Red Hot Chili Peppers Top Charts Worldwide With ‘Unlimited Love’
Red Hot Chili Peppers have topped charts worldwide with their new album, Unlimited Love. The group’s twelfth studio album sees members Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Chad Smith reunite with guitarist John Frusciante for the first time since his departure in 2009.
Unlimited Love is the band’s chart-topping album in the United States since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium with 97,500 equivalent album units earned in the US in its first week. In total, the group has tallied eight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200. The album had the largest week, by equivalent album units and album sales, for any rock album in over a year. The last larger week by a rock set was registered by Paul McCartney’s McCartney III when it debuted at No 2 on the 2 January 2021 chart with 107,000 units — of which album sales comprised 104,000.
Unlimited Love’s first-week sales were boosted by its availability across multiple colour vinyl LP variants and special editions. In total, the set sold 38,500 copies on vinyl — the largest US sales week for an album on vinyl in 2022, and the second-biggest sales week for a rock album on vinyl since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991. Only Jack White’s Lazaretto (40,000) posted a larger week for a rock album on vinyl (28 June 2014 chart) since 1991. Thus, Unlimited Love claims the largest week on a vinyl for a rock album by a group in that 31-year span.
It also gave them their first UK chart-topper in more than a decade. Prior to this, Red Hot Chili Peppers have topped the Official UK Albums Chart with By The Way (2002), Live in Hyde Park (2004), Stadium Arcadium (2006) and I’m With You (2011). Unlimited Love also tops this week’s uk Official Vinyl Albums Chart.
Red Hot @ChiliPeppers are Number 1 on TWO Official Charts this week ?️?️ https://t.co/vieQpzLqwo
— Official Charts (@officialcharts) April 10, 2022
The new LP isn’t just a hit in the US and UK. Unlimited Love has also topped the album charts in the Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and more.