Stadium Arcadium
by Red Hot Chili Peppers
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 1071 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 955 out of 1071
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 1071
  3. Negative: 70 out of 1071

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  1. MusicMaven
    May 24, 2006
    7
    There's way too much material here. The band is tighter than ever, so the excess is expertly played filler, but filler nonetheless. There are no songs here that are going to make anyone forget the best of Mother's Milk or Blood Sugar Sex Magik. But if you enjoyed Californication and By The Way, then this is still a good bet.
  2. NathanD
    Feb 21, 2007
    7
    Don't get me wring I am a huge chilli peppers fan, but this is there worst work ever. I miss what the the chili peppers really stood for FUNK. It seems that they are try to turn way to main stream and it made the album not that satisfatory. even togh this album doesnt have the funk i want there was still some but not eniugh. I wish they would make another BSSM
  3. AEOlson
    Dec 29, 2006
    7
    It suffers from double album syndrome, it's not all that innovative, and the Peppers can be predictable at times. All that said, theres a lot of good songs between the two discs and it's a solid release, just not "album of the year."
  4. TTW107
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    I love the whole album, but the thing is, I love almost every other Red Hot Chili Peppers album more than this one. My go to songs are She's Only 18 and Wet Sand!
  5. RobertN
    Jul 15, 2013
    7
    An underrated album for sure. Although not every song on the album is perfect (or at all good), it makes up for it with amazing and memorable songs which are sure to become some of your favourites.
  6. KingKoogs
    May 8, 2006
    6
    A poor follow up to "By The Way" It would appear the chillis have gone for quantity over quality on this record. It lacks the passion & soul of BSSM. It is frustrating in the sense that they are capable of making much better music. If this is not the last lp the chillis put out i will be very suprised!
  7. BurgerB
    May 9, 2006
    6
    Listened to the album this morning, can't really say that I can recall any memorable song or riff, it all seems a bit bland, the album seems to drag on way to long. Reminicent of a bunch of middle aged hippies on prozac. I am suprised that an album like this gets a better rating than the new pearl jam. There is alot to be said for double cd's, perhaps they should have kept the Listened to the album this morning, can't really say that I can recall any memorable song or riff, it all seems a bit bland, the album seems to drag on way to long. Reminicent of a bunch of middle aged hippies on prozac. I am suprised that an album like this gets a better rating than the new pearl jam. There is alot to be said for double cd's, perhaps they should have kept the playlist shorter and more focussed.… Expand
  8. BrendanD
    May 8, 2006
    6
    This album is fine, but it's as "fine" as U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind" -- not as a career summary, mind you, but because it sounds exactly like the type of album everyone would expect from the band. There are no stunning leaps forward, Anthony Kedis continues to struggle writing lyrics and then annunciating them in a way that goes along with the music (see his This album is fine, but it's as "fine" as U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind" -- not as a career summary, mind you, but because it sounds exactly like the type of album everyone would expect from the band. There are no stunning leaps forward, Anthony Kedis continues to struggle writing lyrics and then annunciating them in a way that goes along with the music (see his strange pronunciation of "Universally Speaking" off the last record). What the band does well, of course, is allowing pop maestro John Fruciante to design pretty much everything else in the background. Vocally, Fruciante and Flea are now the heart of this band, especially when Kedis tries (and fails) to rap, and there are a few guitar solos reminicient not of the Ernie Isley funk they've been playing for so long but of David Gilmour's best Pink Floyd work. The album's production, of course, is horrendous. Rick Rubin might be the single most overrated producer in history, and the flaws bleed through on this record. For example, the title track, which I think is probably the best song on the album, is a natural progression from great tunes like "Tear" and "Dosed" . . . and yet there seems to be something magic in those two songs that "Stadium Arcadium" and nearly every other track on the record is missing. Despite these obvious flaws, the record is still worth hearing...at least, half of it. As with most double albums, there's really no reason for about half the songs to even exist. It makes "Stadium Arcadium," through all its sameness, an ultimately unfulfilling record. The Chili Peppers need to stick to what they've become so good at: writing great pop singles that make the audience feel like they're driving through Southern California.… Expand
