10 Songs That Defined The '90s
9. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
1991 will probably go down in history as one of the most prolific years for classics to be released on the hit parade. Along with Nirvana's Nevermind and Metallica's Black Album populating the charts, we also had albums like Ten by Pearl Jam, the Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest, and U2's Achtung Baby being released in mere months of each other. Out of all of them though, the one that seemed to come out of nowhere was Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik, thanks in no small part to Under the Bridge.
While the Chilis were always a mainstay of the LA club scene throughout the '80s, their rise to fame off of this record came from just how open hearted this tune was, as Anthony Kiedis details his experiences with heroin and how he needed to run away from his checkered past. Aside from the raw song, the construction of this song is phenomenal, paving the way for the more rootsy production that you'd find in bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden on their later records.
Even as Lollapalooza started just a few years later, the Peppers were already veterans of the stage, being the source of inspiration for millions of bands just getting their feet wet on the circuit. RHCP would have many different classics after Under the Bridge, but this is probably the most emblematic song for just how weird the '90s were going to get.