Most listeners recommend starting with Californication (1999) or Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) as they represent the band's most iconic sound.
A significant departure. For the first time in 25 years, Rick Rubin was not producing. Instead, the band hired Danger Mouse (Brian Burton). The result is the Peppers’ most polished, electronic-tinged album. "Dark Necessities" is an instant classic—a slinky, bass-driven track that became their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart in a decade.