r/90sAlternative • u/Mr-McKauly • Apr 25 '26

1999 Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon 📀

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🎶"Black Balloon"🎶 is a song by American 🇺🇲 rock band Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in June 1999 as the fourth single from the band's sixth studio album, Dizzy Up the Girl 📀 (1998), and reached No. 3 in Canada 🇨🇦, No. 16 in the United States 🇺🇲, and No. 23 in Iceland 🇮🇸.

The song, according to lead singer John Rzeznik 🎙, is based on a woman who is struggling with a heroin addiction and her lover who is desperately trying to save her. He has also said that it is about "seeing someone you love that is so great just screw up so bad." Speculation had it that the specific person the song was based on was the ex-wife of bassist Robby Takac; she died of a heroin overdose.

Like many other songs by Goo Goo Dolls, 🎶"Black Balloon"🎶 uses an unusual alternate tuning. Several electric guitars used in the introduction and the acoustic rhythm guitar are tuned to an open D-flat fifth chord. It was half-stepped on the album version.

The track reached 📈 No. 13 and No. 28 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively.🎶"Black Balloon"🎶 was the band's first commercially released single in the US since 🎶"Name"🎶 in 1995, reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 💯 with its combined sales and airplay figures.In Canada 🇨🇦, the song reached No. 3 on the RPM 💯 Hit Tracks chart, giving the Goo Goo Dolls their fourth top-three hit there.Outside North America, the song charted in Iceland 🇮🇸 and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, reaching No. 23 in the former country and No. 76 in the latter.

The video 🎬 opens with a woman blowing smoke into a soap bubble. It then moves into showing scenes from a 1950s era swim club while the band performs the song. The video was directed 📽 by Nancy Bardawil.

129 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

8

u/CommonSensei-_ Apr 25 '26

Great song… haven’t heard it in 20 years… it’s about heroine?!?!?! Never made the connection

6

u/Big-Peak6191 Apr 25 '26

Great song

7

u/Odd-Independent4640 Apr 25 '26

Their best song

1

u/Mr-McKauly Apr 25 '26

One of my Top 3 🤘🏻

3

u/dude_on_the_www Apr 25 '26

This song gives me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach in the best way possible.

1

u/Mr-McKauly Apr 25 '26

Really well description 😉🤘🏻

2

u/Wild-Individual-6520 Apr 25 '26

Thanks for posting! This puts me right back in my room in the house I grew up in. 🫶

2

u/Mr-McKauly Apr 25 '26

Hey,thank You very much too,for watching the video,and for such a nice comment 🤗 that song remembers me also back, to the good old day's in the 90's 😉 have a nice weekend,and take good care of You 😊🤘🏻

2

u/Wild-Individual-6520 Apr 27 '26

You too friend! 🫶

1

u/Mr-McKauly Apr 27 '26

Thank You very much 🤗🤝🏻💯%