  The Goo Goo Dolls formed in 1986
in Buffalo, New York, and consists of Johnny
Rzeznik (vocals and guitar), Robby Takac
(bass and vocals), and Mike Malinin (who
replaced George Tutuska on drums). With a
blend of pop, rock and alternative, the trio
found success in the 90s. It took the band
nearly a decade to hit it big with a pop
ballad, and then only to find some fans and
critics accusing the boys of selling out by
hitting the mainstream. Rzeznik, orphaned and
on his own at the age of 15, played with
various local bands in Buffalo while
attending vocational school where he studied
plumbing. It was the band, the Sex Maggots,
which he joined with Takac and Tutuska, that
eventually became the Goo Goo Dolls. Takac
had played with a band named the Monarchs
before hooking up with his friend, Tutuska.
The band's name was taken from an ad found in
True Detective magazine (after a
venue promoter said he would book them if
they changed their original name).
 The newly named Goo Goo Dolls
spent $750 on their first independent
release, First Release (later
released as Goo
Goo Dolls).
The Goo Goo Dolls released the
independent LP, Goo
Goo Dolls on Metal Blade Records.
 The Goo Goo Dolls released Jed.
The Goo Goo Dolls released Hold
Me Up.
The Goo Goo Dolls released Superstar
Car Wash and the band's popularity began
to increase with tracks such as "We Are
The Normal" and "Fallin'
Down." Alternative Press wrote
of the band, "...even though they've
smoothed out a bit, you can still get drunk
and fall over to them..."
 # 52
Singles Artist of the Year
Tutuska was asked to leave the
group at the beginning of the year.
 The Goo Goo Dolls released A
Boy Named Goo and hit the charts for
the first time with the Top 5 hit, "Name." Rzeznik said
the single "introduced us to a broader
audience because there are so many different
radio formats that are playing it... but
we're definitely not moving into that
neighborhood... we're just driving
through." Alternative Press
said of the LP, "...the Goo Goo Dolls
again churn out a workmanlike mix of catchy,
angst-ridden retro-Replacements
and driving, straight-ahead rock..."
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Name."
 The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 4
weeks with "Name."
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for 5 weeks
with "Name."
A
Boy Named Goo was certified gold.
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 10 with "Name."
The Goo Goo Dolls could be heard
on the soundtrack to Ace
Ventura: When Nature Calls with the song,
"Don't Change."
 # 85
Singles Artist of the Year
A
Boy Named Goo was certified platinum.
The Goo Goo Dolls had a moderate
hit with the track "Naked."
A
Boy Named Goo was certified 2x platinum.
 The Goo Goo Dolls could also be
found on some soundtracks including Freddy's
Dead: The Final Nightmare ("I'm Awake
Now"), Ace
Ventura: When Nature Calls ("Don't
Change"), Tommy
Boy ("Wait For The
Blackout"), Twister ("Long
Way Down"), and Batman
& Robin ("Lazy Eye"), and on
the compilation, No
Alternative with a cover of the Rolling
Stones's "Bitch."
 # 9
Singles Artist of the Year
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit big with a
song from the City
Of Angels soundtrack called "Iris" went went to #1
during the summer. Rzeznik conquered a bout
of writer's block by watching the film,
writing "Iris," and eventually
writing more songs for a new LP. Rzeznik
admitted that he even sought counseling
advice for his songwriting problems: "I
had to talk to a counselor who deals with
musicians and writers and artists."
The band could also be found on
the ~ Fleetwood
Mac tribute LP, Legacy:
A Tribute To Rumours, with their version of
"I Don't Want To Know."
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Iris."
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 10 with "Iris."
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart with
"Iris" for 5 weeks.
The band hit #1 for 3 weeks with
"Iris."
"Iris" topped the
Billboard Hot 100 Singles Airplay chart for
18 weeks.