  9. Matt
    May 9, 2006
    6
    Agree with a lot of what Brendan D says - poor production, specifically, but also the comparisons to All That You Can't Leave Behind. The Chilis are in that U2/REM stratosphere now, and unfortunately that means invention is low and consolidating is high. Shame. Anyone giving this 10 - you should be ashamed of yourselves. Go and dust off a copy of Blood Sugar Sex Magik immediately. Agree with a lot of what Brendan D says - poor production, specifically, but also the comparisons to All That You Can't Leave Behind. The Chilis are in that U2/REM stratosphere now, and unfortunately that means invention is low and consolidating is high. Shame. Anyone giving this 10 - you should be ashamed of yourselves. Go and dust off a copy of Blood Sugar Sex Magik immediately. This is a mediocre album with moments of fleeting quality that don't seem to want to hang around. Shame again. The excessive duration here could really do with them.… Expand
  10. SuperDonkey
    Aug 28, 2006
    6
    if you focus your attention on fruciante then its good otherwise you may be disappointed
  11. Guiltyparty
    May 16, 2006
    6
    Too much filler and not enough killer, but still with a touch of Chilis class and a couple of corkers. Played through both discs four times now and it just doesn't ignite the way By The Way did - there aren't the melodies or the hooks. People saying this is the album of a generation and such are clearly crazy. This isn't even in the Top 5 of Chilis albums, let alone Too much filler and not enough killer, but still with a touch of Chilis class and a couple of corkers. Played through both discs four times now and it just doesn't ignite the way By The Way did - there aren't the melodies or the hooks. People saying this is the album of a generation and such are clearly crazy. This isn't even in the Top 5 of Chilis albums, let alone anything else. Solid without being spectactularly, it's the sound of a band going through the motions with increasingly diminishing creative returns.… Expand
  12. JCrrlz
    May 9, 2006
    6
    Es un album muy largo, parece que los chili peppers no tuvieran ideas claras de las canciones que deseaban hacer. Cuando lo escuche solo la mitad de las canciones me parecieron interesantes, las demas eran repetitivas y absurdas. Y Frusciante no debe tocar solos... JAMAS... que se quede con los ritmos funk
  13. SamD
    Jul 1, 2006
    6
    good, but it is it just me, or does all their stuff sound EXACTLY the same?
  14. JohnD
    May 12, 2006
    6
    This is no "By the Way". This album has no "Scar Tissue" or "'The Zepher Song". The beautful, rough and soulful songs are gone, along with the hardass Punk-Funk-Rock, heard earlier in the Peppers carrer. These two great styles are replaced by quiter, poorly-writen forms of the previous two. However, there is many good things on this album, best guitar to date by any Chili Pepper, This is no "By the Way". This album has no "Scar Tissue" or "'The Zepher Song". The beautful, rough and soulful songs are gone, along with the hardass Punk-Funk-Rock, heard earlier in the Peppers carrer. These two great styles are replaced by quiter, poorly-writen forms of the previous two. However, there is many good things on this album, best guitar to date by any Chili Pepper, solid Flea bass, and finnaly a bit of maturity in lyric writing. But this album doen't capture the soaring melodies of By the Way or the powerful Funk-Rock of Blood Sugar Sex Magic.… Expand
  15. PatF
    May 17, 2006
    6
    i thought it was okay. a little bit of a downer tho. it got so much hype and was supposed to be huge but i wasnt that impressed. there was a few good songs but making it two discs was a mistake. once you get to the second disc so many songs start starting the same you just skip them thinking you heard them already and it was to soft. not nearly enough funk. not even close to i thought it was okay. a little bit of a downer tho. it got so much hype and was supposed to be huge but i wasnt that impressed. there was a few good songs but making it two discs was a mistake. once you get to the second disc so many songs start starting the same you just skip them thinking you heard them already and it was to soft. not nearly enough funk. not even close to Californication or blood sugar sex magic. a little disappointed but ill listen to the good songs. all 5 of them… Expand
  16. BrandonS
    May 31, 2006
    6
    After reading so many favorable reviews of this album, I decided to check it out. I don't hear anything to either love or hate about it. It just sort of sounds like the Chili Peppers to me.
