Oasis (band) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oasis
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Liam and Noel Gallagher performing in 2005
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Oasis is a famous English rock band that started in Manchester in 1991. The first members were Liam Gallagher (who sang), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (bass guitar), and Tony McCarroll (drums). A few months later, Liam asked his older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar, vocals) to join. Noel became the main leader and wrote most of their songs for the first four albums. Oasis is known as one of the most important and successful bands of the Britpop music style.
In 1993, Oasis signed with Creation Records. Their first album, Definitely Maybe (1994), was a huge hit. It went straight to number one in the UK and was the fastest-selling debut album in British history at the time. The next year, they released (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) with a new drummer, Alan "Whitey" White. This album came out during a big competition with another band called Blur, which the media called the "Battle of Britpop". (What's the Story) Morning Glory? stayed at number one in the UK for ten weeks and became one of the best-selling albums ever. It was also the fifth-best-selling album in the UK and the best-selling album of the 1990s in the UK.
The Gallagher brothers were often in the news for their disagreements. In 1996, Oasis played two huge concerts at Knebworth. Each show had 125,000 people, which was a record for outdoor concerts in the UK back then. In 1997, their third album, Be Here Now, became the fastest-selling album in UK chart history. However, some people later felt it wasn't as good as their earlier work.
In 1999, original members Arthurs and McGuigan left the band. They were replaced by Gem Archer (guitar) and Andy Bell (bass guitar). White left in 2004 and was replaced by Zak Starkey, and later by Chris Sharrock. Oasis released three more albums: Heathen Chemistry (2002), Don't Believe the Truth (2005), and Dig Out Your Soul (2008). The band broke up suddenly in 2009 when Noel Gallagher left. The other members formed a new band called Beady Eye, which ended in 2014. Both Gallagher brothers have had successful solo music careers since then. In 2024, Oasis announced they would get back together in 2025 for a worldwide tour called the Oasis Live '25 Tour.
As of 2022, Oasis has sold over 70 million records around the world. This makes them one of the best-selling music artists ever. They have had eight number-one singles and eight number-one albums in the UK. They also won many awards, including 17 NME Awards and six Brit Awards. One Brit Award was in 2007 for their Outstanding Contribution to Music. Another was for the "Best Album of the Last 30 Years" for (What's the Story) Morning Glory?.
Contents
- The Beginning of Oasis: 1991–1993
- Becoming Famous with Definitely Maybe: 1993–1995
- Global Success with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?: 1995–1996
- Be Here Now and The Masterplan: 1996–1999
- New Members and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants: 1999–2001
- Heathen Chemistry: 2001–2003
- Changes and Don't Believe the Truth: 2003–2007
- Dig Out Your Soul and the Split: 2007–2009
- Reunion and Future: 2024–Present
- Music Style and Influences
- Legacy and Impact
- Band Members
- Discography
- Concert Tours
- Awards and Nominations
- See also
The Beginning of Oasis: 1991–1993
In 1991, four friends formed a band called the Rain. These were Paul McGuigan (bass), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Tony McCarroll (drums), and singer Chris Hutton. They weren't happy with Hutton, so Arthurs asked Liam Gallagher to try out. Liam suggested changing the band's name to Oasis. He got the idea from a concert poster in his bedroom that listed the Oasis Leisure Centre as a venue.
Oasis played their first show on 14 August 1991 in Manchester. Liam's older brother, Noel, who worked for another band, came to watch. Noel thought the band wasn't great yet, but he saw a chance to use the songs he had been writing. Noel joined the band, but only if he could write all the songs and be the leader. He also wanted them to aim for big success. Arthurs remembered, "He had loads of stuff written. When he walked in, we were a band making a racket with four tunes. All of a sudden, there were loads of ideas." Under Noel's guidance, Oasis created a simple but powerful rock sound.
Becoming Famous with Definitely Maybe: 1993–1995
After playing live shows for over a year, Oasis recorded a demo tape called Live Demonstration. In May 1993, Creation Records co-owner Alan McGee saw them play in Glasgow. Oasis was not supposed to play that night, but they managed to get on stage. They impressed McGee, who offered them a record deal. After some delays, Oasis signed a worldwide deal with Sony, which then licensed their music to Creation in the UK.
