The 10 greatest bands of all time, according to Noel Gallagher
A few critics have been bold enough to question Noel Gallagher’s credentials over the years. None of them have ever had a field of 250,000 singing along in unison.
As the chief songwriter and guitarist with Oasis, coupled with his achievements with his High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher has an undisputable level of authority regarding rock ‘n’ roll. In the 1990s, his band defined an entire era, meaning Gallagher is more than qualified to comment upon the ten groups who have changed the course of musical history. And he brings a particular Britpop-adjacent lens to the task, too.
While Gallagher has never been one to refrain from blowing his own trumpet, Oasis failed to make his cut. Instead, the singer-songwriter focused heavily on their musical forefathers who paved the way during the 1960s and created a landscape that allowed the Britpop era to exist. So, yes, they are all British, or in the case of the Bee Gees, they were at least born here.
When crafting a definitive list of all-time greatest bands, it’s difficult to throw in too many curveballs, and Gallagher’s curated selections offer few surprises. Nevertheless, excluding groups such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, whom Gallagher places in the top two spaces, would be sacrilegious.
Although both of those acts have had their own run-ins with Gallagher in the ’90s, it’s now all water under the bridge, and he’s artistically earned their respect. In fact, when it comes to the Fab Four, he’s sees their position in cultural history as truly unassailable.
During an appearance on Apple Music in 2022, Gallagher explained why The Beatles are in a league of their own, noting, “If people say, ‘So what is it about the Beatles?’ It’s just they’ve done it more. Their songs are more culturally significant, and they did more of them, and they’re just, yeah, they’re a level above. And McCartney and [John] Lennon are in it. Bob Dylan. After that you’re kind of like, everybody’s probably on a par after that, I would say.”
In 2008, when Oasis were reaching the end of their storied career, Gallagher occupied his mind while on the road by collating a list of the greatest ever groups. Explaining the criteria, he wrote: “In the dressing room the traditional debate has started about ‘The Top 10′ This means the top 10 bands of all time. No solo artists allowed. No female artists allowed. No collectives allowed (Public Enemy etc.). This is the 1,000th time we’ve been here with this. It never gets any less interesting for me. For the record, THE DEFINITIVE top 10 is this.”
Notably, Gallagher placed The Who in third, who he once referred to as “undoubtedly the greatest singles band of all time…laughable at how many truly great youth anthems Pete Townshend wrote.” However, their shortcomings with studio-length records are the reason why they have to settle for third place on his list.
Up next is the Sex Pistols, who may have only released one album but captured the mind, body and soul of Gallagher as a teenager. The Mancunian icon is under the firm belief that the societal impact of Never Mind The Bollocks will never be seen again. Speaking to Q in 2019, Gallagher said: “The most influential record of all time is Never Mind The Bollocks.”
It certainly had an impact on him. He started noticing punks with pink hair strutting around Manchester and without even hearing the record, he was suddenly opened up to a whole new bohemian world. In fact, revering The Bollocks is one of the few things he agrees on with his brother.
“People who are still working now in the music business did their shit because of that record,” he said. “It’s the absolute left turn. There is no argument. It cannot be bettered. It’s scientifically factual,” he added.
An all-British list
Rounding off his top five are The Kinks, who, much like The Beatles, helped establish a sound that Gallagher’s band would add their swaggering spin to and inspire a generation like their heroes did decades before. Fittingly, given that he swerves the sounds of the States, Gallagher also referred to The Kinks as the quintessential English band. Along the way, this emboldened him to craft a similarly cultural honest sound.
Throughout his career, Gallagher has always given the Davies brothers their flowers at every possible opportunity. While The Kinks never hit the same commercial heights as other acts on this list, they created an impeccable legacy that continues to inspire bands today, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Gallagher’s favourite album in their canon is The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Released when all their contemporaries were looking to America for inspiration, Davies decided to explore influences closer to home and wrote about relatable characters from English life.
In 2015, when Gallagher listed a series of his favourite albums for iTunes, he said of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society: “Probably the most under-appreciated album of all time. Ray Davies was the unsung hero of the ’60s. Storytelling of the most highest order.”
Other iconic acts that Gallagher lists among the greatest to have ever formed a band include The Specials, The La’s and The Bee Gees. And with the Britpop bent to his list, it means there’s no room for cherished names such as Nirvana or The Beach Boys, the latter of which he only admitted were any good after about 50 years of resistance. Nobody said he wasn’t stubborn.
Noel Gallagher’s favourite bands:
- The Beatles
- The Rolling Stones
- The Who
- Sex Pistols
- The Kinks
- The La’s
- Pink Floyd
- The Bee Gees
- The Specials
- (Peter Green’s) Fleetwood Mac
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