Oasis was a rock band that formed in England in 1991. As independent artists, they became some of the biggest stars in British music, with their first three albums becoming some of the best-selling albums in British history. Most people will either love or hate their work, but it’s impossible to deny their talent. From the very start, they embodied the rock stars they went on to become. In this article, we’ll look at the 33 best Oasis songs of all time.
1. Champagne Supernova
It’s hard to argue that Champagne Supernova would occupy any spot on this list other than the top one. It’s a song that was a true piece of art and one that makes listeners happy to just be alive. The universal themes of being caught in a landslide of problems, eventually finding your way, and reveling in the moment are all untouchable.
There’s also a real argument to be made that it was the best vocal performance Liam Gallagher ever put down with the band. Champagne Supernova was released on Oasis’s album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? in 1995. Once put out as a single in the US, it became only their second number-one hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and it even made it into the top 20 of the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
2. Slide Away
Oasis released seven singles from their debut album Definitely Maybe, but it’s one of the album tracks from that one that takes our next spot. Slide Away is a song that grew on people over the years and eventually became an integral part of their legacy.
It has an extra bit of passion that’s evident in the vocal performance of Liam Gallagher, but the power of the riffs in the track is also among the finest they ever produced. It also ended up being the song that got their engineer Dave Scott fired, and it was the only song from their Monroe Valley recording sessions.
3. Live Forever
Live Forever has been described as the type of songs bands spend their entire careers trying to produce. It has all the great qualities you are looking for, like universal themes, killer instrumentals, a catchy chorus, and a great solo. When asked in an interview what his favorite Oasis track was, Liam Gallagher named Live Forever as his top pick.
That alone won’t make it the best song on our list, but it sure is a heck of an endorsement. The track was released as the third single from Definitely Maybe, but it was written by Noel Gallagher before Oasis was even formed.
4. Acquiesce
Acquiesce originally appeared as the B-side single to Oasis’s first UK number-one track Some Might Say. But in 1995, its overwhelming popularity led to it being included in their B-side compilation album Master Plan. Why they left so many great songs as B-side tracks, we may never know. It became a top 20 hit across the US and Canada after being released in those markets. While the song might have started out as a deep cut, it grew into one of their most beloved.
5. Don’t Look Back in Anger
Don’t Look Back In Anger was the first Oasis single to feature Noel Gallagher on lead vocals instead of Liam Gallagher, as the former usually sang the B-side tracks instead. It was released as the fifth single from (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? in 1996 and became their second single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, eventually earning quadruple-platinum status there.
A signature song for them, it has been played at almost every one of their live shows since its release. Dubbed as an unofficial anthem of Britain, it became a rallying cry against terrorism in the face of the tragedy at the Manchester Arena in 2017.
6. Supersonic
Supersonic was the song that truly got things started for Oasis. It was the first single released from their debut album in 1994 and earned them their first chart success. It made it to the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart and rose to number two and 11 on the UK Independent Singles Chart and US Billboard Modern Rock charts, respectively.
Written and recorded on a single day at the Pink Museum Studio in Liverpool, the track would go on to become one of their most beloved. It’s full of bravado, with the band sounding like they’ve been rock stars for years despite nobody having heard of them before the release of this song.
7. Whatever
Whatever was released in 1994 as the band’s first non-album single. At the time, it was the longest single they released but later surpassed by Champagne Supernova for that achievement. It was meant to bridge the gap between Definitely Maybe and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, essentially keeping listeners on the hook between albums. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number three but reentered it in 2010 at number 64 with the release of Time Flies.
8. The Masterplan
The Masterplan is a song that marks just how great Oasis was. It didn’t even make it onto a studio album release and was packaged as the B-side single to Wonderwall in 1995. It eventually got its due, becoming the title track of their B-side compilation album The Masterplan in 1998.
It was one of the first songs that let Noel Gallagher prove he could sing as well as Liam Gallagher and was a track that showed Oasis could do more than just write arena rock anthems, touching on something more tender and emotional.
9. Columbia
Some people have made compelling arguments that a lot of Oasis songs sound the same, I not being one of them. But if you need some evidence to convince someone otherwise, the best track to point to has to be Columbia. It was the first song Noel Gallagher brought in for them and very few tracks ended up being its equal.
