 The first single off Blood Sugar Sex Magik was " Give It Away " , which reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 1991 . The band did not foresee " Under the Bridge " being as successful , but understood the potential commercial viability . Warner Bros. Records sent representatives to a Chili Peppers concert to determine which song should be the next single . When Frusciante began playing " Under the Bridge " , Kiedis missed his cue and the entire audience began singing the song instead . Kiedis was initially " mortified that I had fucked up in front of Warner 's people [ ... ] I apologized for fucking up but they said ' Fucking up ? Are you kidding me ? When every single kid at the show sings a song , that 's our next single ' . " " Under the Bridge " became the album 's second single in October 1991 ; upon release , journalist Jeff Apter noted that it " was the bona fide , across @-@ all @-@ formats radio hit that the band had been working towards for seven years . " It spent twenty @-@ six cumulative weeks on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart , peaking at number two , being one of the several songs stuck behind Kris Kross ' 8 @-@ week reign of " Jump " . The single has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . 
