“It’s just to die for”: The melody Noel Gallagher wishes he had written
Although he might be one of the most brutal critics in music, Noel Gallagher is equally capable of heaping plenty of praise upon his peers. He’s simply a man who likes what he likes, and isn’t afraid to share that info. He might have said that he was glad to be around at the same time as System of a Down, so that he could bask in the privilege of being able to hear “the shittiest band of all time”. However, he has equally said that he’d be happy to give up everything he has ever written to have his name alongside the Sex Pistols album, Never Mind the Bollocks.
This love/hate is eclectic too. He does not discriminate in his derision/adoration, expanding it to a vast field. Alas, it is always the hooks of a song that Gallagher is snagged on. “I’m a huge fan of The Pet Shop Boys actually, which people are disgusted by when they find that out,” he told Greatest Hits Radio. The British synth-pop outfit from the North East might not have too much of a kinship in sound with Oasis, but Gallagher joins the likes of George Michael – a man with solid taste in music – who opined that they made “the most beautiful music” of the 1980s.
So, when the Oasis frontman was at Worthy Farm in 2022, he headed away from the Pyramid Stage and wandered to the Other Stage for some pop perfection. “I was at Glastonbury last year, and as the entire festival is walking one way to go and see Kendrick Lamar, I’m going the other way to see The Pet Shop Boys. Everyone’s like, ‘Are you not coming to see Kendrick?’ and I was like, ‘I’m not interested in that’,” he recalled.
“So, I dragged a few people with me. And I was like, ‘Just be amazed at how many hits you’re going to hear here’,” he continued. The band have four number-one singles in the UK, but their influence stretches far beyond that number as much of their commercial impact was hamstrung by the poignant societal commentary of their lyrics. They are the masters of hooks and mix this with an acerbic wit and rave mentality that Gallagher clearly laps up.
When appraising their oeuvre, and picking out the track that ranks among his all-time favourites, he said, “I’m going to pick ‘Love Comes Quickly’ by The Pet Shop Boys, an incredible song.” He then topped of the praise by saying, “The melody… it’s just to die for, I wish I had written it.” Considering that melody is the foundation of Gallagher’s work, this is particularly high praise.
The 1986 track typifies the catchy appeal of the band. Beyond the hook, there is a sense of profound euphoria that is reminiscent of the middle finger to the working week that Oasis would soon adopt.
The Pet Shop Boys have now remixed ‘Think of a Number’ from the star’s Council Skies album, revealing that the admiration is mutual, by explaining: “The aim is to work with someone who makes you sound ten times better. I would like more good singers to sing more of our songs, as I think they have great potential.”
