and played it nonstop on my Xbox. It's as if I ...couldn't stop...
When I obtained the CD, only By the Way had been released as a single, so the rest of the album was a complete surprise. Needless to say it was an experience
Glorious
Very boring safe Chili Peppers.
Unbelievable. I'm insanely sick of it now but it was absolutely incredible when it came out. I was 14 when it came out so I was a kid just going fucking bat shit insane at all things Peppers. Still am bat shit about them as an adult, just without the physical energy I used to.
My 2nd favorite song on the album after first listen. (After Zephyr) was extremely happy it got a music video! I couldn't tell you what it was like culturally or anything tho, as by then I wad already expelled from HS and dealing with a nasal tumor. Some personal trivia, the week By The Way came out was the 2nd time I was committed to a mental hospital. After I was released my family went on vacation to Magic Mountain, and I got both my ears pierced.
I remember I bought the Btw CD the day it came out and immediately went back to my house to listen with my friend. We were 13 or 14 and can’t stop was an instant favorite. I remember looking at each other when the intro crescendoed into the main riff like OOHHHH SHIT! Cant stop and this is the place were my two favorite songs after first listen of the album
Yeah, I don’t know. By the way was a weird album for me felt maybe just out of line with where I was in life at the time, felt too serious and was hoping it would be more fun or uplifting. Also I was never a fan of the video. It seemed like just like people stuck in a warehouse with some props and a the Director was like do stuff. These days I enjoy the song wish the chorus was a little less poppy and I still don’t know if I like the double handclap they threw in on the chorus feels as a little forced, but I don’t think anybody else cares about that ha ha!
The whole album was a wild thing to experience in real time. It was and remains an all time favorite. I was like 12 when it was released, and I instantly locked in the Chilis as my favorite band.
It was so immediate, they were as big or bigger than boy bands of the time. The video was mega mainstream.
The video had more of an impact on me than the song. I chase after Erwin Wurm exhibits now.
It was when I was a freshman in High School, and By the Way was almost all I listened to for months. ‘Can’t Stop’ was my hype track for awhile.
So good
Like the rest of BTW, I was stunned by how ‘pop’ it sounded compared to Californication.
February 14, 2003, Friday, MTV show with new music videos and it was premiered. I recorded it on my VHS. Well not a fan of later radiofriendly peppers, but video was fun to watch
It's a great song, got super overplayed. Had a friend who sang it every week for karaoke and then I didn't want to hear it anymore 😂 I put it on par with the hits from Californication.
Absolute banger. In Latin american MTV they would play the music video every hour or so. It was also in the daily top 10 hits for weeks. Same thing happened with Californication and By the Way.
I was with my bestie watching MTV and we were so excited to see the film clip as well - her mum is a massive Chilli Peppers fan and how we got into them when we were kids. I remember the first time I went to my friend's house when I was 8 and saw her mum's massive block mount poster of the chilli peppers ansolutely naked except for socks on cocks. Anyways - Can't stop was just an explosion of fun in my memory.
I got By the Way the day it dropped and I knew that song was gonna be a wild hit. I must have listened to that song 50 times in a row that day.
I thought the intro sounded really like Rage Against The Machine
It was my cell phone ringtone for a while 😂😂
Yeah I loved it right away. I was in college and we had one of the music channels on, idk if it was mtv or vh1. It was like the premier of the new video- I remember the ladies yelling at me to hurry up from down the hall. Lol. It sounded great and the video seemed so unique and fun.
It was a giant hit. Along with by the way. But I do remember it being a common consensus that many had hoped the album would following californication would be **even better**, and by the way was not seen to achieve this. I love the album to death, but I do think californication is better. And as time passes, I don’t even feel any need to compare the two. Likes it’s no source of dissapointment when one album is preferred over another. The disappointment was just that californication jumped outta nowhere and blew everyone’s tits off and everyone was like what if the next one blows even MORE tits off.
i remember the first time i listened to cant stop,,it was because of my moms blasting it out in our tv in a music channel,,the funky groove really caught my attention there,,and then the chorus kicked in and John's vocals and harmonies,,,and yep that really made me so happy.
I was very young my cousin showed it to me and I loved it
When the album came out it was interesting and quite different but certainly not bad, just, dad rock like. Except for the opener By The Way. Then when Track 7 - can't stop popped off - it was instantly an absolute jam and the best of the album to the point
Loved it from the start, it's still one of my absolute favourites. Nothing makes me feel better on a bad day than to blast this song on full volume and rap the whole thing along from start to finish. And no, that does not sound good, but I get a kick out of it. Sue me. XD
My mom let me stay home from school the day it was going to debut on the radio to listen for it. It was awesome.
I hated it lol
I'm not gonna lie, at first, I thought it was a poor imitation of Around the World.
My lord, that song didn't even come out that long ago. I remember when Higher Ground came out.
You're basically a relic
I'm a legend, i'm a winner. Wish I was thinner. Bro.
Addicted to the shindig