 By the Way was released on CD and LP on July 9 , 2002 , under the Warner Bros. label , selling 281 @,@ 948 copies in the United States in its first week and 1 @.@ 8 million worldwide . It was certified gold just a few months later on October 26 , 2002 . Five singles were released from it ; of these , the title track " By the Way " was the most successful , peaking at No. 2 on the UK charts and No. 1 on the Billboard rock charts . Although the album sold fewer copies than Californication , By the Way managed to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 , one spot higher than Californication . Around the world , the album debuted at number one in the UK , Switzerland , New Zealand , Austria , and Sweden ; and number two in France . In March 2006 , the Red Hot Chili Peppers ' albums were made available for download from the iTunes Music Store and other online retailers . By the Way included two previously unreleased tracks ( " Runaway " , and " Bicycle Song " ) , recorded during the 2004 Greatest Hits sessions . 
