I am a huge oasis fan and agree with a lot of what chrisaclark has said. However, i think a lot of the conflict in this post has to do with the different representation of Oasis between Britain and America....... The Oasis that was known throughout Britain, Europe and Parts of South America (So i've been led to believe) was a juggernaut a huge, biggest band in the world type! However the Oasis that was recieved in America was as just a loudmouthed British band with one or two good songs.

I have my own views on why Oasis aren't huge in America and i think it's partly down to the gallaghers own attitudes and down to the fact that they upset a lot of the Coporate type powers-that-be that have a huge influence on the mainstream music industry in America, Noel has even said that one of the reasons he wasn't as interested in being huge in America was due to all the entertaining of executives and handshaking with corporate types that goes on behind the scenes.

I also think the American attitude is that if it isn't big in America it doesn't really matter.... Some people need to wake up and realise that the world doesn't begin and end on the East and West coasts.

To be honest Nirvana were never really that big or influential in England but we're used to hearing about them now cos MTV rams it down our necks how important they were!

Go to an average pub full of Joe public in England and most people of many ages will like Oasis or at least certain songs

In fact on National radio the other day they had a request all day. Where they literally had a free playlist and people called in to request songs. The session ended with Champage Supernova. The DJ announced that Oasis had had by far the most requests, and that is right now, here in 2004...... 8 years since the dizzy heights of Morning Glory. If that isn't proof that Oasis are still relevant then i don't know what is!




That's what im talking about!! It might not come up that much in America (Although i was suprised that they were at 14 in MTV2's 22 greatest bands of the last 22 years or so)
However in Britain their name will come up every time there is any kind of list, debate, anything!!... you name it.


I agree with that on a world scale, they are now nowhere near being the biggest band in the world, and no longer profess to be. However in Europe there is not one band that has been around for as long that still matters as greatly whether in terms of Record sales, sold out shows, general chit-chat whatever... as Oasis and that includes Radiohead.


That again goes back to my point of people thinking if it isn't big in America it must be not be around. America is not the world. Don't get me wrong there are lots of moderately successful American bands im sure i've never heard of, but we're not talking about moderately here Oasis are the biggest band at least in Britain and most probably Europe still.

Of bands that have namechecked Oasis as an inlfuence i know of

Coldplay
Jet
The Thrills
The Charlatans changed their sound due to Oasis
The Hiss
The Stands
The Stereophonics
Rooney
The Coral
The Libertines
The Burn
Proud Mary
Ryan Adams
Travis
The Bandits
Good Charlotte (ughhh)

Richey of The Manic Street Preachers has been quoted as saying "Musically, I do genuinely love Oasis. They are so natural, I think it's above criticism. They have something that hits you like an elemental force. In many ways Oasis are the band we wanted to be, but never could be"

As a musician myself, I find it very hard to look at most music without being even slightly analytical, and to be honest, I think Oasis are absolutely terrible. They have no sense of musical or lyrical innovation and they lack the instrumental talent to create anything even vaguely interesting. The British public's obsession with celebrity (no matter how minor) means that every time one of the Gallagher brothers kicks off at a photographer, people will hear about it, but that doesn't mean that they're still superstars. (not trying to ruffle any feathers, by the way, just venting some wrath......)

By the way, I reckon the best debut album was The Hendrix Experience's "Are You Experienced"

The problem with your post here is that if we judged all rock/pop music on musical or lyrical innovation, we would have a very short list. What Oasis has done, the same way 100's of other bands have done before them, is make catchy music. They are not the most talented musicians in the world, but they have done something right. You don't have to like them, but many do because they obviously produced a sound that many enjoy (whether or not they slightly ripped off the beatles, but come on, even the beatles have ripped other music off). I'm from Toronto, Canada, and I got into Oasis without knowing anything about their bad boy behavior and antics in the UK until after I liked them

By the way, the Hendrix Experience's "Are you Experienced" is a tremendous choice, great piece of music.

Excellent post, man, I think you really nailed it. Also, just to clarify, I wasn't trying to imply that America is the world, but I like to think I'm a little more up on my music than the average music consumer, and I hadn't heard anything from or about them for quite some time, but it looks like you came up with a good explanation why.

Cheers pal! Yeah i appreciate that the whole 'only in america' stand point wasn't coming from you but it was just an issue i raised generally... I was addressing some of your points because they summed up a lot of the 'where are they now?' thoughts that a lot of americans have!

they are that big in britian??

wow...no body must have ne taste in music in britian then

Well said, m8. However, my main problem with Oasis is not the lack of innovation in any one song or album. It's more the way that instead of trying to take what they had and improve, they release virtually the same stuff over and over again. I just find it strange that they got so far when there were, at the time, far better bands (in my opinion) doing the rounds. It doesn't seem to matter nowadays anyway. A good marketing campaign seems to turn shit into gold dust........

yeah, not like here in NA with our Korn's and Limp Bizkit's of late 90's glory.

the UK was so clearly at the forefront of alt/rock/pop music in the post grunge era of the 90' its not even a debate [Belle & Sebastian, Björk [Icelandic, but played out of Britain], Blur, Ian Brown, The Charlatans, The Chemical Brothers, The Cure [on their way out, but their back again], Elastica [briefly, but it was great], PJ Harvey, Manic Street Preachers, Massive Attack, Morrissey [on his way out but he's back again], Oasis, Placebo [international but played out of Britain], Pulp, Radiohead, Spiritualized®, Suede, Super Furry Animals, U2].

whod NA hav?- Beck, The Dandy Warhols [always more appreciated in the UK], Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Pavement, Pearl Jam, R.E.M. (more appreciated in the UK after '96], Smashing Pumpkins [on their way out], Sonic Youth [in a good but very low-key period], Soundgarden [on their way out], Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer [severly underapreciated and shuned on their second [great] album].

Jeff Buckley was another big loss for NA post grunge as ibelieve he wouldve been huge, underappreciated in his time- but it was early.

really, NA in the late '90's is all about rap and hip-hop taking over and the popstars reclaiming the land.

Chris, you really need to move to England

no, idont. ive gota perfect seat right here in Canada.