Best Oasis songs, ranked - the greatest Oasis songs of all time
Some Might Say this is Definitely Maybe the best Oasis songs list.
Oasis’ first album is over 25 years old now. Yep, we are that old. Definitely Maybe was released at the end of August in 1994 and the album is packed with some of the best Oasis songs ever made.
UPDATED: (What's The Story) Morning Glory? has turned 25 and, to celebrate, YouTube is hosting an Official Album Playback and Singalong from 6pm BST - head to Oasis' YouTube channel for more information. Alongside this, a new documentary 'Return To Rockfield' has landed on YouTube. According to its makers, it's "a revealing and insightful exclusive new Noel Gallagher video interview". The 30-minute documentary is ready to watch now.
If you remotely remember the songs from back in the 90s, you probably feel pretty old right now. But while many Oasis classics act like a soundtrack to that era, they still sound fantastic today.
Whether you’re here to find out why your dad keeps on banging on about Noel Gallagher, or want to revisit some of the band’s back catalogue, these tracks are worth a listen.
Which do you think are the best? That's what we really want to know. Is Champagne Supernova better than Wonderwall? Is Live Forever the true pinnacle of Noel Gallagher’s songwriting? Or do your prefer one of the lesser-known tunes?
Upvote your favourite Oasis song, downvote the ones you hate. And if you think we need to add an entry to this list, let us know at the bottom.
- Make these songs sound even better with some of the best wireless headphones
Best Oasis songs
1. Live Forever
Listen now on Amazon1994
Wrier: Noel Gallagher
What’s Liam Gallagher’s favourite Oasis song? Live Forever, according to an interview he gave with Radio X in 2019. It’s one of Noel’s favourites too. He has said it’s one of the benchmarks by which he judges his new songs. The lyrics were written as ode to the Gallaghers’ mother.
2. Don’t Look Back in Anger
Listen now on Amazon1996
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Few Oasis songs show off Gallagher’s John Lennon obsession more than Don’t Look Back in Anger. From the mellotron strings to the Imagine-indebted piano intro and the round glasses Noel wears in the music video, it’s all there to see. Its chorus (and the verses, come to think of it) have a singular sing-along appeal, though.
3. Champagne Supernova
Listen now on Amazon1996
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Ready for a surprising fact? Oasis classic Champagne Supernova was not released as a single in the UK. However, it did make it to the top spot of the US “Alternative” chart. The song features vocal and guitar lines recorded by Paul Weller, and some signature nonsense lyrics from Noel who, by his own admission, spent much of the early Oasis years high on cocaine.
4. Supersonic
Listen now on Amazon1994
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Proof that Oasis did not instantly rocket to the spotlight, their first single Supersonic only made it to number 31 on the UK chart, in 1994. As you might imagine, it has made up for that, going on to sell over 200,000 copies. Noel reportedly wrote the song in a break from recording while the rest of the band ate a Chinese takeaway.
5. The Masterplan
Listen now on Amazon1995
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher says he regrets releasing the Masterplan as a B-side, part of the Wonderwall release. As such it can be found as part of the The Masterplan B-sides compilation, as well as What’s the Story (Morning Glory). The song does not feature Liam Gallagher. But it does feature nods to The Beatles, with snippets from Octopus’s Garden sung by Noel.
6. Wonderwall
Listen now on Amazon1995
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Wonderwall is a sure candidate for the most popular Oasis song among the UK-wide population. It was also the first single Oasis released in the US, and their best-selling of the band’s history. And that famous cello sound played throughout? It’s actually a mellotron, a tape-based synthesiser also used to great effect on The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever.
7. Some Might Say
Listen now on Amazon1995
Writer: Noel Gallagher
This was Oasis’ first number one single. According to a Q Magazine interview with Noel Gallagher, the song was played faster than the band intended, but the vocal track was so strong the recording was kept. But as such, it serves as a good representation of the swagger of Oasis’ earlier music.
8. Acquiesce
Listen now on Amazon1996
Writer: Noel Gallagher
Here’s another Oasis classic that was only ever a B-side, to Some Might Say. This was reportedly Noel Gallagher’s choice. Creation records boss Alan McGee tried to convince the band to release the song as a single. It was also the first released song to feature both Gallagher brothers on vocals.
9. Whatever
Listen now on Amazon1994
Writer: Noel Gallagher, Neil Innes
Noel Gallagher was accused of plagiarism for Whatever, a 1995 single. The source? How Sweet to be an idiot, by Neil Innes of the Rutles and Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band. Gallagher settled out of court, sharing the songwriting credit (and royalties). Give it a listen on Spotify and you can’t help but notice the similarity.
10. Cast No Shadow
Listen now on Amazon1995
Writer: Noel Gallagher
According to a Noel Gallagher interview, Cast No Shadow was written about The Verve singer Richard Ashcroft. You might expect this to cause a feud, but Ashcroft was apparently honoured, according to an interview with Q Magazine. This was an album track from What’s the Story (Morning Glory).
11. Cigarettes & Alcohol
Listen now on Amazon1994
Writer: Noel Gallagher
In the mid-90s the Gallagher brothers were tabloid favourites, emblematic of a distasteful boozed-up swagger, to some. What better shorthand is there for that than a song called Cigarettes & Alcohol? A cover of The Beatles’ I Am the Walrus was the single’s B-side, matching reverence with the single’s irreverence.
12. Half the World Away
Listen now on Amazon1994
Writer: Noel Gallagher
The song that non-Oasis fans are most likely to have a great deal of affection for. Why? It was the theme tune to classic BBC sitcom The Royle family. They might be surprised to hear it was not a standalone single, but a B-side to Whatever. You'll find it on The Masterplan, 1998’s collection of B-sides.
13. Slide Away
Listen now on AmazonSlide Away is one of the very best by Oasis and definitely the one with the best lyrics. Noel pours his soul into the song's couplets. We dare you not to cry when you hear the heartbreaking lines: "I dream of you and we talk of growing old. But you said please don't." Oof. Both backing and lead singing is perfect, making the song a bastard to try and sing in the shower
14. Roll With It
Listen now on AmazonIt was the song that was part of the Blur Vs Oasis feud in the charts - while it didn't manage to get to number one (Country House was the poppy popular winner), it's still a stonking old-school tune from Oasis, with a verse that acts like a chorus and vice versa. Liam sings his heart out on a song about being yourself - something Oais definitely were at the time.
15. Lyla
Listen now on Amazon2005
Writer: Noel Gallagher
This is one of Oasis’ last singalong “classics”. Lyla was the band’s seventh number one single, released in 2005. The song comes from the Don’t Believe the Truth album. NME called the single “barnstorming”, even if the album only came out with three stars. It’s latter-day drunk-on-Fosters sing-song Oasis, complete with perhaps the most dogged snare line in the band’s entire catalogue.
