Oasis

Oasis formed in Manchester in 1991 when Liam Gallagher's band the Rain recruited his older brother Noel as lead guitarist. Noel's condition was simple: he would only join if he was in charge of the songwriting. That decision changed British music. Within three years they were the biggest band in the country, and within five they were playing to 250,000 people at Knebworth — the largest concerts in British history.

'Definitely Maybe' (1994) arrived like a declaration of war. Recorded on a shoestring and bristling with confidence, it became the fastest-selling debut album in British history at the time. 'Rock 'n' Roll Star', 'Live Forever', 'Supersonic' — every track sounded like it had been written to be played in a stadium, even before they'd played one. The Beatles references were everywhere, worn proudly rather than hidden.

'(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' (1995) was the commercial peak — 'Wonderwall', 'Don't Look Back in Anger', 'Champagne Supernova' became the soundtrack to a generation. The Knebworth concerts in August 1996 drew 250,000 people over two nights. A quarter of a million ticket applications were turned away. It was the apex of Britpop and of the band simultaneously.

The decline was as spectacular as the rise. 'Be Here Now' (1997) was bloated and overproduced — the sound of a band who had lost perspective. The Gallagher brothers' relationship deteriorated through a series of increasingly public rows. Noel quit the band in Paris in 2009 after a backstage altercation. The split seemed permanent.

The reunion announced in 2024 — confirmed by simultaneous social media posts from both brothers — sent the internet into meltdown. The 2025 tour sold out in minutes, with millions attempting to buy tickets. Whatever the future holds, the back catalogue is untouchable: few bands have written as many songs that feel genuinely communal, genuinely shared, genuinely theirs.