27 Years Later, One of the Goo Goo Dolls’ Best Songs Is Climbing Spotify’s Charts

It’s one of the best-selling singles of all time, and almost three decades after it first hit the radio, it’s climbing the charts again. “Iris,” the Goo Goo Dolls‘ blockbuster 1998 ballad, is currently at #21 on Spotify’s global streaming charts. The song, which became a worldwide hit when it was featured in the 1998 Nicolas Cage–Meg Ryan supernatural romance City of Angels, has been steadily climbing the streaming rankings since it entered the top 100 in February.

City of Angels, a loose remake of Wim Wenders‘ Wings of Desire, had a star-studded soundtrack; in addition to the Goo Goo Dolls, it also featured Alanis Morissette, U2, and Peter Gabriel, but nothing on the soundtrack, or the movie itself, had a bigger impact than “Iris.” The song was written for the film by Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik, and takes the viewpoint of the movie’s lead character, an angel who becomes mortal when he falls in love with a human woman. It spent 18 weeks at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay charts, and sold over 14 million copies; in 2023 it was certified octuple platinum. There is no character in the movie named “Iris,” nor does the name appear in the song’s lyrics: Rzeznik named the song after country-folk musician Iris DeMent.

What Is ‘City of Angels’ About?

Cage stars as Seth, an immortal angel assigned to watch over the people of Los Angeles, and to guide those close to death into the next life. Joining him in this task is his friend, fellow angel Cassiel (Andre Braugher). One day, Seth witnesses surgeon Maggie Rice (Ryan) try valiantly to save one of his charges, and becomes fascinated with her. The two meet, and soon fall in love, even though Seth, as an angel, is forbidden from doing so. He meets one of Maggie’s patients, Nathaniel Messinger (Dennis Franz), who he learns was an angel who chose to become human. Seth decides to do so as well, but quickly learns how fleeting human life can be. The film was directed by Brad Silberling (Casper) and written by Dana Stevens (The Woman King); it was a hit at the box office, making $198.7 million USD on a $55 million budget. Reviewers were less enthusiastic, and it holds a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Iris” has had a resurgence in recent years. It was prominently featured in the nostalgia-heavy soundtrack for last summer’s blockbuster buddy-pic Deadpool & Wolverine, and was also used earlier this year in the science fiction thriller Companion, whose robotic main character, played by Sophie Thatcher, is named Iris.

“Iris” is now streaming on Spotify. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.