Ah Oasis … what would the 90s have been without you? The Face magazine dubbed them “The Sex Beatles”, and the antics of the monobrowed Gallagher brothers kept many a journalist in clover.
I was a big fan, investing in CD singles as well as their albums, and purchasing a ticket to their NZ gig (and getting a refund when it never eventuated). Oasis was recently in the news as singer Liam tied the knot with Nicole Appleton (formerly of girl group All Saints) on Valentine’s Day. And now Q magazine has kept the Manchester band’s flag aflying by giving the two top spots in their Best British album poll to Definitely Maybe and What’s the story morning glory. Ahead of Pink Floyd, Radiohead and The Beatles. Q’s Editor Paul Rees said: “It’s clear that, having polled three times more votes than any other act, Oasis are undoubtedly the nation’s most-loved band.”
Read on for the top 20, with rather more Oasis and Keane than I’d have expected:
1) Definitely Maybe – Oasis
2) (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis
3) OK Computer – Radiohead
4) Revolver – The Beatles
5) The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
6) Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
7) London Calling – The Clash
Under the iron sea – Keane
9) Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
10) Urban Hymns – The Verve
11) The Bends – Radiohead
12) Abbey Road – The Beatles
13) Hopes and Fears – Keane
14) Don’t Believe the Truth - Oasis
15) Violator – Depeche Mode
16) The Queen is Dead – The Smiths
17) A Night at the Opera – Queen
18) Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys
19) The White Album – The Beatles
20) Never Mind the Bollocks… – Sex Pistols
See also our books on Oasis …
21 February 2008 at 9:03 am
Its terrible how these ‘all-time’ lists are always swayed by contemporary acts. Not that Oasis are contemporary any longer, except in the sense of celebrity. Its hard to see, celebrity aside, Oasis having the on-going musical influence of some of the older groups on this list. I guess this finally decides who won the Oasis vs Blur war of the mid nineties though…
26 February 2008 at 3:31 pm
I agree Tom, these lists just set up targets to be shot down.
Blur always seemed a bit more well rounded that Oasis – Damon’s successes with Gorillaz and now The Good, the Bad and the Queen, Graham Coxon’s solo career, Alex James writing career including the rather cool book A bit of a blur and his success in cheese making …
And good to see someone else out there is also a bit bemused about Keane!
25 June 2009 at 5:11 am
There are a bunch of Liverpool bands who appeared in the ’90s but never made it into the public eye the way The Beatles, Hollies and Gerry and The Pacemakers did in the ’60s. These are The La’s, The Real People, Ocean Colour Scene & Cast. In fact it’s well known that The Real People gave Oasis a massive leg up to where they are now. The Griffiths Bros are also superb song craftsmen. I urge you to forst find and then fall in love with ‘What’s On The Outside’, their album from 1996 and se what I mean.
Oasis are up there cos they make you feel good, pure and simple. They also make no effort to change their behavior and they talk straight. Noel Gallagher is a top songwriter and Liam chips in with the odd classic now and again, e.g. ‘I’m outta time’ on ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ their latest album.
One band that should also be on there instead of Keane are The Housemartins from Hull