My brain feels like scrambled eggs today. I’m having a difficult time doing things I need to do, and an unhelpfully easy time doing things that are absolutely not urgent. In particular, I’ve been meaning to make a playlist of what I deem to be the best Oasis songs. Since this task is not even close to urgent, I guess that’s what I’ll do today.
Oasis is my favorite band. People that know me even on an acquaintance level know this about me. It’s more of an ailment I live with than a point of pride. Most people I know can’t stand Oasis and choose to give me negative feedback about this particular taste of mine. Now that I’m closer to 40 than ever, I can handle this kind of negative feedback quite well. My response is typically something like,
“GOOD! I’m glad you don’t like them. They’re my favorite band — go get your own favorite band, you penis.”
Lately, however, I’m noticing people despising Oasis less. Some folks, dare I say, are even beginning to LIKE Oasis, further evidence that the matrix we’re living in is glitching more than usual. Before our alien overlords perform the unfortunate but necessary “every-80-year hard reset” of the simulation, I figured, with the limited time we have left, I’d better point my friends and family in the right direction for getting started with Oasis. Ya know, since you guys seem to like them now or something. Welcome to the club, m’dudes.
THE RULES
Oasis is known for abundant and legendary B-Sides. It’s one of the things that makes being an Oasis fan so fun: there’s so much more to explore once you’re done with the surface-level studio album tracks.
But we’re not doing that today. The playlist below has tracks from strictly studio albums, with one caveat: The Masterplan. This was a compilation of Oasis’ best B-Sides that came out AFTER their third studio album, Be Here Now. The compilation features songs recorded during and around Definitely Maybe and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? sessions (their first and second albums, respectively.) This collection of B-Sides sold so well (and is so damn good, if I may) that it should be counted among their studio albums.
I also did not include songs from the post-Oasis projects like Beady Eye, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, or Liam Gallagher‘s solo work.
B-Sides and solo projects are likely two more playlists and blog posts in themselves.
The songs on this playlist are listed in chronological order, including the songs from The Masterplan. I tried to keep it to no more than 5 songs per album, although I broke that rule a couple times.
THE PLAYLIST
I’ve got more notes below, but without further ado, here’s an AppleMusic playlist and Spotify playlist for your listening pleasures. WordPress won’t let me embed the playlists because I’m not that smart, so here’s some links:
https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7IEw3TgxSFR0iyuYi3Klit?utm_source=generator&theme=0
A few things to take note of as you’re traveling through Oasis’ soundscape throughout the years:
After their first record, Definitely Maybe, drummer Tony McCarroll left the band. The words “kicked out” aren’t really used, but it sure seems like it from documentaries and interviews. Noel is noted saying he felt Tony wouldn’t be able to keep up with the songs he knew were coming on their second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
(What’s The Story) Morning Glory? is likely Oasis’ best album, depending on which side of the pond you’re from. You’ll notice I DID NOT INCLUDE “WONDERWALL.” I just can’t do it anymore, man. I know you can’t either.
You’ll notice there is certainly a shift in sonic quality on their 3rd studio album, Be Here Now. The album had a bit of a jarring, too-big-for-its-own-good sound, with songs creeping towards the 7-minute mark. Just an absolutely indulgent moment for the band. As an older gent, I actually like this record a lot more than I did in my teens and 20’s. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on that strange record as well.
Another significant shift happens with the release of Oasis’ 4th studio album, Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants. This is the beginning of the band’s more psychedelic phase. Ignoramuses will point out that the magic was over by this point. They are wrong. This isn’t really a matter of opinion: I happen to be objectively correct on this one. Now, it’s not illegal to be wrong, in fact, it’s okay to be wrong. But I just think it’s important to know when you are wrong.
Standing On The Shoulders of Giants is one of my favorite Oasis releases, and those who say it’s not a good record just haven’t found it yet. The 5th studio album, Heathen Chemistry, is just as good.
I’d like to take a moment to let Chris Bonawitz personally know that I did not put “Little By Little” on this playlist. That song is objectively bad, and you just haven’t noticed that yet. I still love ya, Chris.
Back to the band member diagram, the addition of Gem Archer and Andy Bell to the band’s lineup are partly to thank for the shift in soundscape. These influences will carry through all the way to the end of the band’s lifespan in 2009.
Spoiler alert: All the albums are good, but the last two albums are their worst works. Let’s call them “The Least Best Oasis Albums.” I did the hard work of cutting through the stuff that takes extra patience for you, though.
DON’T SKIP THESE
Some tracks are just more mind-blowing, or at least more interesting, than some of the other ear-worms. “Talk Tonight” is one of the only songs that lyrically has a story. In 1994 during their first US tour, Oasis played a horrendous drug-induced gig in LA. It was so bad that Noel quit the band and flew to San Francisco to hang with a girl he had met for several days. Today, he couldn’t even remember the girl’s name, but he described the experience as therapeutic, and he described her as someone who gave him the confidence he needed to keep going. That girl recently came forward, and had similar things to say about those days with Noel, almost a cathartic break from life for both of them. I’m rambling here because I’ve secretly been on a break from life since about 2018 or 2019. I relate with this song.
Take note of the wonderful keyboard tone in “Half The World Away.” “Underneath The Sky” is probably one of the most underrated songs in the entire Oasis catalog. I try not to hang on to the most popular singles, but “Don’t Go Away” still brings me to my knees.
“Roll It Over” is a display of desperation, beautifully closing out Standing On The Shoulders of Giants. You can finish one of your all-time best records, but we’re always searching for something more, aren’t we? This song feels like just that: the dissatisfaction of how far you’ve come, knowing there is more, somewhere.
Not that I can’t be verbose about songs on Heathen Chemistry, but I’d like to direct your attention to “Guess God Thinks I’m Abel” off of Don’t Believe The Truth. Noel Gallagher is known to be the songwriting genius in Oasis, but here, Liam is beginning to have more input in songwriting around this final era of Oasis. He’s also joining on rhythm guitar duties near the end of the band.
I’ve ended this playlist with likely the most psychedelic, or maybe the ominous sounding track in Oasis’ catalog. “Falling Down” departs from the typical rock drum beat and instead takes a page from the drums on The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows,” the closing track to Revolver.
I’m not good at conclusions, I just have to stop writing and get ready for the rest of my day:
Throughout my favorite band’s career, I get to enjoy so many more bands than just Oasis. I can hear The Stone Roses (the band Liam and Noel basically wanted to ripoff, unsuccessfully), The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Smiths, New Order: all bands that Noel and Liam enjoyed growing up, and some alongside. The next playlist I make surrounding Oasis’ legacy will likely expose some of their other influences.
I hope you enjoy this playlist and discover what this band has given me in my darkest, hardest, or least-inspired times. Like today.
Brotherless
Brotherless, underscore, yo. 