Otherside

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title: "Otherside" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1999-songs", "1999-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-jonathan-dayton-and-valerie-faris", "number-one-singles-in-iceland", "red-hot-chili-peppers-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-rick-rubin", "commemoration-songs", "songs-written-by-anthony-kiedis", "songs-written-by-chad-smith", "songs-written-by-flea-(musician)", "songs-written-by-john-frusciante", "warner-records-singles", "songs-about-addiction", "songs-about-suicide"] description: "2000 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherside" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2000 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Otherside
cover	red_hot_chili_peppers_otherside.jpg
type	single
artist	Red Hot Chili Peppers
album	Californication
B-side	How Strong
released
genre	Alternative rock
length	4:15
label	Warner Bros.
writer	Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith
producer	Rick Rubin
prev_title	Around the World
prev_year	1999
next_title	Californication
next_year	2000
misc
::

::callout[type=note] the Red Hot Chili Peppers song ::

| name = Otherside | cover = red_hot_chili_peppers_otherside.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Red Hot Chili Peppers | album = Californication | B-side = How Strong | released = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Alternative rock | length = 4:15 | label = Warner Bros. | writer = Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith | producer = Rick Rubin | prev_title = Around the World | prev_year = 1999 | next_title = Californication | next_year = 2000 | misc = "Otherside" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, Californication (1999), and confronts the battles addicts have with their prior addictions. The track was released in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan in 1999 and was given an international release to radio in January 2000.

The single was highly successful, peaking at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the fourth-highest peak for the band, and number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, which was, at the time, the fifth for the band. The song remained at number one on this chart for 13 consecutive weeks, one of the longest runs at the top of that chart. It was also a big success in Iceland, where it became the second single from the album to reach number one, and in New Zealand, where it charted at number five.

"Otherside" refers to former band member Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroin overdose in 1988.

Music video

The video was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris in a black-and-white/monochrome Gothic style similar to Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, all influenced by German Expressionist art. Elements of Cubism and work by the graphic artist M. C. Escher are also seen in the video.

A cartoonish story line is juxtaposed upon the song; that of a young man's dream sequence. The band members appear dressed in black in unusual locations, with props intended to appear as surreal instruments. Throughout the video Anthony Kiedis with short, platinum hair is seen in a castle tower. His stage persona is different and quite dark when compared to his more energetic performances in other videos. John Frusciante plays a rope down a long corridor as if a guitar. Flea is hanging on high voltage wires and playing them as if they were a bass guitar, and Chad Smith is up on a tower with a rotating medieval clock that serves as his drum kit.

Jonathan Dayton: "We did look at Caligari, and we looked at a lot of German Expressionist film. But it was also very important to avoid 'Caligari.' It was both inspiration and something to work around, because it has such a strong, specific style, and there have been other videos that have completely ripped it off."

Valerie Faris: "We didn't look at 'Calagari' all that much, really. We did, but then we just left it. We did look at a lot of the works of the futurist artists from the '30s, and the illustrations of the surrealists and from cubism. We were inspired more by paintings than by films…"

Reception

"Otherside" is widely considered to be one of the band's best songs. In 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number five on their list of the 20 greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers songs, and in 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the song number six on their list of the 40 greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers songs.

Live performances

"Otherside" has remained a constant staple on the band's tours since 1999, making it one of their top ten most performed songs.

Remixes

In 2009, Seattle producer Ryan Lewis sampled the song as a backdrop for his song of the same name with the rapper Macklemore. The song depicted Macklemore's own personal struggles as well as the wider problems that the hip hop community has with drug abuse.

In 2010, house duo Third Party made an unofficial remix of the song. The remix garnered considerable attention, but was never released. It was made official and released by Warner Records in 2013.

In 2015 British DJ Paul Oakenfold released a Future House remix released also by Warner Records, another version was released by Italian DJ Benny Benassi alongside Oakenfold.

