by System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan recently revealed the untold story behind the creation of the band’s biggest hit, “Chop Suey!,” in a post shared on Instagram.
The drummer explained how the iconic track nearly didn’t make it onto the Toxicity album. He described the unexpected creative process that transformed it into a worldwide phenomenon.
“The song that almost wasn’t. During the Toxicity sessions (probably mid way through) Daron brought in the song now known as chop Suey,” Dolmayan said. “It wasn’t a standout song, in fact we barely worked on it. I had a particularly hard time getting into the song because the beats I initially wrote for the song felt mundane and formulaic.”
Dolmayan noted that a spontaneous creative decision changed everything about the track.
“This song most likely wouldn’t have been in the running to make the album but then something happened that changed the feel and inspired a beat that made the song more exciting,” he continued. “I tried a short blast beat (originally just Hi hat and kick, no snare) on a part of the song, this led to some changes in subsequent beats within the verses and choruses.”
The drummer also revealed an interesting detail about how the final lyrics came together during the recording sessions.
“Then lyrics started to take greater shape, eventually in a room with Rick Rubin, the final lyrics were picked at random and by chance,” Dolmayan explained. “The song that almost wasn’t became our biggest hit, reigned 1 at KROQ for nearly a year and with over 1 billion listens on both Spotify and YouTube became a fan favorite and worldwide phenomenon.”
Dolmayan’s revelation adds a fascinating layer to the history of a song that became one of the defining tracks of early 2000s rock music.
Louder Sound reported that “Chop Suey!” was released on August 13, 2001, as the lead single from Toxicity, which followed on September 4, 2001. The band recorded over 30 songs at Cello Studios in Hollywood during the Toxicity sessions. They eventually selected just 14 for the final album. The song’s journey from a track that “almost wasn’t” to the lead single demonstrates how close the band came to shelving what would become their breakthrough hit.
The song’s release timing proved both fortuitous and challenging. 68to05 documented that “Chop Suey!” swiftly climbed to number 1 on KROQ and helped Toxicity debut at the top of the Billboard charts. However, the tragic events of September 11, 2001, led to the song being temporarily pulled from some radio playlists due to its original title “Suicide” and sensitive lyrics. Despite these challenges, the track’s momentum continued to build.
The music video was filmed in a gritty Sunset Strip hotel courtyard. It reflected the song’s dynamic energy and helped propel it to heavy rotation on MTV. This exposure expanded the band’s audience significantly beyond their debut album’s reach. The album’s first-week sales reached around 200,000 copies in the US, marking a major commercial breakthrough for System of a Down.
Producer Rick Rubin’s involvement proved crucial to the song’s distinctive sound. YouTube highlighted that Rubin encouraged experimental decisions by the band, including unique creative choices by lead vocalist Serj Tankian that contributed to the iconic and unusual structure of “Chop Suey!” This collaborative approach in the studio, combined with Dolmayan’s last-minute blast beat innovation, created the intense and shifting musical style that mixed serious themes like drug addiction with compelling musical experimentation.
The song continues to resonate decades after its release. It has cemented its status as one of System of a Down’s most streamed and viewed tracks. Its success exemplified the band’s ability to blend intense socio-political commentary with musical innovation, distinguishing them from contemporaries in the nu metal scene while linking them to the broader early 2000s rock movement.