The Goo Goo Dolls reportedly
decided not to appear on The Howard Stern
Radio Show after hearing about his
demands (performing while wearing sailor
suits), and as a result K-Rock Radio (who
produces Stern's radio show) banned the band
from their airwaves. But a few days later,
the band said they would be performing on the
show (which lead many to speculate that the
controversy was a publicity ploy to improve
embarrassing television ratings). K-Rock had
been playing a promo which stated: "We
guarantee not to play the Goo Goo Dolls on
K-Rock until the band agrees to perform (with
Stern) in a sailor suit and (a show writer)
in a thong and throngs of gay men parading
around..." The National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force also spoke against Stern's
comments: "I don't know what sounding
'gay' is... I don't know what Howard Stern
means by sounding 'gay,' but clearly he meant
it in a derogatory way." The band later
decided to play on the show.
The video for "Iris" was nominated
for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Video from a Film.
 The Goo Goo Dolls released Dizzy
Up The Girl and they kicked off their North
American tour in California.
The band released their next Top
40 single, "Slide."
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart with
"Slide" for 2 weeks.
It was announced that the band
would open for the Rolling
Stones in March of '99. Rzeznik told
MTV that returning to an open-act status will
only be temporary: "We wanna go out and
play on our own because when you're an
opening band, people throw things at you. I
don't mind when somebody who loves my band
throws a shoe at me, y'know, because it's
with love..."
The video for "Iris" was nominated
for a Billboard Video Music Award for Best
Clip (Pop).
Dizzy
Up The Girl was certified platinum.
 # 23
Singles Artist of the Year
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top
10
with "Slide" which also
topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Airplay
chart for a week.
The Goo Goo Dolls were nominated
for 3 Grammy Awards for
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group,
Record of the Year, and Song of the Year
("Iris").
"Slide" topped the
Billboard Top 40 Tracks chart for 2 weeks.
Dizzy
Up The Girl was certified 2x platinum.
"Slide" topped the
Billboard Adult Top 40 chart for 2 weeks.
The Goo Goo Dolls had to cancel
a few concert dates due to lead singer Johnny
Rzeznik's injured vocal chords.
The band was nominated for a MTV
Movie Award for Best Song ("Iris").
Sugar
Ray and the Goo Goo Dolls teamed
up touring together in the summer.
The band hit the Top 40 with
"Black
Balloon."
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top
10
with "Black
Balloon."
The Goo Goo Dolls announced they
would be headlining MP3.com's Music &
Technology Tour and appear at the GQ Awards.
The band won a WB Radio Music
Award for Song of the Year (Contemporary Hit
Radio/Hot Adult Contemporary) ("Iris").
Dizzy
Up The Girl was certified 3x platinum.
The Goo Goo Dolls found some
airplane travel problems in Sicily when their
plane skidded off the runway. None of the
passengers were injured.
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the Billboard
Year-End Chart-Toppers as the Top Hot Top 40,
Top Adult Top 40 Artist, Artist and with the
Top Hot Top 40 Track and Top Adult Top 40
Single & Track ("Iris").
 # 67
Singles Artist of the Year
The Goo Goo Dolls were nominated
for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a
Duo or Group ("Black Balloon").
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Broadway."
The Goo Goo Doll hit the Top
10
with "Broadway."
Rolling Stone
& MTV: 100 Greatest Pop Songs includes "Iris" at # 39.
The band won a Radio Music Award
for Artist of the Year: Pop Alternative
Radio.
 The Goo Goo Dolls released a
compilation of prior LP tracks - What
I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art &
Commerce (1987-2000).
The band was back in the studio
during the summer recording their next LP.
Rzeznik performed "Wish You
Were Here" with Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst and Wes
Borland for a landmark fundraiser (America:
A Tribute To Heroes) aired by all the
major networks to raise money for families of
the victims of recent terrorist attacks.
The Goo Goo Dolls
performed at The
Concert For New York City benefit concert in New
York City (later released as an LP) with
proceeds going to 9/11 charities.
