On July 4, the moment that many around the world have been counting down to for years will finally arrive. Yes, Oasis will return to the stage together as they officially get their Live ’25 tour underway in Cardiff. For the UK business, it is one of the most hyped events in recent memory, a story that has everyone talking. Of course, those conversations involve plenty of reminiscing, too, which is why Music Week has gathered an array of top names and tasked them with one thing: to pick their No.1 Oasis track. Settle in, then, for part two of our supersonic ride down memory lane...
Photo: Getty
ROCK’N’ROLL STAR (1994)
“Trying to pick one Oasis song out of all the contenders is pretty hard. On any other day, it could have been Live Forever, Some Might Say, Acquiesce, Talk Tonight, Slide Away, Supersonic, Wonderwall, Stand By Me, Morning Glory or Half The World Away! But I’ve gone for Rock’N’Roll Star. It’s a powerful statement of intent. The sound is so intense, Liam’s voice, the layers of guitars, the pounding bass and drums and that Stooges-like ending. Alan McGee played it to me the day after he’d first seen them at King Tut’s in Glasgow in May 1993. I met them a week or so later and they already had that rock star aura, underpinned by a relatable, down-to-earth appeal. There’s an element of self-fulfilling prophecy to the song. It was written by Noel while on the dole, and included on their legendary Live Demonstration cassette before they signed to Creation. They performed it on their first headline tour and finally released it on their debut album, by which time all the rave reviews and interviews in the press, plus all the gigs and TV performances, had confirmed that they were, indeed, rock’n’roll stars.” Johnny Hopkins (Oasis press officer 1993-2000, music industry consultant, author, researcher, lecturer)
“I remember playing this on the game RockBand in 2008, plastic guitar in hand, wishing it were real. After spending countless nights putting on shows at venues and managing bands, you realise why that chorus means so much to so many. There’s something about pushing through load-ins that makes, ‘Tonight, I’m a rock’n’roll star’ feel less like a lyric and more like a mantra. I started my career in Manchester, and you can still feel how songs like this shaped the city’s musical DNA. An echo of an era when British guitar music felt limitless.” Mitch Page (Amazon Music UK)
“If I was a wrestler, this would be my walkout song. Oasis taught me that attitude is everything – if you believe you’re the greatest band in the world, some people might just believe it, too. I tell my artists this all the time, you have to be your own biggest fans!” Mark Adams (Blinding Talent)
WHATEVER (1994)
“Its core message of freedom, individuality and non-conformity really resonates with me. ‘I’m free to be whatever I/Whatever I choose/And I’ll sing the blues if I want.’ I just love that it’s about forging your own path and doing what you want to do without the judgment of others. In this age of social media, we are constantly being told what is right and wrong, but this song lets me know I’m on my own journey.” Sheniece Charway (YouTube)
SHE’S ELECTRIC (1995)
“I do indeed have a family full of eccentrics, and this was part of the soundtrack to the dying days of my university life.” Dr Jo Twist (BPI)
“My older sister was a huge Oasis fan and saw them live at Knebworth and actually made it into the famous photograph. We used to sing this one loud before I was an age where I could even fathom what music meant to
the masses.” Georgie (Girlband!)
