10 Best Sequel Songs In Rock

In the grand scheme of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dani California might be considered their best song. Despite having some questionable origins in Tom Petty's Mary Jane's Last Dance, the mix of punk, funk, and balladry across this tale of Californian excess is something that goes hand in hand with these funk rock gods. However, something that perfect needs a little time to grow before it reaches its final form.

Though this is the first time that Dani herself has been the focus of an entire song, a look at the Chilis' back catalog shows something different going on. Rather than being a sequel proper, this is a case where Dani is a recurring character in many of the band's hits. Long before they got to work on Stadium Arcadium, Anthony Kiedis had talked about Dani being the "teenage bride with a baby inside" from Californication. That's not where the story ends though, with Dani also being namechecked in their smash single By the Way.

Even though this kind of thing could sound cheap after the third time, this track brought out the best in every single member of the group, with Flea delivering an amazing bassline and John Frusciante living up to his own visions of Jimi Hendrix. Whether or not Dani is a real person or just the personification of Kiedis' Californian dreams is certainly up for debate, but with tracks like this still coming down the pipeline, she can make as many appearances as she wants.