Noel Gallagher once picked his three best songs
There’s a long tradition of great British songwriters. Whether it be The Beatles, Nick Drake or Alex Turner, the list of brilliant musicians this tiny isle has produced is quite astounding. At the top of the table with the very best is Noel Gallagher.
After spending time as the roadie for Inspiral Carpets, Gallagher would power his own band, Oasis, to fame in the early 1990s. Capturing the spirit of the era with their simple but rousing songs about the idiosyncrasies of British life, after releasing their debut Definitely Maybe in 1994 and quickly producing its successor, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, the following year, the group confirmed themselves as a staple of British culture.
Armed with timeless anthems, colourful personalities and a well-publicised spat with Britpop peers Blur, by the turn of the new millennium, the group had established a widely influential legacy that would pave the way for the likes of The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys and other future stars of British rock. From the mainstream to underground scenes such as hardcore punk, it says everything about the power of Noel Gallagher’s work that Oasis appeals to such a broad base.
Since the Mancunian group acrimoniously split in 2009, Gallagher has continued to show his prowess as a songwriter. Now unchained from the band, he’s fully immersed himself in the expansive sound that the Manchester outfit flirted with towards the end of their career. Since then, he has drawn on the works of Ennio Morricone and the post-punk textures he grew up with to establish such a dynamic aesthetic.
His most recent effort, 2023’s Council Skies, is a foolproof exercise in alternative rock that saw Gallagher team up with the eminent Johnny Marr on three tracks, including the lead single ‘Pretty Boy’. Gallagher’s stark stylistic change on the record shows that he is committed to continuously pushing himself as an artist and still has much gas left in the tank.
As Gallagher’s career has touched on so many bases by this point, he was faced with the question of what his favourite songs he’s written are when appearing on TalkSport in 2023. In response, he named two Oasis classics and a number featured on his most recent offering.
“‘Supersonic’, it’s my favourite Oasis tune,” Gallagher said. “‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ for what it’s become. When I wrote that song one night in Paris, if I’d have known what it would become, I’d never have finished it. How could you even write a song that you know 30 years later has turned into some kind of hymn?”
He concluded: “Could always go for a new one, there’s a song on my new album called ‘Dead to the World’, which is pretty personal, which I love… I’ve written so many good tunes.”
Watch the clip below.
Noel Gallagher’s favourite songs he’s ever written:
- ‘Supersonic’
- ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’
- ‘Dead to the World’
