The Rise and Fall of Oasis: A Journey Through Britpop History

This note of English civilization describes the history of the most famous rock and roll band ever, the Oasis, starting from the birth of the group to the conquest of the most prestigious stages in Europe.

The beginning of a myth: birth of the English band

The Oasis were the most popular rock and roll band of the mid England, placed in Manchester in the 1990s. The english band initially were known as "The Rain", and they performed in Burnage, Manchester. The band consisted Paul McGuigan (bass), from Paul Arthurs (guitar), from Tony McCarroll (drums), and from Chris Hutton (singer). Then, Chris Hutton was kicked out of the group and Paul McGuigan asked his classmate Liam Gallagher to replace him. Liam accepted the proposal and shortly after proposed to change the name of the group to Oasis, inspired by a poster hanging on the walls of his room that bore the words "Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon". The band performed once a week, but despite that, they were unsuccessful. According to Liam, they needed someone who could compose beautiful lyrics, who could give value and prominence to the band. Thus, Noel Gallagher, Liam’s brother, who already had a great deal of experience in creating lyrics for songs, was chosen as the group’s leader and first guitarist. The band was so full and on January 15, 1992 the first concert of Oasis was held at the Boardwalk. In 1993, finally, the band had its big chance: Oasis had been invited by a band called Sister Lovers to play at the King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut Club in Glasgow, Scotland. There, among the audience, there was also Alan McGee, record producer of Creation Records, a minor independent label owned by Sony, who was impressed by the musicality of the group and proposed them a record deal.

International success, and peak popularity: the band makes its way in Europe

After releasing several hit singles such as Supersonic and Shakermaker, the band’s debut album, Definitely Maybe, was released in 1994, mixing rock, baggy and punk rock. The album charted at number one on the UK album chart and entered history as a debut album capable of selling more copies in the shortest time, 150,000 in the first three days alone. Meanwhile, the band began to occupy more and more space in public opinion. The media talked about their international success, their alternative music, but also about the quarrels between Liam and Noel, which were getting heavier and giving trouble to the band during rehearsals. In 1994, Seattle began its first tour of small and medium-sized venues in the United States. During the concert at the local Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, some tensions caused much scandal: a photographer of NME magazine, was kicked out for trying to take pictures of the band. On stage the five artists, under the influence of methamphetamine, found themselves disoriented, as the sets were all different and no one knew which piece the other would play. This episode sparked a violent quarrel between Liam and Noel and Noel left the stage.

First Awards: Oasis tops all British band charts and record sales

In May 1995, Oasis began recording their second album at Rockfield Studios, Wales, with producer Owen Morris. In this period the English press set up and amplified a rivalry between Oasis and Blur, another band emerged for some years in the panorama of English music and, in particular, the newborn Britpop movement. The release of Roll With It, Oasis' single, and Blur’s single Country House, was scheduled for the same day, August 14, 1995, fueling the rivalry. In February 1996 the Manchester band won three BRIT Awards for Best British Band, best album for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and best video for Wonderwall. Oasis have sold more than 50 million albums in all the world. The band’s fame peaked one summer, when as many as 250,000 people gathered on the lawn of Knebworth Park to attend one of the greatest outdoor concerts ever held in England. In February 2007, Oasis received the BRIT Award for outstanding contribution to music, end have finished working on the new album.

The breakup of the band and the role of the Gallagher brothers

After a period of time marked by great successes in music and great popularity around the world, for Oasis begins a phase of decline, marked above all by the continuous tension of the Gallagher brothers. On August 28, 2009, three dates from the end of the tour, Oasis' performance at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris was cancelled after a violent quarrel between the Gallagher brothers, culminating in two broken guitars. Following the incident Noel Gallagher announced with a statement his official abandonment to the band: "It is with some sadness and great relief...I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
Liam and the remaining members of Oasis decided to continue under the name Beady Eye, releasing two studio albums until their break-up in 2014.
A documentary titled Oasis: Supersonic was released on 26 October 2016, which tells the story of Oasis from their beginnings to the height of their fame during the summer of 1996. Produced by the same team behind the Academy Award-winning biopic Amy, Oasis: Supersonic features up close and personal footage, as well as never before seen archive material and interviews with the band.

Musical style and influences: who inspired the band and in what musical genre they define themselves

Oasis has always been characterized by a musical style that can be framed in the veins of Britpop and, more generally, of pop rock. Oasis are considered the indie rock group, the "independent rock", so called because it was born and grown in alternative (alternative rock) than the big multinational record. The band was not only inspired by typical British sound traditions, but that its being British made a strong point. It was with Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe, that the Brit rock phenomenon spread. Oasis were influenced mainly by the Beatles, so much so that many media considered them the Beatles of the Year 2000, for having created a musical and social phenomenon similar, according to some, only to that of the Liverpool group; while there were those who stressed the importance of the group in the history of British music of the twentieth century, indicating in the Beatles and Oasis two topical moments.