Track listings

CD single (2000)

1. "Otherside" (album) – 4:16
2. "How Strong" (previously unreleased)– 4:43

CD version 2 (2000)

1. "Otherside" (album) – 4:16
2. "My Lovely Man" (live) – 5:18
3. "Around the World" (music video)

CD version 3 [Australian release] (2000)

1. "Otherside" (album) – 4:16
2. "How Strong" (previously unreleased) – 4:46
3. "My Lovely Man" (live) – 5:18
4. "Road Trippin'" (without strings) – 3:25
5. "Scar Tissue" (music video)
6. "Around the World" (music video)

CD version 4 (2000)

1. "Otherside" (album) – 4:16
2. "How Strong" (previously unreleased) – 4:43
3. "My Lovely Man" (live) – 5:18
4. "Road Trippin'" (without strings) – 3:25

CD version 5 (2000)

1. "Otherside" (album) – 4:16
2. "How Strong" (previously unreleased) – 4:43
3. "Road Trippin'" (without strings) – 3:25
4. "Otherside" (music video)

Cassette version [US] (1999)

1. "Otherside" (album) - 4:16
2. "How Strong" (previously unreleased) – 4:43

Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals
• John Frusciante – guitar, backing vocals
• Flea – bass
• Chad Smith – drums, shaker, cowbell

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "Otherside""] | Chart (2000) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Greece (IFPI) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Poland (Music & Media) | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 74 | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 11 | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table] | Chart (2019) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

::data[format=table] | Chart (2026) | Peak position | Portugal (AFP) | |---|---|---| | 186 | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "Otherside""]

Chart (2000)	Position	Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)	Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	US Billboard Hot 100	US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)	US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)	US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Triple-A (Billboard)
2
57
10
59
26
6
90
4
29
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "Otherside""]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	Australia	New Zealand	Japan	United States	United Kingdom	United States
December 1999	CD	Warner Bros.	url=https://imgur.com/kdbe89w	title=New Releases!	publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association	via=Imgur	access-date=November 21, 2021}} Note: The source erroneously says the song was released on December 13, but that was when it first charted.
December 13, 1999
December 22, 1999
January 11, 2000	Alternative radio
January 31, 2000	CD
February 21, 2000
February 22, 2000	Contemporary hit radio
::

References

References

1. "411MANIA - The 8 Ball 5.18.14: Top 8 Red Hot Chili Peppers Music Videos". The 8 Ball 5.18.14: Top 8 Red Hot Chili Peppers Music Videos.
2. "The music video on Google Videos".
3. Law, Sam. (March 17, 2021). "The 20 greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers songs – ranked".
4. (April 11, 2022). "The 40 Greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs".
5. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Tour Statistics - setlist.fm".
6. (February 26, 2000). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
7. (June 17, 2000). "Top National Sellers".
8. (January 14, 2000). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (13.1 – 20.1 2000)". [[DV (newspaper).
9. (February 19, 2000). "Major Market Airplay – Week 08/2000".
10. "Top 200 Singles Semana 03 de 2026". [[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]].
11. (January 5, 2001). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir.
12. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2000". [[Dutch Top 40]].
13. "End of Year Charts 2000". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
14. "Billboard Top 100 – 2000".
15. (December 22, 2000). "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000".
16. (December 30, 2000). "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks".
17. (December 22, 2000). "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000".
18. (December 30, 2000). "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Modern Rock Tracks".
19. (December 22, 2000). "The Best of 2000: Most Played Triple-A Songs".
20. "New Releases!". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
21. (December 13, 1999). "New Releases".
22. "アザーサイド {{!}} レッド・ホット・チリ・ペッパーズ". [[Oricon]].
23. (January 7, 2000). "Alternative: Going for Adds".
24. (January 29, 2000). "New Releases – For Week Starting 31 January, 2000: Singles".
25. (February 11, 2000). "Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates".
26. (February 18, 2000). "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::