Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis makes no bones about how deep his admiration for both Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix lies, and here, on this remarkable Wonder cover, the two worlds collide heavily with the Peppers’ own blistering assimilation of contemporary West Coast rock. Wonder climbed the pop charts with ”Higher Ground” in 1973 and, while the Peppers’ weren’t so lucky on that front, their take on this soul classic has long been considered by many to be the one that really got the band’s balls rolling. Whipped into heavy rotation on MTV, the make or break moment for any band during the 1980s, ”Higher Ground” brought dirty soul to kids who’d barely been a glimmer in anyone’s eyes when R&B funked through the early 1970s. And, as it turned out, the kids couldn’t get enough of it. Glammed out, funky, tribal and unique, the Red Hot Chili Peppers rode the wave of ”Higher Ground” straight into their Blood Sugar Sex Magic hitmaker just two years later.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Higher Ground
Share on
Song Review by Amy Hanson
Appears On
| Year | Artist/Album | Label | Time | AllMusic Rating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1989 | Capitol | 3:22 | ||||
 |
1989 | Capitol | |||||
 |
1989 | Capitol | 5:19 | ||||
|
|
1990 | Capitol | |||||
 |
1991 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | ||||
 |
1992 | Capitol | 3:21 | ||||
![What Hits!? [Video]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=L5nNilZCiyV5GGqMQyA1tZhUoDg0hsvx4F4sL4oO-nA=&f=3) |
1992 | Capitol | |||||
 |
1992 |
Various Artists
|
Sandstone Music / Sandstone | 3:21 | |||
 |
1994 |
Various Artists
|
Sandstone | 3:15 | |||
 |
1994 |
Various Artists
|
K-Tel Distribution | 3:16 | |||
 |
1994 |
Various Artists
|
Priority Records | ||||
![Greatest Hits [EMI]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=G_7gyvNimRoKcCHo_TEQrD6KsMttLlyBmmVTZ6_CLs0=&f=2) |
1994 | EMI Music Distribution | 3:21 | ||||
 |
1995 |
Various Artists
|
Virgin | 3:21 | |||
![The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers [Original Soundtrack]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=SmKxp-dhPM4ntKG84xhOhoAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=&f=2) |
1995 |
Original Soundtrack
|
Atlantic / Fox | 3:22 | |||
 |
1995 |
Various Artists
|
EMI Music Distribution | ||||
 |
1996 |
Various Artists
|
Tommy Boy | 3:21 | |||
![The Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers [EMI]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=4a6BpYIdrrWUUu2cCsV1Yh_TZlp6n_cq-Emr2zx15tU=&f=2) |
1997 | EMI-Capitol Special Markets / A M W Music | 3:21 | ||||
 |
1997 |
Various Artists
|
Quality Music / Quality | 3:21 | |||
 |
1997 |
Various Artists
|
EMI-Capitol Special Markets | ||||
 |
1998 | EMI-Capitol Special Markets | |||||
 |
1998 |
Various Artists
|
EMI-Capitol Special Markets / CEMA Special Markets | 3:24 | |||
|
|
1999 |
Various Artists
|
Telstar TV Records | 3:20 | |||
 |
1999 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:23 | |||
 |
1999 |
Various Artists
|
Radikal | 3:22 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Delta Distribution | 3:24 | |||
![Smash Hits: Party Mix [Two Disc]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=QjZMChgZ2479uRAEW0Uzs5hUoDg0hsvx4F4sL4oO-nA=&f=4) |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Delta Distribution | 3:24 | |||
![On the Edge [Razor & Tie]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=ObBGy-qeGCtUBvCaYs7rfN_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=2) |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Razor & Tie | 3:23 | |||
![Center Stage [Sony]](https://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/170/0000/080/0000080948.jpg) |
2000 |
Original Soundtrack
|
Epic / Sony Music Distribution | 3:23 | |||
![The Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers [Madacy]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=mL03LT0knHnulUzfd8jIbipQg_7iAU1wjqLgK_xGXts=&f=2) |
2000 | Madacy | 3:21 | ||||
|
|
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Alphabet City Sports Records / Alphabet City | 3:20 | |||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Alphabet City Sports Records / Alphabet City | 3:20 | |||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Maverick / Warner Bros. | 3:22 | |||
![Greatest Hits [Warner Bros.]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=CjWDLluq8DOg7CBoIP5NJhyhM-OFI8zG4l-qVpXXB1I=&f=2) |
2003 | Warner Bros. | 3:22 | ||||
 |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
EMI Music Distribution | 3:21 | |||
![The Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers [Capitol]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=vn_cxbm_XgbLDbRI_8nbVJhUoDg0hsvx4F4sL4oO-nA=&f=2) |
2005 | Capitol / EMI Records | 3:21 | ||||
 |
2006 | Classic Rock Legends | |||||
 |
2007 |
Various Artists
|
Toshiba EMI | ||||
 |
2007 |
Various Artists
|
ABC Music | 3:21 | |||
 |
2007 | Capitol / EMI Records / EMI | 3:22 | ||||
|
|
2008 |
Various Artists
|
Sony BMG | ||||
![Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers [Collectables]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=neMG_eqNlFD_tvuuOAgIER_TZlp6n_cq-Emr2zx15tU=&f=2) |
2008 | Collectables | |||||
 |
2008 |
Various Artists
|
Studio Brussel / EMI | 3:22 | |||
|
|
2008 |
Various Artists
|
Universal Distribution | ||||
 |
2009 |
Various Artists
|
Sony Music Entertainment | 3:23 | |||
 |
2010 |
Various Artists
|
EMI Music Distribution | 3:21 | |||
![Gods of Guitar [Universal]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=YMrKT1Jr6ql2hEVxvG5FLA4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=&f=2) |
2011 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:20 | |||
![Best of the Best [Universal]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=-paDXx0vRQaKd8B8Pgc4sz6KsMttLlyBmmVTZ6_CLs0=&f=2) |
2011 |
Various Artists
|
Universal Music Group | 3:26 | |||
 |
2012 |
Various Artists
|
100 Hits | 3:23 | |||
 |
Capitol | 3:22 | |||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:21 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
![Cleaning at Home [Rock Edition]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=yqijG4wTXooYNIZbujgYQYAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=&f=2) |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:21 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:21 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:24 | ||||
|
|
Capitol | 4:01 | |||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:24 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
![Rock 80's [Universal]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=gHNcsiYoIu6mBcN8da8bGYAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=&f=2) |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
![The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert 2012 & 2013 [Live]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=B4B-VgCxdPb_5BkEJRba4ipQg_7iAU1wjqLgK_xGXts=&f=2) |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | |||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Polygram TV | |||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 | ||||
![Wanderlust [Universal]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=d3sJX1qRPcoakNBTHnO7QB_TZlp6n_cq-Emr2zx15tU=&f=2) |
Various Artists
|
Universal | 3:22 |