  17. jiggaplease
    Apr 22, 2007
    6
    it's decent. it doesn't feel like chili peppers to me...i love all their work, but this is just mediocre for me
  18. Jake
    May 11, 2008
    6
    I really like the RHCPs but this Album is not as good as it could have been. There are songs that i really like (Snow, Storm in a Teacup, Readymade) but on their other records I liked every single song. If they had thrown out half of the songs and this record would be great. Like this it's just above avarage.
  19. PatS.
    Sep 23, 2008
    6
    Easily one of the Peppers' poorest releases. Decent tunes comprise the album but haphazard vocal phrasing and redundancies are all too populous. Skip this one and replay Californication for the best of new Peppers.
  20. TyroneP
    Oct 25, 2010
    6
    It just seems like they wasted the chance to make a very listenable album. There are a dozen cuts that offer nothing to Stadium Arcadium except to blow out its running time. I know, my complaints are hardly original, but I'd just love to know what they were thinking. Also, anybody who says they can listen to this whole album without feeling the slightest bit bored or sleepy is seriously lying.
  21. LetzTalkMoveez
    Oct 21, 2012
    6
    It's psychedelic, bass-slappin' magic on "Arcadium", a Chili Peppers album that highlights the band's instrumental talents, but unfortunately also highlights Kiedis' degrading skills as a lyricist.
  22. AadityaW65
    Jul 12, 2015
    6
    I am an ultimate RHCP fan. I have heard almost their entire discography. I would never, ever diss them if it wasn't required. Yet, I find myself doing so right now. I have a lot of complaints. Why is this album so long? Why do some of the songs sound so boring that I can tell that they were formed a very lazy jam (even though I know that most of their songs are, these ones sound like theyI am an ultimate RHCP fan. I have heard almost their entire discography. I would never, ever diss them if it wasn't required. Yet, I find myself doing so right now. I have a lot of complaints. Why is this album so long? Why do some of the songs sound so boring that I can tell that they were formed a very lazy jam (even though I know that most of their songs are, these ones sound like they are)? Why is Anthony's voice so monotonous for a good part of the album? The first half was good. The second half was "meh" beyond belief. With lyrics like "There's a reason for the 21st century Not too sure but I know that it's meant to be", the second half had me almost dying. Okay, maybe Tell Me Baby and Storm In A Teacup weren't that bad, but that ends it. So many of those songs just sounded so generic, in their progression, chord structure, everything. I preferred By The Way to this.

    Best Song: Hump de Bump (funk overload, hell yeah)
    Worst Song: She Looks To Me (what were they thinking?)    … Expand
  23. MysticManiac
    Oct 12, 2018
    6
    Idk, it's okay. Most of the tracks are fine but some are just boring. There are some good highlights though like the opening Snow (Hey Oh) and Dani California. This is the only RHCP album I've heard so far so idk if they have any better ones
  24. JoeF
    May 30, 2006
    5
    Melodic rythms and uplifting pop beats cant save this record from being void of any real jump-out-at-you rock tunes. Lyrically, the record is nothing new. Best of the sparsely bunch of tracks are Especially in Michigan, Strip My Mind and the the title song, all of which are on the first disc, which is the superior of the two. Californication and even By The Way had character, this however Melodic rythms and uplifting pop beats cant save this record from being void of any real jump-out-at-you rock tunes. Lyrically, the record is nothing new. Best of the sparsely bunch of tracks are Especially in Michigan, Strip My Mind and the the title song, all of which are on the first disc, which is the superior of the two. Californication and even By The Way had character, this however is just a collection of songs that mostly sound the same as each other....… Expand
  25. Kevin
    May 9, 2006
    5
    at this point how hi can expectations possibly be? we are talking about the red chilli peppers.