 Goo Goo
Dolls: # 56
Singles Artist of the Year ~ John
Rzeznik: # 154
Singles Artist of the Year
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Here Is Gone."
The Goo Goo Dolls
released their new LP, Gutterflower.
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Canadian single chart with "Here Is Gone."
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 10 with "Here Is Gone."
The Goo Goo Dolls performed on
the Today Show Summer Concert Series.
Gutterflower was certified gold.
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Big Machine."
The Goo Goo
Dolls ranked # 50 on VH1: 100
Sexiest Artists.
 Rzeznik hit the Top 40 solo with
"I'm Still Here" from the Treasure
Planet soundtrack.
 # 156
Singles Artist of the Year
The Goo Goo Dolls toured with Bon Jovi through April.
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Sympathy."
 VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Iris" at # 54.
 # 157
Singles Artist of the Year
The Goo Goo Dolls released the
live CD/DVD Live
In Buffalo July 4 2002 which included their
cover of the Supertramp
classic "Give A Little Bit."
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Give A Little Bit."
# 84 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
The Goo Goo Dolls topped the
Billboard Adult Top 40 chart with "Give A Little Bit."
 The single "Give A Little Bit" was certified
platinum.
The Goo Goo Dolls performed on ReAct
Now: Music & Relief - a benefit
program shown on music video channels to
raise money for those affected by Hurricane
Katrina.
 # 70
Singles Artist of the Year
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Better Days."
The Goo Goo Dolls released their
next LP Let
Love In.
The singles "Iris" and "Better Days" were certified
platinum.
 The Goo Goo Dolls hit the Top 40
with "Stay With You."
The Goo Goo Dolls could be heard
on the soundtrack for Transformers:
The Movie with the track "Before
It's Too Late" (available for download
at iTunes and Amazon-mp3).
 The Goo Goo Dolls released the
hits collection Greatest
Hits Vol. 1 - The Singles.
VH1: 100
Greatest Songs of the 90's included "Iris" at # 39.
The Goo Goo Golls released the
CD/DVD Greatest
Hits Volume Two.
The single "Slide" was certified
gold.
|
Goo Goo Dolls
Released: 1987
Tracks: "Torn
Apart" - "Messed Up" -
"Livin' In A Hut" - "I'm
Addicted" - "Hardsores" -
"Hammerin' Eggs (The Metal
Song)" - "Don't Fear The
Reaper" - "Beat Me" -
"Scream" -
"Slaughterhouse" -
"Different Light" - "Come
On" - "Don't Beat My Ass (With
A Baseball Bat)" |
|
Jed
Released: 1989
Tracks: "Out Of
Sight" - "Up Yours" -
"No Way Out" - "7th Of
Last Month (Or Iggy The Cat Gets A
Bath)" - "Love Dolls" -
"Sex Maggot" - "Down On
The Corner" - "Had Enough"
- "Road To Salinas" - "'Em
Elbmuh'" - "Misfortune" -
"Artie" - "Gimme
Shelter" - "James Dean" |
 |
Hold Me Up
Released: 1991
Tracks:
"Laughing" - "Just The Way
You Are" - "So Outta Line"
- "There You Are" - "You
Know What I Mean" - "Out Of The
Red" - "Never Take The Place Of
Your Man" - "Hey" -
"On Your Side" - "22
Seconds" - "Kevin's Song"
- "Know My Name" -
"Million Miles Away" -
"Two Days In February" |
 |
Superstar Car Wash
Released: February, 1993
Tracks: "Fallin'
Down" - "Lucky Star" -
"Cuz You're Gone" - "Don't
Worry" - "Girl Right Next To
Me" - "Domino" - "We
