RockOnTheNet.com
presents The Top Pop Songs
Of All Time !
We have ranked the top pop songs that have charted over the past
50+ years on The ARC Weekly Top 40 and Billboard Hot 100, and
come up with
a definitive list that will continue to expand as we add to it,
and continue to modify as new songs chart on The ARC Weekly Top
40.
"You've
got to surround yourself with people that are
better than you... That way, you grow." - Johnny
Rzeznik, Goo Goo Dolls -
1998
TIMELINE
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).
June 9: The Goo Goo Dolls
released the independent LP, Goo
Goo Dolls on Metal Blade Records.
February 23: 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..."
November 9: The Goo Goo Dolls could
be heard on the No
Alternativecompilation on the track
"Bitch."
Tutuska was asked to
leave the group at the beginning of the year.
March 14: The Goo Goo Dolls
released A
Boy Named Gooand 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..."
March 20: The Goo Goo Dolls hit big
with a song from the City
Of Angels soundtrack called "Iris" that 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."
August 1: The Goo Goo Dolls topped
the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart for 17 weeks
with "Iris."
September: 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
led 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.
October 31: The Goo Goo Dolls topped
the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 2
weeks with "Slide."
November: 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..."
December: The Goo Goo Dolls found
some airplane travel problems in Sicily when
their plane skidded off the runway. None of the
passengers were injured.
December 31: 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").
September 21: 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.
October 20: 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.
January 1: The Goo Goo Dolls topped
the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart for 8 weeks with
"Give A Little Bit."
September 10: 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.
Released: June 9, 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)"
Released: October 5, 1991 Entertainment
Weekly: A- 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"
Released: February 23, 1993 Entertainment
Weekly: A Tracks: "Fallin'
Down" - "Lucky Star" -
"Cuz You're Gone" - "Don't
Worry" - "Girl Right Next To
Me" - "Domino" - "We Are
The Normal" - "String Of Lies"
- "Another Second Time Around" -
"Stop The World" - "Already
There" - "On The Lie" -
"Close Your Eyes" - "So Far
Away"
Released: May 29, 2001 Billboard Top
200 LPs
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"
Released: August 19, 2008 Billboard Top
200 LPs
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)
Released: August 31, 2010 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 7 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "Sweetest
Lie" - "As I Am" -
"Home" - "Notbroken" -
"One Night" - "Nothing Is
Real" - "Now I Hear" -
"Still Your Song" - "Something
For The Rest Of Us" - "Say You're
Free" - "Hey Ya" -
"Soldier"
Released: June 11, 2013 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 8 Tracks: "Rebel
Beat" - "When The World Breaks Your
Heart" - "Slow It Down" -
"Caught In The Storm" - "Come
To Me" - "Bringing On The
Light" - "More Of You" -
"Bullet Proof Angel" - "Last
Hot Night" - "Happiest Of
Days" - "Keep The Car Running"
Released: May 6, 2016 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 27 Tracks: "Over And
Over" - "Souls In The Machine"
- "Flood" - "The Pin" -
"Boxes" - "Free Of Me" -
"Reverse" - "Lucky One" -
"So Alive" - "Prayer In My
Pcoket" - "Long Way Home"
Released: October 30, 2020 Tracks: "Christmas All
Over Again" - "Shake Hands With
Santa Claus" - "This Is
Christmas" - "Christmas Don't Be
Late" - "Better Days" -
"You Ain't Getting Nothin'" -
"Let It Snow" - "Have Yourself
A Merry Little Christmas" - "Hark!
The Heralds Angels Sing" - "The
Christmas Party" (featuring The Union
Square 5)
Released: June 25, 2021 Tracks: "Hit Or
Miss" - "Nothing Can Change
You" - "Long Way Down" (Chris
Lord Alge Remix) - "Name" (live acoustic)
- "Don't Change" (live) -
"Girl Right Next To Me" (live
acoustic) - "Another Second Time
Around" (live acoustic) - "Iris" (acoustic"
- "Slide" (acoustic) -
"Naked" (remix) - "Black
Balloon"
(live) - "Naked" (live) -
"Black Balloon" (live) - "Broadway" (live) -
"We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)"
(acoustic) - "Better Days" (acoustic) -
"Let Love In" (live) -
"Listen" (live) - "Feel The
Silence" (live) - "Take Me Out To
The Ball Game"
Released: August 12, 2022 Tracks: "Yeah, I Like
You" - "War" - "Save Me
From Myself" - "Let The Sun" -
"Loving Life" - "Going
Crazy" - "Day After Day" -
"Past Mistakes" - "You Are The
Answer" - "Superstar"
Note: Song title and position
links lead you to the song's ARC Weekly Top 40 chart run, LP links take
you to Amazon.com for that LP's info (often
including track listings and track samples), and
single cover art takes you to Amazon.com for that CD single (if
available). Songs charting prior to 1980 have
information from Billboard magazine.