On August 21, 1990, Jane’s Addiction released their second studio album, Ritual de lo habitual. The album combined genres and tragic pasts to create timeless and influential songs. As the album celebrates 30 years, rediscover the music of your past with seven facts about it below.

1. It’s a two-part album. Ritual de lo habitual is split into halves – tracks 1-5 are unrelated rock songs. Singer Perry Farrell wrote tracks 6-9 in memoriam of his deceased girlfriend Xiola Blue, who died of a heroin overdose at 19.

2. Loss is what connected Farrell and Dave Navarro. “Then She Did” was written about Farrell’s mother’s suicide when he was four years old. “It’s probably one of the reasons we were brought together…” said guitarist Dave Navarro, whose own mother was murdered when he was 16. “I have memories of us being onstage together and, before we played ‘Then She Did’, Perry would grab me and say, ‘Let’s do this for our moms.’ I still get chills when I think about it.” Farrell said, “When you have something like that happen… the better thing to do is to try to make some flowers grow out of it.”

3. The music video for “Been Caught Stealing” features Farrell’s dog, Annie. “I’d got her from a dog shelter and she was quite needy, so I brought her down to the studio that day rather than leave her at home”, he told Rolling Stone. “I’m singing in the booth with the headphones on and Annie gets all excited and starts going, ‘Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!’… The fact that she ended up on the track was just pure coincidence.”

4. The album has two versions of artwork. The first was done by Farrell and represented the song “Three Days” and featured male and female nudity. The second “clean cover” featured black text on a white background, listing the name of the album, the band and the text of the First Amendment. The back of the “clean cover” also includes the text:

Hitler’s syphilis-ridden dreams almost came true. How could it happen? By taking control of the media. An entire country was led by a lunatic… We must protect our First Amendment, before sick dreams become law. Nobody made fun of Hitler??!

5. Critics compared Jane’s Addiction to Red Hot Chili Peppers. The funkiness of “Stop” drew comparisons due to its “swagger and gigantic swerve”.

6. Nevermind wouldn’t exist without it. Telegraph music critic Andrew Perry wrote in Select that the album “makes you realise how few bands actually bother to try and be any good, to play stuff that’s inspirational. Nevermind would never have been possible without it. And, along the way, they ushered in the Led Zep revival.”

7. It boasts an impressive legacy. Within its first month, the album sold over 500,000 copies. It’s certified 2x Platinum, having sold over 4 million copies. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it #453 on its 500 greatest albums of all time list. It is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Ready to rediscover the music of your past? Do just that below.

Filed under: Jane's Addiction, Ritual de lo Habitual