28 Years Ago, 'City of Angels' Soundtrack Featuring 'Iris' Topped Billboard 200
City of Angels, the 1998 romantic comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, achieved box office success, grossing nearly $199 million worldwide. It also posted fairly solid, if not spectacular, reviews from critics and audiences.
However, the film's biggest contribution may have been its soundtrack, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on this day 28 years ago. The soundtrack included a pair of hit songs, one of which was a quintessential 1990s love song that has been recently rejuvenated thanks to social media.
"Iris" helped headline the City of Angels soundtrack
Along with Alanis Morrissette's "Uninvited," which earned the Canadian rocker a pair of Grammy Awards, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls was one of the two smash-hits from the movie's soundtrack.
The single was included on the band's album Dizzy Up the Girl and released on April 1, 1998,, nine days before City of Angels debuted. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the outlet's Adult Pop Airplay, Alternative Airplay and Pop Airplay charts. "Iris" also went No. 1 in Australia, Canada and Italy and broke into the top five in six other countries.
The song earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Pop Performance by a Duo or Group and also helped singer/songwriter Johnny Rzeznik bag a nomination for Song of the Year. "Iris" was one of several hits for Goo Goo Dolls in the 1990s, but has become their signature song.
In 2026, "Iris" took off once again thanks to a TikTok trend which involved users posting throwback photos or clips of themselves from the 1990s with the iconic ballad playing in the background.
City of Angels soundtrack, track listing
- U2 - "If God Will Send His Angels"
- Alanis Morrissette - "Uninvited"
- Jimi Hendrix - "Red House"
- Paula Cole - "Feelin' Love"
- John Lee Hooker - "Mama, You Got A Daughter"
- Sarah McLachlan - "Angel"
- Goo Goo Dolls - "Iris"
- Peter Gabriel - "I Grieve"
- Jude - "I Know"
- Eric Clapton - "Further On Up the Road"
- Gabriel Yared - "An Angel Falls"
- Gabriel Yared - "The Unfeeling Kiss"
- Gabriel Yared - "Spreading Wings"
- Gabriel Yared - "City of Angels"
The City of Angels soundtrack peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on June 13, 1998. You can find the soundtrack in its entirety here.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 10:16 PM.