Name (song)

Last updated

"Name"
Name (Goo Goo Dolls single - cover art).jpg
Single by Goo Goo Dolls
from the album A Boy Named Goo
B-side
  • "Burnin' Up"
  • "Hit or Miss"
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1995
Genre
Length
  • 4:30 (album version)
  • 4:03 (single edit)
  • 4:15 (2007 re-recording)
Label
Songwriter(s) John Rzeznik
Producer(s) Lou Giordano
Goo Goo Dolls singles chronology
"Flat Top"
(1995)		"Name"
(1995)		"Naked"
(1996)

"Name" is a song by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from their fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo (1995). "Name" became the band's first major hit, [3] [4] topping both the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Album Rock Tracks chart. It also reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, "Name" peaked at number two on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number one on the RPM Alternative 30.

Contents

Composition

The song's unusual guitar tuning, D-A-E-A-E-E, [5] is accomplished by replacing the B string with a high E string. In an interview with Guitar World Magazine , the singer and songwriter Johnny Rzeznik explained: "Both the top strings are high E strings. Whenever I tried tuning a regular B string up to E, it would pop. It was really tough on the tension. I've seen guys play 'Name' with regular tuning. It doesn't sound right." [6] Rzeznik says that the song's unusual composition happened "quite accidentally". In an interview with KFOG, he explained: "It was weird, I was just sitting on my couch randomly twisting the tuning pegs, and I couldn't figure out what notes the guitar was tuned to, so I had to grab my tuner to find out, and then I jotted them down on a post it. ... I just sat there and let my fingers play the fretboard openly, and that is what became the progression of 'Name'." [7]

In her book The Kennedy Chronicles, former MTV VJ Kennedy claimed that the song was actually about her complicated relationship with Rzeznik, with the lyrics referring to their time together and her full name being a secret to most. Rzeznik admitted to the inspiration in the book, saying, "I was trying to capture a moment...it was pretty interesting to have a song inspired by a moment. And I thought it was a very sweet song." [8]

Rzeznik acknowledged Name is inspired by Kennedy's life and personality in a 2025 interview with Zach Sang. [9]

Reception

In October 2012, "Name" was ranked number 24 on Billboard's "Top 100 Pop Songs 1992–2012" chart. This chart also featured the Goo Goo Dolls' hits "Slide" (ranking at number nine) and "Iris" (which topped the chart). The Goo Goo Dolls are the only musicians to have three songs chart on the list, two breaking the top 10 and all three falling within the top 25. They are also the only musicians who have back to back singles ("Iris", 1998 and "Slide", 1999) featured on the list. [10]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Name"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [43] Platinum80,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [44] Gold15,000‡
United States (RIAA) [45] 2× Platinum2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995". Spin . August 6, 2015. p. 5. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (August 6, 2004). "Top Ten Mediocre Post-Grunge / Alternative Bands". Stylus Magazine . Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  3. ↑ Miers, Jeff (October 12, 2018). "Timeline: Goo Goo Dolls, through the years". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ "As Goo As It Gets". The Buffalo News. April 16, 1996. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ Dolls, G. (1996). Goo Goo Dolls - a Boy Named Goo*. Milwaukee: HAL LEONARD.
  6. ↑ "Guitar World Magazine, May 1996 "Goo Vibrations"". NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Guitar World Acoustic, Issue 29 "A Simple Twist of Fate"". NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  8. ↑ Kennedy, The Kennedy Chronicles, 2013, Macmillan, pp. 103–105.
  9. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Reveal the Real Story Behind "Name" - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  10. ↑ Trust, Gary (October 3, 2012). "The Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012, From No. 100 To No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ Name (US cassette single cassette notes). Goo Goo Dolls. Metal Blade Records, Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 9 17758-4, 4-17758.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Name (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Goo Goo Dolls. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 5439177582.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Name (European CD single liner notes). Goo Goo Dolls. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. WO333CD, 9362-43661-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Name (Japanese CD single liner notes). Goo Goo Dolls. Metal Blade Records, Warner Bros. Records. 1995. WPCR-684.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 24 Mar 1996". ARIA . Retrieved July 31, 2017– via Imgur. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2827." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  17. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2853." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2774." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  19. ↑ "European Alternative Rock Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. February 3, 1996. p. 25. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Major Market Airplay – 1996" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 47. March 30, 1996. p. 29. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (10.2. – 16.2. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). February 10, 1996. p. 26. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  22. ↑ "The Goo Goo Dolls – Name". Top 40 Singles.
  23. ↑ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  29. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM . Retrieved February 21, 2019– via Library and Archives Canada.
  32. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. YE-76.
  33. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. YE-77.
  34. ↑ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1996". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  35. ↑ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM . Retrieved February 21, 2019– via Library and Archives Canada.
  36. ↑ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved February 21, 2019– via Library and Archives Canada.
  37. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Longboredsurfer.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor . Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 33. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 33. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 23. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Goo Goo Dolls – Name". Music Canada . Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  44. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Goo Goo Dolls – Name". Radioscope. Retrieved January 22, 2025.Type Name in the "Search:" field.
  45. ↑ "American single certifications – Goo Goo Dolls – Name". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved July 1, 2022.
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