As Oasis prepare for their OASIS LIVE 25 world tour, announced on August 27, 2024, NME has revived its definitive ranking of every song the Manchester band ever recorded. The list, compiled by resident superfan Tom Howard, orders the band's entire catalogue from worst to best, marking the end of a 15-year hiatus for Noel and Liam Gallagher.
The ranking revisits the band's early days, when the brothers shared a room in a council house in Manchester. Noel, on the top bunk, was oblivious that the younger Liam would become a generation-defining singer, while Liam, below, did not realise Noel was a songwriting genius. Their eventual formation of Oasis is described as a near-improbable stroke of fate.
Among the lowest-ranked songs are a cover of David Bowie's 'Starman' released as a b-side to 'D'You Know What I Mean?', and a version of The Beatles' 'I Am the Walrus'. The source also singles out 'Magic Pie' from 'Be Here Now' as poor, despite dismissing common criticisms of that album. Other entries include an unremarkable bonus track from 'Dig Out Your Soul' and a plodding honky-tonk tune originally demoed for 'Heathen Chemistry'.
The list notes several curiosities, such as a song written for the film 'Love, Honor And Obey' that borrows from Iggy Pop's 'Nightclubbing', and an acoustic introspective track titled 'If We Shadows' released on the 2016 reissue of 'Be Here Now'. It also recounts how a 1993 song was dismissed as "shoegazer shit" by a sound engineer, which led the band to jam instead.
Although Liam and Noel no longer speak, their musical legacy is described as epic and perhaps untouchable. The ranking serves as a reminder of the sheer volume and range of their output, even as the bottom entries are quickly passed over.