Their first single, "Supersonic", came out in April 1994 and reached number 31 in the charts. Their third single, "Live Forever", was their first song to reach the top ten in the UK. Oasis's first album, Definitely Maybe, was released on 29 August 1994. It quickly became number one in the UK and was the fastest-selling debut album in British history at that time.
The band's busy schedule and lifestyle started to cause problems. During a show in Los Angeles in September 1994, Liam performed poorly and argued with Noel. Noel temporarily left the band and flew to San Francisco. He was later convinced to return and the tour continued. They released the Christmas single "Whatever" in December 1994, which reached number three in the UK.
Global Success with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?: 1995–1996
In April 1995, "Some Might Say" became Oasis's first number-one single in the UK. Around this time, drummer Tony McCarroll was asked to leave the band. Noel said Tony wouldn't be able to play the new songs well enough. Alan White replaced him. White's first performance with Oasis was on the TV show Top of the Pops.
Oasis started recording their second album in May. The British media began talking about a big rivalry between Oasis and another Britpop band, Blur. On 14 August 1995, both bands released new singles on the same day. This event was called the ""Battle of Britpop" in the news. Blur's song sold more copies that week.
Paul McGuigan briefly left Oasis in September 1995 but was persuaded to return. Oasis's second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, was a huge success worldwide. It sold over four million copies and became the fifth-best-selling album in UK chart history. By 2008, it had sold 22 million copies globally. The album had two more hit singles, "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger", which reached numbers two and one. In November 1995, Oasis played their biggest indoor concerts in Europe at Earls Court in London.
On 27 and 28 April 1996, Oasis played their first outdoor headline shows at Maine Road football stadium in Manchester. Highlights from these shows were released on a video called ...There and Then. As their fame grew, Oasis played to 80,000 people in Scotland in August. Then, on 10 and 11 August, they played two concerts at Knebworth House. Both shows sold out in minutes. Each night, 125,000 people attended, setting a record for an outdoor concert in the UK.
Later that year, Liam pulled out of an MTV Unplugged performance, saying he had a sore throat. He watched Noel sing from a balcony. A few days later, Liam refused to go on a US tour, so Noel sang instead. Liam rejoined the tour later. At the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, Liam made gestures at Noel and threw beer on stage. This led to rumors that the band was breaking up, but the brothers soon made up and finished the tour.
Be Here Now and The Masterplan: 1996–1999
Oasis spent late 1996 and early 1997 recording their third album, Be Here Now. The album was released in August 1997, after the UK number-one single "D'You Know What I Mean?". It was highly anticipated and received a lot of media attention. On its first day, Be Here Now sold 424,000 copies, and first-week sales reached 696,000. This made it the fastest-selling album in British history until 2015. However, Noel Gallagher later said he wasn't happy with how the album turned out.
After the Be Here Now Tour ended in early 1998, the band took a break. Later that year, Oasis released The Masterplan, a collection of B-sides (songs released alongside singles). Noel said that many of these B-sides were more inspiring than the songs on Be Here Now.
New Members and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants: 1999–2001
In early 1999, Oasis began working on their fourth album. In August, founding member Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs announced he was leaving to spend more time with his family. Two weeks later, bassist Paul McGuigan also left. The Gallagher brothers told reporters that Oasis would continue.
The band then looked for new members. Gem Archer, from the band Heavy Stereo, joined as the new lead/rhythm guitarist. Finding a new bassist took more time. Eventually, Andy Bell, a guitarist from Ride, joined as the new bassist. Bell had never played bass before and had to learn quickly for their upcoming US tour.
Oasis also started their own record label, Big Brother, which released their music in the UK and Ireland. Their fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, came out in February 2000. It reached number one in the UK. The album included the first song written by Liam Gallagher, called "Little James". The band also experimented with their sound more on this album.
To support the album, Oasis went on a world tour. During a tour stop in Barcelona in 2000, drummer Alan White had an arm injury, forcing them to cancel a show. After an argument, Noel said he was quitting touring overseas. However, he later returned for the Irish and British parts of the tour, which included two big shows at Wembley Stadium. A live album from one of these shows, Familiar to Millions, was released later that year.
Heathen Chemistry: 2001–2003
In 2001, Oasis worked on their fifth album, Heathen Chemistry, and played shows around the world. This was the first album with new members Andy Bell and Gem Archer. It was released in July 2002 and reached number one in the UK. Critics had mixed opinions about it. Four singles were released from the album, including "Songbird", which was written by Liam and was the first single not written by Noel. All band members, except White, contributed songs to this album.
