Oasis

[CaledonianGonzo]

A cultural phenomenon, but a musical footnote.

[Mardy]

A cultural phenomenon, but a musical footnote.

[big joe]

I've been thinking about this during the week. I tell you what, the thing about Oasis is they are firmly of their time. No-one in 30 years is going to get excited about rediscovering them. I can understand they mean a lot to you if you discovered them at the right age etc, but I'm not convinced there's any longevity there.

In 30 years time, they'll be viewed as people now view Mud, or the Sweet, or Slade. A slightly baffling phenomenon than grandparents like.

[Guest]

Hang on, hang on. Unsurprisingly, i disagree. Longevity? In April it will be 20 years since Supersonic was released - Jesus, is that possible? - so a fifth of a century on and they are doing just fine. Obviously, you mean the next generation, but they are already here and were attending the last Oasis tour in droves. Noel has picked up on the crowds getting younger during later Oasis shows and his solo tour.

I can't imagine a time when Rock And Roll Star, Cigarettes And Alcohol, Colombia and the like will sound anything other than thunderously exciting to a 14 year old slapping it on for the first time. They have classics like Don't Look Back In Anger, Wonderwall, The Masterplan, Half The World Away and others that will be getting plenty of airplay for decades to come so they are in no danger of becoming a forgotten band. In 30 years time, who do you think will be the biggest selling British act from the 90s? The only band who has a chance of continuing to sell in numbers comparable to Oasis is Radiohead. There was lots of good stuff, but i have no doubt at all that Oasis will pass the test of time.

[CaledonianGonzo]

In 30 years time, who do you think will be the biggest selling British act from the 90s?

[The Nal]

Sales again.

I know nothing really sells much any more, but I do wonder whether Morning Glory has been a consistently strong seller for the last few years or whether sales have pretty much dried up.

[big joe]

Sales again.

I know nothing really sells much any more, but I do wonder whether Morning Glory has been a consistently strong seller for the last few years or whether sales have pretty much dried up.

[big joe]

In the vinyl market anyway, Whats the Story is the best selling album of the last 20 years. Definitely Maybe is number 2. They still sell a shitload.

[CaledonianGonzo]

What is relevant?

[Wooderson]

Sales are only indicitive of mass-culture tipping point. Provide zero indication as to quality.

Elton John's "Candle In The Wind '97" for example. The biggest selling single of all time.

[Guest]

Yep. A lot of you don't like them but the statistics paint another story. How long can the numbers be dismissed because of personal preference? They'll always be around.

[The Nal]

Sales are only indicitive of mass-culture tipping point. Provide zero indication as to quality.

Elton John's "Candle In The Wind '97" for example. The biggest selling single of all time.

[addicted2noise]

I agree about them being a cultural phenomenon but musically they have a far stronger body of work than Slade(and most other acts) who were more a singles band. It will be interesting to seen how they'll be perceived in 30 years but saying they're going to be irrelevant seems more wishful thinking than anything else.

[big joe]

Statistics, when any art form is concerned, are boring and irrelevant. Do you like them any more because of the numbers? Or do you simply find solace in them?

[Wooderson]

Oasis were - were - culturally significant.

Their music, very briefly, captured the imagination.

1997 was a mad time culturally. First Harry Potter book, the film Titanic, Elton's "Diana" single, hell even the UK won the Eurovision that year.

Quality, though? Nah.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Relevant in comparison to what? It's likely they'll be seen as more relevant to the 90s zeitgeist than Mr Blobby, but their output is already diminished in relevance compared to still-influential 1990s albums like Music Has the Right to Children or Loveless or In the Aeroplane Over The Sea or Endtroducing...

[big joe]

Oasis were - were - culturally significant.

Their music, very briefly, captured the imagination.

1997 was a mad time culturally. First Harry Potter book, the film Titanic, Elton's "Diana" single, hell even the UK won the Eurovision that year.

Quality, though? Nah.

[FloorFiller]

this thread inspired me to watch Oasis' '95 Glasto headline performance. such a different band from the one in 2004 (well, i know technically it pretty much was a different band, but you know...)

Liam's shout outs at the start are hilarious. 'better than Blur any day', 'this ones for all them fuckin' long haired people at the back smoking silly cigarettes'

would've loved to have seen them in their prime. i know a few people on here saw that performance and said it was pretty great

[Wooderson]

Relevant in comparison to what? It's likely they'll be seen as more relevant to the 90s zeitgeist than Mr Blobby, but their output is already diminished in relevance compared to still-influential 1990s albums like Music Has the Right to Children or Loveless or In the Aeroplane Over The Sea or Endtroducing...

[Guest]

this thread inspired me to watch Oasis' '95 Glasto headline performance. such a different band from the one in 2004 (well, i know technically it pretty much was a different band, but you know...)

Liam's shout outs at the start are hilarious. 'better than Blur any day', 'this ones for all them fuckin' long haired people at the back smoking silly cigarettes'

would've loved to have seen them in their prime. i know a few people on here saw that performance and saI id it was pretty great

[CaledonianGonzo]

That aimed at me?

[The Nal]

That aimed at me? Myself and The Nal saw Oasis in Cork a couple days after Knebworth. Precisely the same setlist as both Knebworth shows. Noel even wore that same silly jumper.

It wouldnt even be in my top 500 gigs. Dunno whether the Nal would agree.

*over to you Nal*

[big joe]

Relevant in comparison to what? It's likely they'll be seen as more relevant to the 90s zeitgeist than Mr Blobby, but their output is already diminished in relevance compared to still-influential 1990s albums like Music Has the Right to Children or Loveless or In the Aeroplane Over The Sea or Endtroducing...

[Guest]

They do offer solace a bit, yes. No one is ever going to convince me they aren't a great band, and i fear i won't convince any of you that they are. When they are being kicked around on here, people sneering at them and so on, i feel like i'm some weirdo fighting a lone battle in their corner. Until that is, i bring my focus away from this entertaining thread and look at the bigger picture. And that bigger picture - apologies for reeling stuff off again - reveals them to have two entries in the Guinness book of records, the fastest selling album ever, the highest selling studio album since Sgt Pepper, the top 2 selling vinyl records of the last 20 years and being placed at both number 1 AND 2 in a HMV/Q mag poll of the best british albums of the past 50 years (2008).

[addicted2noise]

Relevant in comparison to what? It's likely they'll be seen as more relevant to the 90s zeitgeist than Mr Blobby, but their output is already diminished in relevance compared to still-influential 1990s albums like Music Has the Right to Children or Loveless or In the Aeroplane Over The Sea or Endtroducing...