I'm a Millennial music blogger who was a total punk/indie/underground hip-hop snob in high school. Think Dead Kennedys, Sonic Youth, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, anything from Def Jux. I remember casually saying to a classmate, "The Goo Goo Dolls were better when they were trying to be The Replacements." I tried really, really hard not to like them.

It ultimately didn't work. A friend gave me a DVD of their live show when I was in college and I was blown away by their music and stage presence. Rzeznik is a fantastic lyricist and a great guitarist- he has the mastery of his instrument that you can only acquire by spending lots of time in your room alone figuring out what sounds good. The bassist and drummer are both excellent as well. They're one of the tightest bands I've ever heard- they play everything on key and in rhythm.

Critics at the time accused them of "selling out" because Dizzy Up The Girl was much more slickly produced and the record label made a big deal out of Johnny's looks. I've actually written about them before lol. https://medium.com/@musettedc/90s-alternative-rock-gems-you-may-have-missed-958ae4d9d615