Another great cut from Definitely Maybe, this was released as a promotional single in 1993 and found its way to Radio 1 before being released as the B-side to Supersonic in 1994. The original release wasn’t eligible to chart in the UK, but the reissue on CD in 2014 made it to 111 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the country’s physical singles chart that same year.
10. Rock N’ Roll Star
You might not expect the opening track of a debut album to be a great one, but Oasis made it one of the best they would ever release. Rock N’ Roll Star was them at their best, acting like stars before anyone had ever heard their name. Noel Gallagher mentioned that was one of the songs in which he had something he wanted to say. While not released as a single from the album, it still found its way onto the US Alternative Airplay charts in 1995, peaking at number 36.
11. Wonderwall
Yep, Wonderwall is the track you dread to hear when a guy breaks out a guitar at a party. But it’s still one of Oasis’s most popular songs of all time, with a few people even ranking it at the very top. While it gets used as a love track, it’s actually about having an imaginary friend who comes to save you from yourself when things get tough. The simple strumming in the song is pretty genius, and the poetic lyrics have turned it into a classic of the genre and a staple of Oasis’s discography.
12. Some Might Say
Some Might Say is undoubtedly one of Oasis’s finest works, an anthem built for the masses that plays best in big arenas full of loving fans. It has a confident aura that’s not just infectious, it’s downright incredible.
If there’s one Oasis song I would point to and tell you to listen to when you’re feeling down for no reason, this is the one I’d suggest. The first single released from (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, it became their first-ever number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart and broke into the top 10 in several other European countries.
13. Fade Away
Fade Away was originally released as the B-side single to Cigarettes & Alcohol, so much like many of the other Oasis songs, it took a back seat when it was first released. The track wistfully talks about the dreams people have when they’re children and the way they seem to fade away when life comes and gives them a reality check. But it also notes that it’s important to hold onto those dreams in many cases.
14. Bring It On Down
One of the things that made Oasis so popular was the way their music captured the feelings of being a working-class citizen in Britain. Among their album-only tracks, Bring It On Down stands above most. Serving as a song that was inclusive towards people who felt excluded and one that raged against the way American grunge brought people down, it became one of their very best works.
15. Morning Glory
The—mostly—title track of Oasis’s second album, Morning Glory was the first song of theirs to get significant radio airplay in North America, carving out their niche on alternative rock stations. Noel Gallagher’s solo in the track is utterly sublime, while Liam Gallagher gives one of his most impassioned vocal performances of all time. Even decades later, the song holds a special place in people’s hearts and stands up to the test of time, a truly masterful work.
16. Headshrinker
Some Might Say was a huge commercial success for Oasis but never forget the B-side of the single when it comes to them. Headshrinker was another one of their best songs, relegated to the back side of an album. In 1998, it served as the B-side to Some Might Say and shared in that track’s massive success. It was included on their album The Masterplan in 1998, finally getting the attention it deserved for the emotion and power they managed to cram into it.
17. Cast No Shadow
Back we go to (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Cast No Shadow was released on the album in 1995 and was originally written for Richard Ashcroft of The Verve. Initially intended as another B-side single, it was kept from that fate after the recording went better than expected. While Oasis’s style of grunge has an air of Britpop to it, this song delved into the darker and melancholic vibes that we all wanted to see if they could pull off.
18. Cigarettes & Alcohol
Cigarettes & Alcohol was the fourth and final single released from Definitely Maybe in 1994, and it became a major success for Oasis. It was their second song to enter the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven and spending a total of 79 weeks charting. It was a change from the psychedelic and soft sound of the other singles on the album, showcasing a rougher music attitude that they were trying to lean into at the time.
19. Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Stop Crying Your Heart Out was released on Oasis’s 2002 album Heathen Chemistry. It’s another uplifting track from the band, implying listeners to stand strong in the face of adversity and stay hopeful for the future. In the UK, the song broke into the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart and earned them another early 2000s commercial success.
20. Lyla
Lyla was released as the first single to come from Oasis’s album Don’t Believe The Truth in 2005. It was the first single released after the departure of drummer Alan White, who was replaced by Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey. It was a song specifically designed for pogoing, which for Americans is a dance that has people jumping up and down. It was one of their most pop-oriented songs of all time and meant to be annoyingly catchy.
