In August of 1994, alternative rock and roll was changed forever when Manchester’s Oasis released their debut album Definitely Maybe. 30 years later, the album is still renowned for its unique and unfiltered sound, as well as putting Oasis on the map as a rock ‘n’ roll staple for years to come.
Oasis was formed in 1991 in Manchester, England, and was composed of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, drummer Tony McCarroll, guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, and bassist Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan. The singles released alongside Definitely Maybe were, “Supersonic,” “Shakermaker,” “Live Forever,” and “Cigarettes and Alcohol.” All four of these songs have had extreme commercial success and are still popular to this day. Although the album today is known for its tight, full sound, the band had some trouble recording the album, dealing with production issues and McCaroll’s less-than-adequate drumming. Despite these challenges, the band managed to get the album done in time to start releasing singles before the summer of 1994. When Definitely Maybe was finally released on August 29, 1994, it instantly shot up to No. 1 on the UK charts and instantly made Oasis a household name in the world of pop and alternative rock. Since its release 30 years ago, Definitely Maybe has gone platinum seven times, selling over 8 million copies worldwide. The impact of the album has been immense and stayed consistent throughout the last 30 years. It has often been called one of the greatest albums of all time and is up there with the Beatles and Stones as some of the greatest music to ever come out of the UK. Since Oasis’s hot release in ‘94, the alt-rockers followed it up with 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? which brought the band even more success with hits like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Champagne Supernova,” which led the album to sell over 22 million copies and counting!
However, as it always seems to go with these types of things, the good didn’t last forever, as with fame comes tension and jealousy. Tensions between the Gallagher brothers led to the end of Oasis in 2009 and their feud has remained strong. Although no longer together, both Noel and Liam continue to play and make music to this day. Most famously, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds have sold over a million albums and still tour regularly.
With Definitely Maybe turning 30 this summer, fans have been hoping that Noel and Liam can bury the hatchet and reunite Oasis in honor of this milestone, but the outlook has not been in favor of this. Although Noel has said in interviews that he would be interested in reuniting with Oasis, he does not believe that his brother is humble enough to do so. Although we may never see Oasis play together live again, one thing is for certain. Oasis’s music on Definitely Maybe and all of their albums will live forever.