After the album's release, the band went on a world tour. In late 2002, some shows in Germany had to be postponed after Liam Gallagher, Alan White, and others were arrested after an incident in a nightclub. Liam was later fined. The band finished their tour in March 2003.
Changes and Don't Believe the Truth: 2003–2007
Oasis started recording their sixth album in late 2003. Long-time drummer Alan White was asked to leave the band. He was replaced by Zak Starkey, who is the son of the Beatles' drummer, Ringo Starr. Starkey played on the album and toured with the band, but he was not an official member.
A few days later, Oasis played at the Glastonbury Festival for the second time. They mostly played their greatest hits, along with two new songs. The performance received some negative reviews.
After many changes, the band's sixth album, Don't Believe the Truth, was finally recorded in late 2004. It was released in May 2005. This album was a team effort, with songs written by different band members. Many fans and critics thought it was their best album since Morning Glory. It produced two UK number-one singles: "Lyla" and "The Importance of Being Idle". Don't Believe the Truth also reached number one in the UK album charts.
In May 2005, the band started a big world tour. They played over 100 shows in 26 countries for more than 3.2 million people. The tour went smoothly and was very successful. A documentary film about the tour, called Lord Don't Slow Me Down, was released in 2007.
In 2006, Oasis released a collection of their "definitive" songs called Stop the Clocks. They received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in February 2007. Oasis also released their first digital-only song, "Lord Don't Slow Me Down", in October 2007.
Dig Out Your Soul and the Split: 2007–2009
Oasis's popularity grew after Don't Believe the Truth. In February 2008, a poll by Q magazine named Definitely Maybe and (What's The Story) Morning Glory? as the two greatest British albums of the last fifty years.
The band recorded their seventh album, Dig Out Your Soul, from July 2007 to March 2008. In May 2008, Zak Starkey left the band. He was replaced by Chris Sharrock for the tour, but Chris was not an official member. The first single from the album was "The Shock of the Lightning", released in September 2008. Dig Out Your Soul came out on 6 October and went to number one in the UK.
The band started an 18-month tour. In September 2008, Noel was attacked on stage during a concert in Toronto. He broke three ribs, and some shows had to be cancelled. In June 2008, the band signed a new deal with Sony BMG for three more albums.
On 25 February 2009, Oasis won the NME Award for Best British Band. In June 2009, Oasis played three concerts at Manchester's Heaton Park. One show had generator problems, so the band declared it a free concert for the 70,000 ticket holders.
On 23 August 2009, Oasis cancelled a show because Liam had laryngitis. On 28 August 2009, they were supposed to play at a festival in Paris, but Noel announced he was leaving the band. He stated, "I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
After the split, Liam and the other members formed Beady Eye, releasing two albums before breaking up in 2014. Liam then started a solo career. Noel formed his own project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
In February 2010, Oasis won the Brit Award for Best British Album of the Last 30 Years for (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Liam collected the award alone and thanked some former members but not Noel. He then threw the award into the crowd. A collection of their singles, Time Flies... 1994–2009, was released in June 2010 and became their last number-one album in the UK.
A documentary called Oasis: Supersonic was released in 2016, telling the story of Oasis from their start to their peak fame in 1996. Another concert documentary was released in 2021 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Knebworth concerts. A new demo song, "Don't Stop...", was found during the COVID-19 pandemic and released in May 2020.
Reunion and Future: 2024–Present
By early 2023, both Gallagher brothers showed interest in getting the band back together. On 27 August 2024, almost 15 years after they split, Oasis announced they would reform for shows in the UK and Ireland in 2025. They said, "The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised." There were rumors that former members like Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, Gem Archer, Andy Bell, and Zak Starkey might join the reunion. Liam Gallagher also hinted that new members could join the band for the tour.
On 30 August 2024, Oasis released a 30th-anniversary edition of their first album, Definitely Maybe. A week later, it went to number one in the UK charts again, 30 years after its first release. Other Oasis albums and singles also re-entered the charts.
Liam Gallagher has hinted about new Oasis music on social media, even saying a new album was "already finished" and that he was amazed by Noel's new songs. However, he later said he was joking about a new album. The band has also added dates in America, Australia, and Asia to their 2025 tour schedule.
