Opinion: My Friends

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd February 2026

Song title: My Friends

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

Last month, Triple J's sister station Double J did a recap of the 1995 Hottest 100. It has been something of a tradition these past few years to play the Hottest 100 from twenty years prior but this is the first time that a Hottest 100 from thirty years prior. 

Still this was one Hottest 100 I remember quite fondly. At the time I was growing out of the malaise that was commercial radio and discovering that there are worlds beyond such restrictions: I started listening to Triple j and, as such, became very well acquainted with the songs featured on that Hottest 100 list.

Whilst that particular Hottest 100 may be hindered by a large number of novelty songs, it has some strong moments. And it has a run of songs that always stood out to me:

19. Red Hot Chili Peppers - My Friends

20. Garbage - Queer

21. Live - Lightening Crashes

22. Passengers (U2 + Pavarotti) - Miss Sarajevo 

If there was a moment that defined the mid-nineties/post-grunge depression that was it. I do recall Billy Corgan once observing the Kurt Cobain's death took a lot of wind out of everyone's sails and I believe such a mood is best represented by these songs. 

Okay so maybe Queer is the odd one out but the other three certainly fit remarkably well together. Play them together, both in forward and reverse order, and they work in a way that shouldn't be possible.