  26. ElizabethP
    May 10, 2006
    5
    The album is very disappointing. The singles "Dani California" and "Stadium Arcadium" were very bland and easily forgettable. The songs sound too much like all their other songs and the band has yet to venture into any new territory. The Chili Peppers have been working on this album for years and this was the best they could come up with? I'll take "Californication" and "By the Way" The album is very disappointing. The singles "Dani California" and "Stadium Arcadium" were very bland and easily forgettable. The songs sound too much like all their other songs and the band has yet to venture into any new territory. The Chili Peppers have been working on this album for years and this was the best they could come up with? I'll take "Californication" and "By the Way" over this junk any day.… Expand
  27. R
    May 13, 2006
    5
    Didn't RHCP release a best hits a while ago? So that was just a commercial thing then? When are they actualy going to retire? This album suggests now would be a good time, but fortunately they have the large white 15-16 year old fanbase to keep them going, the sort that would assume all hip-hop is crap like Sparticus A below. I have to admit there was a time when I went through a Didn't RHCP release a best hits a while ago? So that was just a commercial thing then? When are they actualy going to retire? This album suggests now would be a good time, but fortunately they have the large white 15-16 year old fanbase to keep them going, the sort that would assume all hip-hop is crap like Sparticus A below. I have to admit there was a time when I went through a RHCP phase myself and so I bought this for memories sake. All it does really is remind me why I find them so annoying now. Though there are indeed a few mini-highlights to enjoy here, a lot of it is verging on being poor. I recommend it to fans but not to anyone else. If it's any consolation, this album is not as bad as Coldplay's bland X&Y thankgod. At least there is some energy here.… Expand
  28. RyanK
    Jun 28, 2006
    5
    A few good songs mixed in with mostly crap. Half the album is crap, and the only thing that makes the other half of the album good to decent is Frusciante's guitar work. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a knack for making a few good singles, I'll give them that, but they can't come up with near enough decent material for a double album. Oh and Kiefer in order for the songs to A few good songs mixed in with mostly crap. Half the album is crap, and the only thing that makes the other half of the album good to decent is Frusciante's guitar work. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a knack for making a few good singles, I'll give them that, but they can't come up with near enough decent material for a double album. Oh and Kiefer in order for the songs to be "lucid" the lyrics would have to be somewhat coherent.… Expand
  29. LucasW.
    Feb 16, 2008
    5
    Great in techinical ability by john and flea, but the lyrics and the overall feel is way too commercial and unadventerous. But still somewhat pleasent to listen to.
  30. mongoose_126
    Dec 29, 2010
    5
    Don't get me wrong, I like the Chili Peppers, but Stadium Arcadium is just alright at best. Some of the songs were great, but some failed to live up to expectations. The only thing that really saved the album was John Frusciante's guitar and Flea's bass. Other than that, most of the album sounds like it could have been an outtake from By the Way or Californication.
