Liam Gallagher’s favourite Oasis songs: “It’s not like your normal rock and roll tune”
Enjoying a renaissance in his career, Liam Gallagher found a perfect blend of new solo material and classic Oasis songs to satisfy his adoring fanbase after years of struggling to find his footing after the split of Manchester’s favourite sons. As the group reunite for a summer of incredible shows, the intense scrutiny surrounds which songs the band will perform for their mass of swaying, beer-drinking audience members. You can guarantee that these tracks will find their way into the airwaves on those summer evenings.
The renewed vigour in his output saw Liam burst out of the shadow of older brother Noel and assert himself as an artist in his own right, all the while maintaining a devoted following that has stuck with him for over 30 years. It means, unlike many other artists, Gallagher has never been afraid to show his affection for his former band—or himself, for that matter.
It might seem strange, but bands, more often than not, decide to get a little bit snooty as time passes. The song that got them radio airplay and delivered them gold-plated records can quite easily be dismissed as not representing them as artists. John Lennon, Thom Yorke and even his brother Noel can all be thought of as delivering a derisory snort of laughter when their most popular songs are suggested as perhaps also their favourites. But not Liam.
Off the back of releasing his second solo album, Why Me? Why Not, Liam continued to publicly bicker with his estranged brother Noel publicly, often teasing the idea of reuniting the Mancunian legends for a mega-money deal. News came last year that, finally, the group were getting back together for said money-making extravaganza and the bated breath can be felt across the country as a nation waits to see if Oasis will actually arrive on stage together, let alone last the entire tour. But, for a while, it seemed like it was never going to happen.
For a while, the brothers pretended to hate their time together. However, it didn’t stop them from reminiscing about the old days of Britpop. Liam, without doubt, one of the most outwardly spoken singers of the day, has never been shy to throw equal barbs at Noel and praise on the band he shared with him.
The band, fronted by the feuding brothers, accomplished one extra special thing that very few groups truly manage to achieve, and they changed British pop culture in an instant, for better or for worse. Oasis, despite their historical roots in rock and roll (they were avid fans of the pop groups of the 1960s), never followed a trend—they set it. It has meant the group remains a fan favourite and a guaranteed conversation starter among music fans with one foot in the alternative, and another in the mainstream. While the band will continue to divide fans, there’s one question that everybody has answered in their time: what are your favourite Oasis songs?
A little while back, Vogue, as part of their 73 questions feature, joined Liam Gallagher for a leisurely walk across Hampstead Heath and, among the barrage of questions, was that classic conversation starter: what is your favourite Oasis song? Unable to pick just one, Gallagher’s list includes a few notable inclusions and a fair bit of his tongue-in-cheek humour.
However, his first pick is an obvious one. After being asked about his favourite lyrics of all time, he answered: “I need to be myself, I can’t be no one else, I’m feeling supersonic, Give me gin and tonic,” in a not-so-subtle reference to the song. No surprises then that ‘Supersonic’ ranks among his favourites.
Talking about ‘Supersonic’, Gallagher said: “I like the words, I like the guitars in it and I still find it an odd tune,” in a past interview with Absolute Radio. “It’s not like your normal rock and roll tune and still enjoy singing it,” he added. Next up on the list – and to perhaps prove there’s still a bit of love between him and his brother – Liam then picks one of his favourites as the Noel-penned anthem ‘Live Forever’.
Written before older brother Noel joined Oasis, the song is one of their finest tracks and was once described by Alan McGee as “probably the single greatest moment I’ve ever experienced with them,” it secured their deal with Creation records.
Elsewhere, Liam also selects the relative unknown ‘Cast No Shadow’, sitting at number eight on the tracklist and seemingly sandwiched between ‘Some Might Say’ and ‘She’s Electric’, the song acts as the glue among the hits and was the last song completed on Morning Glory. It’s a powerhouse tune that a swathes of audiences at their upcoming shows will be desperate to hear.
Under pressure from the unsuitably gleeful interviewer, Gallagher begins to struggle to think of a fourth song to name as his favourite (despite being asked for five). Then, with a glint in his eye so bright that it burst through his shades, he selects ‘Wonderwall’. It’s a small part of a sprawling range of questions that is certainly worth the 10-minute watch.
Liam Gallagher’s favourite Oasis songs
- ‘Supersonic’
- ‘Live Forever’
- ‘Cast No Shadow’
- ‘Wonderwall’
