THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

263-Goo Goo Dolls-Iris.

1998-Number 50 Single. It re-entered the chart in 1999, this time reaching Number 26. With the advent of downloads the song peaked at an all time high of Number 3 in 2011, it was also a top 40 hit again in 2013, when reaching Number 12.

Best Bit-At 3.31. The band took their name from an advertisement in the American true crime magazine called ‘True Detective,’ for a toy called a ‘Goo Goo Doll.’ I have done my own detective work, but I can’t find a picture of a Goo Goo Doll toy anywhere.

The Goo Goo Dolls were formed in Buffalo, New York, United States, in 1986 by John Rzeznik, (guitar and vocals) Robby Takac, (bass and vocals) and George Tutuska (drums.) Tutuska left the band in 1995, and was replaced by Mike Malinin (drums) who played on this song, he left the band in 2013, and at the time of writing the Goo Goo Dolls remain active as a duo. The Goo Goo Dolls started out life as a covers band, and then developed a ‘Punk Rock’ sound, and steadily built up a loyal fan base, alongside being embraced by college radio. In 1995 the Goo Goo Dolls experienced mainstream success following the release of their commercial breakthrough single, ‘Name’ (Billboard Hot 100-Number 5.) The success of ‘Name’ marked a fundamental change in the band’s sound from ‘Alternative Rock’ to a more mainstream, adult-oriented direction. this disappointed many of the original fans of the band. ‘Name’ made the band popular, and led to guest appearances on the American teen drama ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ and the American fantasy drama series ‘Charmed.’

The discography of the Goo Goo Dolls who have sold in excess of 15 million records worldwide, includes 14 studio Albums released between 1987-2022, and 38 singles released between 1993-2024, there are also 11 extended plays, (EP’s) seven official compilation Albums, and five live Albums available. In America on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart, seven of their studio Albums have made the top 40, with their seventh release ‘Gutterflower,’ in 2002, peaking the highest at Number 4, while eight of their singles have reached the ‘Billboard Hot 100,’ with ‘Name’ peaking the highest at Number 5 in 1995, while ‘Iris’ made Number 9. In the UK, the Goo Goo Dolls only top 40 charting studio Album is their ninth release ‘Something for the Rest of Us,’ which reached Number 36 in 2010, while three of their singles have made the top 40, the other two being ‘Dizzy,’ (1999-Number 16) and ‘Stay With You,’ which was issued as a double ‘A’ side with ‘Iris’ (2006-Number 39.)

‘Iris’ was the first of five singles released from ‘Dizzy Up the Girl,’ which was the sixth studio Album by the Goo Goo Dolls, from September 1998, the song had previously appeared in March 1998 on the ‘City of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture’ soundtrack Album, ‘Iris’ was written by John Rzeznik, with the production credited to the Goo Goo Dolls, and Rob Cavallo, who was born Robert Siers Cavallo, on March 21st, 1963, in Washington, D.C. United States. With Album production sales in excess of 130 million worldwide, he is one of the best selling producers in Alternative Rock music. Rob Cavallo is primarily known for his production work with the American Rock band Green Day, (see also best songs 722) but other artists he has worked with include My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park, and Paramore. He has won three ‘Grammy awards,’ In 1998 for ‘Producer of the Year,’ in 2004 for ‘Best Rock Album,’ for producing Green Day’s American Idiot Album, and in 2005 ‘Record of the Year,’ for producing Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams,’ Album.

‘Iris’ was written by John Rzeznik, who was born John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik on December 5th, 1965, in Buffalo, New York, United States, he co-founded the Goo Goo Dolls with Robby Takac in 1985. Away from the Goo Goo Dolls he has released one solo single, ‘I’m Still Here (Jim’s Theme,’) which made Number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2002. In 1997 his marriage had just broken up and he was struggling with a bout of writer’s block, he has said, ‘It was a really manic time in my life, I was looking for something to hold on to, then came ‘Iris.’ Most of the time, for me, writing involves procrastination, fear, doubt, criticism… Most songs I write I have to torture myself, be a prima donna for about an hour, but ‘Iris’ came so easy. I’d broken two strings on my guitar, so I’d started winding all the strings up and down in these weird configurations, and that song just came out. It was like a gift – like, ‘Oh, thanks God!'”

In 1997 John Rzeznik was approached by the makers of the 1998 American romantic fantasy film ‘City of Angels’ with the view to the Goo Goo Dolls writing a song for the movies forthcoming soundtrack. The film is about an angel who falls in love with a human, and gives up his eternal life in order to become mortal, and be with this lady for the rest of his now human life. Rzeznik has said, ‘I was thinking about the situation of the Nicolas Cage character in the movie. This guy is completely willing to give up his own immortality, just to be able to feel something very human, and I think, ‘Wow! What an amazing thing it must be like to love someone so much that you give up everything to be with them. That’s a pretty heavy thought.’ Speaking of the songs title Rzeznik has explained, ‘I was trying to be pretentious and arty by calling it that, (Iris) I figured if Billy Corgan (see also best songs 623 and 374) can get away with it, so can I. So I figured, what the hell, I’ll tap into the pretentious market.’ Rzeznik actually called the song ‘Iris’ after the American Country/Folk singer Iris DeMent, he had seen her name in a concert listing in the ‘LA Weekly’ newspaper. The name ‘Iris’ is never mentioned in the song, and has nothing to do with the film.

‘And I’d give up forever to touch you, ’cause I know that you feel me somehow. You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be, and I don’t want to go home right now.’