BE HERE NOW (1997)
“Be Here Now has got such a heavy, menacing vibe. I love it. I always play it late at night after a few beers, especially if I’m going back on the train to Birmingham, annoying the other passengers. A legendary moment for me was seeing the guys play Knebworth back in the day. Seminal.” Craig Jennings (Raw Power Management)
BONEHEAD’S BANK HOLIDAY (1995)
“My favourite Oasis song has always been Bonehead’s Bank Holiday. It’s so catchy. I love how much fun the band are having on the recording – it’s just pure melodic joy! I still play this track the most of any Oasis song now, and I have introduced my nine-year-old daughter to it – she knows every single word, too.” Vanessa Bakewell (Meta)
STAND BY ME (1997)
“This is the best song on that third album [Be Here Now] by a mile. Oasis were at their biggest as I was just getting into the music industry on the very bottom rungs. Although a distance away from anything I was doing at the time, the band, and songs like this one, were a big part of why it all felt so exciting. There was just so much swagger about British music and the people making it. In hindsight, it was incredibly inspiring.” Joe Kentish
(Warner Records & Parlophone Label Group)
TALK TONIGHT (1995)
“When I was growing up in Paris, Oasis’ music was everywhere across the media and in the charts. It felt like a true phenomenon coming from the other side of the channel. The band’s melodies, lyricism and musicality inspired many French acts, with Oasis quickly coming to define what a British band meant in France. They were cool, revolutionary and had a provocateur stamp of unique individuality in their music. Of course, Parisians loved their many big songs, like Stop Crying Your Heart Out or Wonderwall just to name two, but I connected with Talk Tonight. Noel singing has always added a different dimension and the lyrics fascinated me. I remember listening to this and trying to figure out what the words meant and the significance of the lyrics. I was 14 years old at that time with a shamefully low level of English, but no matter what, I knew that it was a great song. With the mysterious cycle of life being as unpredictable as it is, almost three decades after the song was first released, we now work with Noel here at Sony Music Publishing.” David Ventura (Sony Music Publishing UK/International)
SOME MIGHT SAY (1995)
“When my band was touring the US, this is the song that got us through the long drives. Especially at night. When the ‘Cause I’ve been standing at the station’ part kicked in, the band and I would lose it. Picture the Bohemian Rhapsody headbanging moment from Wayne’s World!” David Gray (Universal Music Publishing Group UK)
“This song was released in April 1995, a few months before I started senior school, and it reminds me of my adolescence. I recall armies of mini Liam and Noel Gallaghers swaggering around school and their phrases becoming part of the Essex dialect. I went to V Festival in Chelmsford in 2009 purely to see Oasis. However, it was never meant to be – it was announced that Liam had laryngitis and the Chelmsford performance was cancelled. Instead, the crowd had to make do with Snow Patrol covering a few Oasis songs, which wasn’t quite the same! I thought this was how my Oasis story was to end… but I’m hoping to catch them on tour this summer!” Kate Reilly (PPL)
WONDERWALL (1995)
“I spent a lot of time in my dad’s pub growing up, and there wasn’t a pub without Oasis or Wonderwall playing over the speakers, which is probably the reason it’s still one of my favourites to this day. And if it wasn’t Oasis themselves, there was always a band trying to emulate their sound. When all is said and done, there will never be anyone as cool as Oasis. They’re the epitome of rock’n’roll culture.” Rita Ora (artist)
“At a time when I was heavily into R&B and hip-hop, Oasis managed to influence even me! My cousin literally became Liam Gallagher – he was obsessed with him. He changed his voice, walk, hair, clothes! So much so that he named his son Liam! That was the power of Oasis.” Eve Horne (We Are The Unheard)
“Oasis were the catalyst for my rise as a DJ and club promoter during university. When Wonderwall dropped, I somehow got my hands on the a cappella and mixed it live with the instrumental of Notorious B.I.G.’s One More Chance. The first time I played the mash-up, it ignited the crowd and sky-rocketed my bookings fivefold. Suddenly, I was the go-to promoter for student club nights. It was a game changer!” Glyn Aikins (RCA/Since ’93)
“An absolute UK anthem. My whole family knows it, no matter their age.” Amaria BB (artist)
“I have great memories of seeing Oasis in the early 2000s at Wembley with 10 mates singing our hearts out. This is always my karaoke go-to – and I love Alan White’s drum fill into the second verse.” Fraser T Smith (artist/producer)
SONGBIRD (2002)
“Oasis soundtracked my youth, blaring out of festival speakers or keeping me company on the bus to school. I still play Fuckin’ In The Bushes to hype myself up, I have sung Morning Glory at karaoke more times than I care to admit and I’m counting down the days until the shows. For me, their genius has always been Noel’s thoughts sung with Liam’s emotion, but I do have a special place in my heart for Songbird [the first Oasis single to written by Liam]. I love that it’s a glimpse into his gentler side, a chance for us to hear some of his feelings. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a love song!” Maia Beth (BBC Radio 1)
