Dear Oasis, we will always love you, sincerely America
As the story goes, Oasis have always had a somewhat complicated relationship with America.
Despite being one of the biggest bands of the 1990s ever spat out and writing countless classics, the ongoing narrative was that America alluded them, but as someone who stood there on US soil watching their tour, the Gallaghers weren’t something us Yanks wanted. They’re who we needed.
First of all, let’s backtrack for a second. It’s not like America didn’t try to give them a fair shake. There are often those few times throughout Oasis’ history where things didn’t work out, and they flew home. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they weren’t going to be making any friends during their infamous drug-fuelled performance at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, but over the passage of time, their journey has continued to be more inspiring as the years have gone by.
Yes, many of their songs definitely follow the various British-isms that resonate with anyone who grew up in Manchester, but with the benefit of hindsight, these songs are modern classics that deserve to be celebrated as much as the other great songwriters of their time. I mean, let’s think about the contemporaries Oasis had for a second. As grunge faded, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer definitely picked up where they left off, but even Cuomo himself would readily admit that a tune like ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ was beyond his reach.
But the true power of the band is hearing them play live, and when they descended upon New Jersey on August 31st, 2025, this wasn’t the crowd that only came to listen to ‘Wonderwall’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’. No, this felt like a family reunion of rock and roll fans that had met each other. Not bonded by blood nor background, but the minute that songs like ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ started, you would have sworn that every single person in that stadium had known each other for years.
And before we get too far along, the fact that the band has one of us Americans on drums isn’t exactly the result of a change of heart. Joey Waronker is a fantastic drummer and adds a lot of punch to the tunes, but it really comes down to the power of the songs. Hearing everything from ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ to ‘Half the World Away’ both sound great in Liam and Noel’s solo careers, but seeing them embrace each other is half the reason why it resonates so much.
But beyond the sing-along choruses, there’s a certain feeling in the air that changes whenever Oasis come out onstage. Although my job for you, good people, reading is to describe the feeling that happens when watching a band live, seeing this display of camaraderie amongst a crowd and band is something that’s hard to really put into words. It’s really something that needs to be felt more than anything.
No, it wasn’t going to be as deep as what the grunge wave was doing to alt-rock when Oasis were riding high in the 1990s, but with all of the backlash to Oasis fading away, their story is really indicative of everything that America was supposed to be. And compared to some country and heartland rock acts from around the same time, the Gallaghers have more in common with the American Dream than any one of them.
Because think about it for a second. The American Dream has taken on many different definitions over the years, but the overarching narrative should be that anyone who believes in themselves has the potential to succeed. But for this brief moment in time, America looked at these kids in parkas and John Lennon sunglasses and figured that they weren’t for us and moved on to more commercial acts like Backstreet Boys.
With no disrespect meant to the music of Nick Carter or Kevin Richardson, Oasis’s unwillingness to play the game is more than simply fulfilling the American Dream. It’s everything that rock and roll stands for. Anyone can hope to make their own rules and still manage to become the biggest band in the world, so for them to have such a rapturous reception after such a shaky first impression in America made the stars shine just a little brighter on that August night at MetLife Stadium.
While there’s a chance that Oasis aren’t going to be for everybody, there’s something in their music that has gone beyond any type of international divide and has made them an endearing part of American culture, whether or not most of the charts agree or not. The number-one hits might be dictated by tastemakers who want people to hear certain songs, but as long as there are kids willing to play music loud and celebrate what it means to be alive, there will always be room for Oasis on whatever turntable, tape deck, CD player, or streaming service that any American cares to enjoy.
So, from one humble American Oasis fan to the Manchester legends, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for including us on this ride through your reunion tour. It’s nice to see Noel and Liam finally on good terms again and laying their guns down, but despite any naysayers, they have given millions of Americans the opportunity to feel the power of music, and as Noel has said before, no one will ever forget the way that you made them feel.
