10 Legendary Albums That Fans Originally Hated
3. One Hot Minute - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Every era of classic Red Hot Chili Peppers music tends to be defined by whether John Frusciante is in the band or not. Even though Hillel Slovak is known as the original wizard behind the fretboard for the Peppers, John's tight grip on melody helped them notch up their most celebrated hits like Give it Away and Under the Bridge. And right in between Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication, there's that one record that no one likes to talk about that much.
From the first few notes, you can really feel John's absence on One Hot Minute, being a lot more aggro and born out of pain instead of the positive vibes the band try to put in every one of their songs. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, with this being the closest the Peppers have come to making a metal album, as Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction shreds on songs like Warped and Shallow Be Thy Game.
As the years go by, One Hot Minute has become more of an underrated gem in the Peppers' catalog than an odd detour, giving you a look into what the more ferocious side of the band could sound like. Losing John was not going to be easy by any stretch, but the way forward wasn't just trying to recreate the same magic. The Peppers were looking to channel that pain and made one of the most human albums on their career.