21. Talk Tonight
Talk Tonight has been described as an archetypal Oasis song. Released as the B-side of their highly successful Some Might Say in 1995 and eventually appearing on The Masterplan, it was also released as a B-side for Wonderwall later on. It’s one of the many acoustic tracks with Noel Gallagher as the lead vocalist and was inspired by the band almost breaking up in 1994 when he walked out and was talked down by a girl he met in Los Angeles.
22. Round Are Way
Round Are Way is one of the most fun Oasis songs of all time. Released as a B-side single for Wonderwall, it served as the perfect example of the way they blended the influences of the past with Noel Gallagher picking out all the bits he loved from other artists’ work. Horns, harmonicas, and great guitar riffs define this track.
23. Rockin’ Chair
Rockin’ Chair was a great track that featured as a B-side single to both Roll With It and Morning Glory. It deals with universal themes like loneliness and growing older, packaged in a neat little Oasis bundle with a little bit of The Beatles’s swagger. It almost seems like another answer to American grunge’s down-in-the-dumps aesthetic.
24. Go Let It Out
Go Let It Out is one of the best examples of Oasis experimenting with modern sounds and textures. It was the lead single of their album Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants and that shouldn’t have been surprising, as it was the album’s best song. It earns a spot this high because they lost something in their modern albums and tracks that turned off a lot of fans, but this is a prime example of one of the few modern tracks that holds its own against their work from the 1990s.
25. Half The World Away
Half The World Away is best known now as the theme song for the BBC’s show The Royle Family. The main substance of the track describes a desire to leave a boring life behind and finally find excitement. It was included in The Masterplan in 1998, but it first served as the B-side of Whatever in 1994 and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart thanks to that.
26. The Shock of the Lightning
The Shock Of The Lightning was the lead single of Dig Out Your Soul and was sadly one of the last singles the band ever released. It’s a song that feels a lot like their early releases despite being one of the newest ones around, drawing on the energy, melody, and structure that turned them into legends. While they didn’t know they were breaking up when it was written, the track still sounds like a triumphant victory lap for the band and an apt send-off for the music stars.
27. (It’s Good) To Be Free
It’s Good To Be Free was originally released as a B-side single to Whatever, and it was another great song that found a home on The Masterplan. It primarily focuses on living a simple life and enjoying the small things.
28. Be Here Now
The title track of Oasis’s 1997 album, Be Here Now gained a little fame for the fact that some of the music recorded for it was played on a plastic piano. It’s a bit of a sing-song single, talking mostly about finding joy in life’s little moments and letting them wash over you.
29. Roll With It
Roll With It is a song that would come to define Oasis as a band. It’s all about taking things as they come in life and not letting it overwhelm you. It serves as an important reminder to take your time with things and never let anything stop you from reaching your goals. It went on to become a second-consecutive number-one single for them in the UK, further cementing their status as icons.
30. D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?
D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? was the B-side of Shakermaker in 1994. It was mostly about growing up and thinking about the things you dreamed of becoming when you were young. But the creativity, nostalgia, and realism embedded in the song were Oasis at their best.
31. Shakermaker
Shakermaker was one of Oasis’s best hit singles and one of the best examples of their overall aesthetic. Released in 1994, it had a great chart run on the UK Singles Chart that helped get them started. Most of their music is inspired by the music of the 1960s, but there’s perhaps no other song that puts this on display as clearly as this. It even pulls a sample from a Coca-Cola commercial that was run in the 1970s.
32. I Am The Walrus
As much as Oasis was inspired by The Beatles, it’s probably not a surprise to anyone that they covered one of their tracks. I Am The Walrus was partly inspired by LSD trips and the poem The Walrus And The Carpenter, but the true reason for it to exist was to make fun of people placing scholarly interpretations on The Beatles’s music. Oasis’s version does the original justice and ends up being one of their best songs.
33. Gas Panic!
Gas Panic! is a song that manages to feel like a sprawling tapestry despite being only about as long as the rest of the tracks on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. It’s a bit of a unique song among their discography, building modern instrumentation and production into it in a way most of their tracks simply don’t do. The real message behind the song remains unclear, though it provides one of their most depressing moments in the line “My family don’t seem so familiar” around mid-way through.
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As a contributing writer for Music Grotto, Dakotah writes and produces professional music/media content. He works closely with editorial staff to meet editorial standards and create
quality content for the Music Grotto website. Dakotah is passionate about music in a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to country and lo-fi to metal, and he enjoys creating music pieces for Music Grotto.
