‘Greatest Hits’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers reaches 520 weeks — a decade — on the U.K.’s Official Albums chart, a first for the band. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 30: (L-R) Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers attend the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for FIREAID)
Getty Images for FIREAID
Most musical artists that never disappear from album charts are able to appear week after week thanks to compilations. Collections that gather together the most famous singles from a singer or band are nothing new, and in fact they have always been important in the global music industry. The projects drove sales, helped record labels earn more from music that had already been released and remained fan favorites, especially among more casual listeners.
These days, with streaming impacting the most important album rankings around the world, compilations have become even more ever-present. Their success is no longer centered entirely around people purchasing them. Pressing play on perhaps just one chart-topping tune during a tracking week can help keep an entire collection afloat.
Red Hot Chili Peppers can once again be found on multiple album rankings across the Atlantic in the United Kingdom. Two titles by the Grammy-winning band chart this week, with one hugely successful compilation reaching a very special milestone the rockers have never seen before.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Reaches a Decade on the Albums Chart
Greatest Hits is still going strong on the Official Albums chart. The compilation rises one space to No. 41, coming within a single rung of breaking back into the top 40 on the list of the 100 most-consumed albums and EPs in the U.K. As of this frame, Greatest Hits has spent 520 weeks on the roster. It’s rare for any one title to hold on – or disappear only to return – for an entire decade, and this week marks a first for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Greatest Hits Easily Leads the Band’s Catalog
Only a very small number of releases by the Red Hot Chili Peppers have managed triple-digit stays on the Official Albums ranking. Blood Sugar Sex Magik spent 121 weeks on the list, while Californication reached 169. The compilation never reached No. 1, as several Red Hot Chili Peppers albums have. Greatest Hits peaked at No. 4, but when it comes to longevity, it has easily outpaced every other title from the band.
Streaming Keeps Greatest Hits Going on the Charts
Greatest Hits also appears on the Official Albums Streaming chart, where it actually performs better than on the main albums ranking. The collection slips two spaces to No. 32 on the streaming roster, nine spots higher than where it lands on the current edition of the Official Albums chart.
At the same time, Greatest Hits does not appear on any of the U.K.’s sales-focused album rankings. That contrast offers a clear picture regarding listeners consume the decades-old compilation these days.
Greatest Hits is approaching another enormous milestone on the Official Albums Streaming tally. In less than two months, the compilation will hit 600 weeks on the ranking, putting it years ahead of its own performance on the Official Albums list.
Californication Lands on Two Different U.K. Lists
Californication also appears on two U.K. album charts this week, though notably, there is no overlap with Greatest Hits. The studio set falls slightly on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums rankings.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Can’t Stop” Holds On
“Can’t Stop” is the only Red Hot Chili Peppers song to chart anywhere in the U.K. this time around. The fan favorite holds steady at No. 6 on the Official Rock & Metal Singles ranking, where it has now spent an extraordinary 735 weeks. “Can’t Stop” has taken its turn at No. 1 on the rock tally in the past, and more than two decades after its release, it is still somehow a top 10 hit.
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