Music Style and Influences
Oasis's music is often described as rock, Britpop, and power pop. They were heavily influenced by the Beatles, which the British media often called an "obsession." The band also took inspiration from other 1960s British Invasion bands like the Hollies, the Kinks, and the Who.
Members of Oasis have also mentioned many other artists as influences, including AC/DC, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Sex Pistols, the Smiths, and Neil Young.
Oasis songs often featured loud sounds and distinctive vocals. Their Britpop style was different from the more polished pop songs of their rivals, Blur. Especially in their early days, Oasis's music and lyrics reflected the working-class backgrounds of Liam and Noel. The brothers were known for their rebellious attitude and strong personalities, which kept the media interested throughout their career.
Legacy and Impact
Even though Oasis broke up in 2009, they are still very important in British music and culture. They are seen as one of the biggest and most celebrated bands of the 1990s. Oasis played a key role in the Britpop movement, which became a major part of British music. With their record-breaking sales, huge concerts, and well-known rivalry with Blur, Oasis was a big part of 1990s UK pop culture, an era known as Cool Britannia. Many bands and artists, like Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, and the Killers, have said Oasis influenced them.
The band's success also helped local businesses. For example, a music store owner in Scotland said that the "Oasis period" in the mid-90s made many people want to buy guitars.
In 2007, Oasis was featured in the BBC/VH1 series Seven Ages of Rock, an episode about British indie rock.
In 2023, an unofficial music project called AISIS used AI to create songs that sounded like Oasis, with AI vocals based on Liam Gallagher's voice. The project was very popular, and Liam himself said it "sounded mega."
Oasis was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in February 2024. The nomination included the Gallagher brothers and several other former members.
Band Members
Current Members
- Liam Gallagher – vocals, tambourine (1991–2009, 2024–present); acoustic guitar (2001–2002, 2007–2008)
- Noel Gallagher – lead guitar, vocals (1991–2009, 2024–present); rhythm guitar (1991, 1999–2009, 2024–present); keyboards (1995–2009); bass (1993–1994, 1995, 1999)
Former Members
- Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs – rhythm guitar (1991–1999); lead guitar (1991); keyboards (1994–1997); bass (1995)
- Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan – bass (1991–1995, 1995–1999)
- Tony McCarroll – drums (1991–1995)
- Alan "Whitey" White – drums, percussion (1995–2004)
- Gem Archer – rhythm and lead guitar (1999–2009); backing vocals (2002–2003); keyboards (2002–2005); harmonica (2005–2009)
- Andy Bell – bass (1999–2009); rhythm guitar (2003–2009); keyboards (2007–2009)
Former Touring Members
- Scott McLeod – bass (1995)
- Mike Rowe – keyboards (1997–2000, 2001)
- Matt Deighton – rhythm guitar (2000)
- Zeb Jameson – keyboards (2000–2001)
- Steve White – drums, percussion (2001)
- Jay Darlington – keyboards (2002–2009)
- Zak Starkey – drums, percussion (2004–2008)
- Chris Sharrock – drums, percussion (2008–2009)
Timeline
Touring Timeline
Discography
- Definitely Maybe (1994)
- (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
- Be Here Now (1997)
- Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000)
- Heathen Chemistry (2002)
- Don't Believe the Truth (2005)
- Dig Out Your Soul (2008)
Concert Tours
- Definitely Maybe Tour (1994–1995)
- (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Tour (1995–1996)
- Be Here Now Tour (1997–1998)
- Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Tour (1999–2001)
- The Tour of Brotherly Love (2001)
- 10 Years of Noise and Confusion Tour (2001)
- Heathen Chemistry Tour (2002–2003)
- Don't Believe the Truth Tour (2005–2006)
- Dig Out Your Soul Tour (2008–2009)
- Oasis Live '25 Tour (2025)
Awards and Nominations
- Brit Awards: They won 6 awards from 18 nominations. This includes an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and Best Album of the Last 30 Years for "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?".
- Grammy Awards: They were nominated 2 times.
- NME Awards: They won 17 awards from 26 nominations.
- Q Awards: They won 9 awards from 19 nominations.
- MTV Europe Music Awards: They won all 4 of their nominations.
- Ivor Novello Awards: They won 2 awards from 3 nominations.
Oasis has also received recognition from other award groups, like the MTV Japan Awards and UK Video Music Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Oasis (banda) para niños