Are Normal" - "String Of
Lies" - "Another Second Time
Around" - "Stop The World"
- "Already There" - "On
The Lie" - "Close Your
Eyes" - "So Far Away" |
|
A Boy Named Goo
Released: March, 1995
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 27
Tracks: "Long Way
Down" - "Burnin' Up" -
"Naked" - "Flat Top"
- "Impersonality" - "Name" - "Only
One" - "Somethin' Bad" -
"Ain't That Unusual" - "So
Long" - "Eyes Wide Open" -
"Disconnected" - "Slave
Girl" |
|
Dizzy Up The Girl
Released: October, 1998
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 15
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Dizzy"
- "Slide" - "Broadway" -
"January Friend" - "Black Balloon" -
"Bullet Proof" -
"Amigone" - "All Eyes On
Me" - "Full Forever" -
"Acoustic #3" - "Iris" -
"Extra Pale" - "Hate This
Place" |
|
What I Learned About
Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce
(1987-2000)
Released: May, 2001
Billboard
peak:
# 164
Tracks: "Bullet
Proof" - "All Eyes On Me"
- "Amigone" - "Acoustic
#3" - "Naked" -
"Ain't That Unusual" -
"Burnin' Up" - "Flat
Top" - "Eyes Wide Open" -
"Fallin' Down" - "Another
Second Time Around" - "Cuz
You're Gone" - "We Are The
Normal" - "Girl Right Next To
Me" - "Lucky Star" -
"On The Lie" - "Just The
Way You Are" - "Two Days In
February" - "There You
Are" - "Up Yours" -
"I'm Addicted" |
|
Gutterflower
Released: April, 2002
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 4
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Big Machine" -
"Think About Me" - "Here Is Gone" - "Ya
Never Know" - "What A
Scene" - "Up Up Up" -
"Think About Me" - "It's
Over" - "Sympathy" - "What
Do You Need?" - "Smash" -
"Tucked Away" - "Truth Is
A Whisper" |
|
Live In Buffalo July 4
2002
Released: November, 2004
Billboard
peak:
# 161
Live Tracks: "Give A Little Bit" - "Big Machine" -
"Naked" - "Slide" -
"Think About Me" -
"Smash" - "Tucked
Away" - "Black Balloon" -
"Dizzy" - "Name" - "Cuz
You're Gone" - "Sympathy" -
"January Friend" - "Here Is Gone" - "What
A Scene" - "Acoustic #3" -
"Two Days In February" - "Broadway" - "Iris" |
|
Let Love In
Released: April, 2006
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: C+
Tracks: "Stay With You" - "Let
Love In" - "Feel The
Silence" - "Better Days" -
"Without You Here" -
"Listen" - "I Can't Let
Go" - "When You're Gone" -
"Tuesday" - "Strange
Love" - "Become" - "Give A Little Bit" |
 |
Greatest Hits
Released: November, 2007
Billboard
peak:
# 33
Tracks: "Name" - "Iris" - "Slide" - "Broadway" - "Black Balloon" -
"Dizzy" - "Here Is Gone" - "Big Machine" - "Sympathy" - "Better Days" - "Stay With You" - "Let
Love In" - "Before It's Too
Late" - "Feel The Silence"
(New Remix) |
 |
Greatest Hits Volume Two (CD/DVD)
Released: August, 2008
Billboard
peak:
# 158
Tracks: "Hate This
Place" - "Stop The World"
- "Long Way Down" - "All
Eyes On Me" (live) - "Lazy
Eye" - "Iris" (Demo) -
"I'm Awake Now" - "Torn
Apart" - "No Way Out" -
"String Of Lies" - "We'll
Be Here (When You're Gone)" (Remix)
- "Without You Here" -
"Only One" - "Truth Is A
Whisper" - "What A Scene"
- "Million Miles Away" -
"I Wanna Destroy You" -
"Wait For The Blackout" -
"Slave Girl" - "Don't
Change" - "I Don't Wanna
Know" - "American Girl"
(live) |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound
samples). |
|
|
