Oasis Essentials

Some bands spend years chasing stardom, while others seem to will it into existence. That was certainly the case with Manchester’s Oasis, who named the first track on their debut album, Definitely Maybe, “Rock ’n’ Roll Star” as if stardom was preordained. Arriving at the peak of alt-rock, Oasis’ 1994 debut countered the introspective angst of grunge with a bird-flipping retort that combined the melodicism of The Beatles, the swagger of T. Rex, the sneer of the Sex Pistols and the danceable grooves of The Stone Roses. The result: sleazy anthems such as “Cigarettes & Alcohol” and “Supersonic” and celebratory tunes like “Live Forever”. The group’s sound—and the tension between songwriter Noel Gallagher and his brash vocalist brother, Liam—evoked the sibling drama of The Kinks. Definitely Maybe debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts, casting Oasis as the bad boys of Britpop, a role they embraced with their tabloid spats with Blur. But 1995’s follow-up, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, made them a global phenomenon thanks to karaoke-ready sing-alongs like “Wonderwall”, “Champagne Supernova” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. The Gallaghers’ ever-fraught relationship would sink Oasis in 2009, but in 2024, they announced a reunion tour for the following year, sharing on social media, “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned.”