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. Read on, for part three of our supersonic ride down memory lane...
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THE MASTERPLAN (1995)
“The Masterplan is the one for me. It’s one of those B-side gems that showcased the softer side of Oasis, which I’ve always liked, while still delivering a stirring anthemic finale. After seeing Noel front the band at the 1996 MTV Unplugged gig when Liam was ill, I’ve always had a fondness for a Noel-vocal Oasis song. Half The World Away always reminds me of the time we had a competition at Radio 1 for a listener to have Noel Gallagher come to their house for their own personal performance. Noel performing live in your lounge, I think was the idea. A lovely boy called Ben was the winner and his mum did him proud with a lovely spread on the day. Ben provided the handclaps on the recording of Half The World Away and it was about as surreal as it gets.” Jo Whiley (BBC Radio 2)
“My favourite Oasis song is The Masterplan. I bought all of their singles and albums as they came out, and that B-side really hit me hard and has stayed with me. The inspirational lyrics combined with the clear nod to George Martin’s production makes the track stand the test of time. I was fortunate enough to spend some quality time with Noel Gallagher talking about the track after The Ivors at The Audley pub [in Mayfair] in 2013 and he mentioned The Masterplan was his favourite.” Roberto Neri (The Ivors Academy)
“In addition to being my favourite song by Oasis, I also think it’s such a great example of what they did best. This song is rich and wildly mature beyond its years, seemingly written with no pomp and ceremony and thrown out as a B-side to Wonderwall. It could have been a lead single. The guitar sounds great, the string arrangement soars and there is even a nod to The Beatles towards the end. The great rhythmic vocals in the chorus just spur it on. The only thing this song hasn’t got is Liam, which of course is paramount to Oasis, but also the sibling struggle and interchanging between songs is a very important part of the story, too.” Danielle Perry (Absolute Radio)
“It’s not often that a song can be so good that it scares you. For me, The Masterplan, unceremoniously tacked onto the end of the Wonderwall CD single, is probably the closest they ever got to achieving Beatles-y perfection. Oasis’ music works best when you can hold your hands in the air and sing your lungs out to it with your best friends stood beside you. But they’re also unbeatable – or should that be unBeatleable? – when they make you pause, take stock of your life and all its ups and downs and just… breathe it all in. This song, more than any other in that vast, compelling catalogue, does both.” Matt Wilkinson (Apple Music 1)
“The Masterplan is a song I go back to time and again, it is such an unsung hero in their catalogue and came out at a time when their material was so strong it never made it beyond a B-side, which still staggers me! This is quietly majestic and anthemic, full of epic strings and a great vocal from Noel.” Kate Thornton (Greatest Hits Radio)
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER (1996)
“It was a little too early for me to be buying my own albums when (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? came out, but it was one of my mum’s favourite records. She played it constantly at home, and of course it was always on the radio in the car. This album has definitely stood the test of time. Whenever I hear it, I am instantly taken back to my childhood, and it brings back a lot of happy memories. Don’t Look Back In Anger was always my favourite track, and I still have the same love I had for it when I was younger. Very few tracks have had that effect on me.” Toyin Mustapha (TikTok)
“We had Ocean Colour Scene supporting Oasis just as they were breaking. Seeing them in small venues was incredible. They were the real deal – proper rock’n’roll moments like this one that we were lucky to share!” Damian Christian (Atlantic)
“For me, this was such an important song that summed up the sentiment of the whole country when it came out. I was doing my GCSEs at the time, and I remember people performing it at the end-of-year school talent show.” Rich Castillo (Lionbear Music Group)
“Whenever it comes on, wherever you are, everyone knows all of the words and joins in. Oasis are a real rock band whose music will last the test of time.” John Giddings (Solo Agency)
HALF THE WORLD AWAY (1994)
“I love this song for its simplicity and because it’s so touching. It came out not long after I left home to go to university when, like most teenagers, I was excited to be leaving a provincial town for the bright lights of a big city.” Sophie Jones (BPI)
“Half The World Away, like many Oasis songs, is one of those tracks that touches your soul and you’re not even sure why. Simple and timeless. It was one of the first tracks I heard of theirs, so it’s particularly nostalgic for me. It was cathartic to cover it live in the wake of the tragic Manchester Arena bombing, when we headlined Slam Dunk that same year.” Rou Reynolds (Enter Shikari)
THE GIRL IN THE DIRTY SHIRT (1997)
“I love how it showcases their vulnerability with introspective lyrics and rich melodies. It captures the everyday struggles we all face and I’m always drawn to its raw honesty. A unique glimpse into love and longing.” Afryea Henry-Fontaine (The Black Music Coalition)
D’YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? (1997)
“I was a 14-year-old from the North West whose world was totally transformed when I heard this new local band called Oasis. They opened the door to my love of music. Through them I found my ‘scene’ and all the other bands that I loved in that incredible era. I picked up a guitar and learnt to play. I wrote songs and started a band. Even though some of my favourite songs of all time were on those first two defining Oasis albums, or B-sides to their singles, D’You Know What I Mean? epitomised the swagger of a band at the height of their powers. I remember a press photo [by Jill Furmanovsky] when the song came out, there was a picture of them in a pub and a blackboard where someone had written: ‘The best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be!’ When the video dropped, it was all helicopters and smoke and an army of people. It was Oasis with turbocharged ambition and confidence – and no doubt, a healthy marketing budget! It has been an incredible full-circle moment to work at Sony representing all of Noel’s songs. And, although I have lived in the South for so many years, I still try to say, ‘d’you know what I mean?’ at the end of every other sentence!” Tim Major (Sony Music Publishing)
DIGSY’S DINNER (1994)
“My parents owned an amusement arcade when I was kid. There was a pool hall with a jukebox player and I used to get free credits. When Definitely Maybe came out I stopped playing singles from TLC and would put the album on front to back. This was my favourite as a 10-year-old... There was something very relatable about going over for tea and eating sandwiches.” Zena White (Partisan)
I AM THE WALRUS (THE BEATLES COVER) (1994)
“Oasis are a band that hold a special place in my heart, not only for their music, but also their logo, which was inspired by our very own Decca logo! My favourite song of theirs is their cover of I Am The Walrus – I know, I know, it’s a Beatles song. I was at the band’s Sunday Knebworth show and they played this towards the end of the set. Immediately after, I drove through the night to get to the Welsh coast. It was the peak of Britpop, the year of Euro 96 and the height of summer. I’d only been in London a year and I remember it feeling like we were all part of something amazing. It was Britpop with a glimpse of Swinging ’60s psychedelic Beatlemania.” Tom Lewis (Decca Records)
