RockLists.com
Cover of By the Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Cover: By the Way

Song · Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Can't Stop” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

From the album By the Way (2002)

“Can't Stop” by Red Hot Chili Peppers appears on 67 radio countdowns from 35 stations between 2002 and 2026. It was first released in 2002 on the album By the Way. Its best result is #2 on the WBCN Top 104 Songs of 2003. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #6 alternative song of 2003, #414 alternative song of all time and #46 of the '00s.

67countdowns
35stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
13top 10 finishes
2002–2026years charted

Watch

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop [Official Music Video]

Video from YouTube (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Can't Stop" came from By the Way, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album, and went out as its third single in February 2003. Rick Rubin produced it, and all four members share the writing credit: Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante and Chad Smith.

It's the band at their most elastic, a tightly wound funk-rock workout built on a scratchy, chattering guitar riff and a rhythm section that never sits still, while Kiedis rattles off a rapid-fire stream of rhymes before the chorus opens up into something broad and melodic. The title isn't a lie: it's restless, springy and wound up in the best way.

It became the band's eighth number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, holding the top spot for three weeks; it also peaked at 57 on the Hot 100 and made the top 40 in several other countries.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2002 63 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 2002 91
2002 88 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 2002 100
2002 85 K-Rock New York, NY K-Rock Top 92.3 Songs of 2002 92
2002 90 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2002 100
2002 53 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 2002 107
2003 11 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2003 107
2003 7 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2003 101
2003 6 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 2003 100
2003 11 K-Rock New York, NY K-Rock Top 92.3 Songs of 2003 92
2003 10 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2003 100
2003 7 89X Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON 89X Top 89 Songs of 2003 89
2003 12 Y100 Philadelphia, PA Y100 Top 100 Songs of 2003 100
2003 4 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 102 Songs of 2003 102
2003 10 The Bear Ottawa, ON The Bear Top 107 Songs of 2003 107
2003 4 The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2003 99
2003 34 Channel 104.9 San Jose, CA Channel 104.9 Top 104.9 Songs of 2003 105
2003 2 WBCN Boston, MA WBCN Top 104 Songs of 2003 104
2003 54 (tie) WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 2003 196
2003 36 102.1 The Edge Dallas-Fort Worth, TX KDGE Top 102 Songs of 2003 102
2003 24 88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 50 Songs of 2003 50
2003 3 103.1 The Buzz West Palm Beach, FL Buzz 103.1 Top 103 Buzz Cuts of 2003 103
2003 34 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 2003 103
2003 6 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2003 100

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2004 186 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 290 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 6 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the New Millennium 96
2005 144 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 236 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 48 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the Millennium (December 2006) 107
2006 250 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 204 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 217 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 211 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 178 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 214 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 43 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 2009) 101
2009 107 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 211 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 83 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2010 5 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 200
2010 12 WJRR WJRR Top 101 Songs of the Decade 101
2010 118 94.1 The Zone 94.1 The Zone 210 Most Played Songs of the Decade 210
2010 192 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 9 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 102 New Rock Songs of the 2000s 102
2011 185 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 184 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 414 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Songs of the New Millennium (2013) 885
2014 177 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 115 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 124 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2019 103 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2019 402 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2020 226 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2021 25 107.7 The End The End Obligatory Top 100 Alternative Songs of All Time (2021) 100
2021 90 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 630 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s 907
2022 331 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 62 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2023 154 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2024 69 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 36 107.7 The End The End Sweet Summer Vibes Countdown (2024) 100
2024 458 WXPN WXPN The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century (2024) 885
2025 57 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2025 262 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 358 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century 909
2026 261 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 53 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500

Charting alongside it in 2003

Best songs of 2003 →
  1. 1Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes
  2. 2Like a StoneAudioslave
  3. 3Bring Me to LifeEvanescence
  4. 4Somewhere I BelongLinkin Park
  5. 5Times Like TheseFoo Fighters
  6. 6Weak and PowerlessA Perfect Circle

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.