  31. Funland
    Aug 9, 2011
    5
    One theory as to why this album experienced such a positive reception: it took the sound that the RHCP fans hold dear (the distinctly "RHCP" sound) and made it dull enough for the mainstream. And since the "Chili Pepper sound" was not completely absent from the album (just devoid of authenticity), the mainstream crowd could claim credit for listening to something that is "different" andOne theory as to why this album experienced such a positive reception: it took the sound that the RHCP fans hold dear (the distinctly "RHCP" sound) and made it dull enough for the mainstream. And since the "Chili Pepper sound" was not completely absent from the album (just devoid of authenticity), the mainstream crowd could claim credit for listening to something that is "different" and "unique." That way, the hardcore fans *and* the pop kids could both go home feeling smug about their embrace of the 2006-era Red Hot Chili Peppers. To the observer who is familiar with the music of RHCP, Stadium Arcadium is by and large not a move of genuine artistic expression, but of shrewd, vapid calculation and over-reliance on formula. Now, since slightly less than half the songs on the album are actually enjoyable and/or stimulating to varying degrees, I gave the album a score of slightly less than half of the highest possible number of points it could have earned, and rounded up to 5 since metacritic's scoring system doesn't allow for issuing tenths of a point. It's perfectly fair. For this album, the best thing to do is download the album's strongest tracks ("Dani California," "Stadium Arcadium," "She's Only 18," "Torture Me," "Tell Me Baby," "She Looks To Me," "Readymade," "Storm In A Teacup," and "Turn It Again") and forget the rest of the album, which lacks the spontaneity of albums like BloodSugerSexMagik and Californication and settles for going nowhere interesting.… Expand
  32. Ricko
    Apr 11, 2012
    5
    If you took the best 12 or 13 songs from this sprawling double record, you'd still have a pretty dull, funk rock affair. There are half a dozen good songs, another half dozen average songs and over a dozen tracks that just act as filler. That's way too much filler by anyone's standards. Dani California is very good but very little to like apart from that.
  33. Marcelo
    Aug 2, 2006
    4
    too long (shock), lyrically poor, and too similar to the same stuff they've been making over the last 15 years. Although some guitar solos and bass lines were good. And they even used a trumpet on 'Torture Me'
  34. MattS
    May 8, 2006
    4
    Too long, and sounds a bit "empty".
  35. JiriV.
    Oct 26, 2007
    4
    Well, if they came with this extensive album before their highlights, Californication and By The Way, I would not be that hard. Nevertheless this double is really booooring. Songs resemble each others like the songs on the latest albums by R.E.M. There are not good songs enough even for one album. Seems that "more more more" does not work, does it, R.E.M., Coldplay, SOAD and RHCP?
  36. AliM
    May 22, 2006
    4
    28 tracks of shallow, dull, self-indulgent ego-tripping, mostly on the part of Anthony Keidis for his moronic vocals. Even the title sounds hopelessly retarded. The only remarkable thing about this album is that the Chilis still haven't got any better at writing lyrics after about 15 years. Try this - listen to the album through and afterwards try to recall any of the tunes. I 28 tracks of shallow, dull, self-indulgent ego-tripping, mostly on the part of Anthony Keidis for his moronic vocals. Even the title sounds hopelessly retarded. The only remarkable thing about this album is that the Chilis still haven't got any better at writing lyrics after about 15 years. Try this - listen to the album through and afterwards try to recall any of the tunes. I guarantee you will only remember Flea's basslines, which are pretty much the only reason why anyone bothers listening to the Chilis, and the only reason why I give this any points at all.… Expand
  37. Daniel
    Aug 22, 2006
    4
    If an artist or band sells lots of records, It doesn't mean they're good. Just look at The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
  38. EdM.
    May 16, 2006
    3
    An album full of tame, uninteresting mid-tempo rock. Without the pop harmonies of By the Way or blazing energy of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, you realize that Anthony Kiedis doesn't really have anything to say. With the rhythm section stepping back, this is now another typical four-piece rock band. The musicianship is technically great... but so is Yanni's. Listen before you buy.
  39. mike
    May 9, 2006
    3
    another example of how delisional the majority of music critics are. stop praising these morons already, THEY SUCK!!!
  40. jdilla
    May 11, 2006
    3
    Worth buying only to hear a famous band unravel itself with a silly and pretentious attempt at profundity, nostalgia, and cock rock...all at once.
  41. AdamR.
    Jun 6, 2006
    3
    The album just gets boring by the end of the first listen. If you like the same old Chili Pepper's sound, you might like this, but don't get it expecting to hear some new great music.
  42. Jared
    May 8, 2006
    3
    There are a few good tracks here, padded by about 20 not-so-good tracks. Had they released it as a single disc, and trimmed the fat, it might have been a classic (or atleast on par with their last two releases). As it is now, it's boring, overlong, and hollow. A sort of 'cookie-cutter' effort, with little variation between songs and even less substance... relying on their There are a few good tracks here, padded by about 20 not-so-good tracks. Had they released it as a single disc, and trimmed the fat, it might have been a classic (or atleast on par with their last two releases). As it is now, it's boring, overlong, and hollow. A sort of 'cookie-cutter' effort, with little variation between songs and even less substance... relying on their unique sound to carry the record. Unfortunately it doesn't.… Expand
  43. DougH
    Dec 18, 2006
    3
    generic. irrellevant. not even fun.
  44. rafa
    May 8, 2006
    2
    Bad.
  45. RussellE
    May 9, 2006
    2
    An utterly unremarkable album full of cliched tunes with trite lyrics. Bland, boring, with not one shred of originality. Another boring effort from a band that has yet to write more than four original songs.
  46. WBmarketingDept
    May 30, 2006
    1
    This CD is the best thing EVAR. You will not hear a sound on it that is UN-Perfect. It is better than Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Marley. Don't listen to anything but this. Only this, now and always. RHCP are God.
  47. anae
    May 8, 2006
    1
    the same crap...........
  48. Tom
    May 8, 2006
    1
    This band is out of time! Nothing new and most of the new songs are boring! The are going to become the new U2!
  49. BrandonS.
    Jun 9, 2006
    1
    This is horrible!!
  50. PhilL
    May 10, 2006
    1
    What a useless band. A co-worker was playing this today, and it sounded horrible. RHCP are the Eagles of today, touting lite laid-back Californian hedonism. They've always been lousy - their lyrics put me off the idea of sex at a young age. They made it sound gross, like someone throwing up all over themselves at a party. Things haven't gotten any better.
  51. WeAreDevo
    May 9, 2006
    1
    I wish they would go back to being a joke band. They've been crap ever since Mothers Milk. I loved seeing them in California during the Uplift Mofo Party Plan era when they just seemed out of control.
  52. superman
    May 11, 2006
    0
    horrible
  53. Flea
    May 10, 2006
    0
    embarrassing
  54. Jason
    May 9, 2006
    0
    shit
  55. JDWilliams
    May 9, 2006
    0
    I really HATE this CD. i dont know who they are trying to impress by releasing a double album. almost every song sounds the same! dont waste your time
  56. KennethM
    Jul 10, 2006
    0
    My how the mighty have fallen This was a total and utter piece of shit
  57. Jim
    May 8, 2006
    0
    The same as... their last album!
  58. rockfan
    Jun 2, 2006
    0
    Everyone here is insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lukewarm Chili Peppers are sooo much worse than Elvis, the Beatles, the Eagles, and all those other legends. Anyone who says different is obviuosly smoking Sharpies. Chili Peppers suck, and I'm ashamed that they're rock.
  59. GuyH
    Jul 28, 2006
    0
    This band have become truly tedious now.
  60. Danilio
    Jul 6, 2006
    0
    Please please please! Chilli Peppers fuck off and never come back. Surely you've got enough money now. Your repetitive California nonsense makes my ears hurt every time I hear you.
  61. markh
    May 15, 2006
    0
    Could be the worst album that has ever been recorded. I hope this band never steps foot in another studio ever again. Talk about a world wide suicide. If they do then maybe Eddie Vedder was right.
  62. JonasW
    Feb 19, 2007
    0
    I'd rather hit myself in the head with a brick, while listening to the Paris Hilton CD than listen to this album.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed Album of 2006
10
#10 Most Shared Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Stadium Arcadium ensures that graying Lollapalooza-era fans, indie teens, and rowdy lunkheads will all be satisfied.
    Read full review
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    Somewhere along the line the Chilis got sophisticated on our asses.
    Read full review
  3. NOW Magazine
    60
    Frusciante's guitar work... almost single-handedly saves the project, but not quite.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »