Oasis are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Built around brothers Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher, the group became one of the defining acts of the Britpop era, combining loud, melodic guitar rock with a distinctly working-class confidence and a talent for writing songs that could fill stadiums. Their music drew on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, glam rock, punk and the Manchester scene, but Oasis presented those influences with a directness and swagger that made them immediately recognizable.
The band began as Rain, with Liam Gallagher joining guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and drummer Tony McCarroll. Noel Gallagher returned to Manchester from working as a guitar technician and joined in 1991, taking control of the songwriting. After a series of energetic club performances, Oasis signed with Creation Records. Their early singles, including "Supersonic," "Shakermaker" and "Live Forever," established a sound based on ringing guitars, forceful rhythms and large, optimistic choruses.
Their 1994 debut album, *Definitely Maybe*, was a major breakthrough. It reached number one in the United Kingdom and was praised for its raw energy, confident songwriting and sense of possibility. Tracks such as "Rock 'n' Roll Star," "Cigarettes & Alcohol" and "Slide Away" helped establish Oasis as the leading new guitar band in Britain. The album also marked Noel Gallagher as a prolific songwriter, while Liam's nasal, confrontational vocal style gave the songs their public identity.
Oasis became an international phenomenon with *(What's the Story) Morning Glory?* in 1995. The album produced enduring songs including "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Some Might Say" and "Champagne Supernova." Its success transformed the band from a British sensation into one of the world's biggest rock acts. The rivalry between Oasis and Blur became a defining media narrative of Britpop, but Oasis ultimately had the broader global reach. Their performances at Knebworth in August 1996, attended by hundreds of thousands of fans across two nights, confirmed their status as a generation-defining live band.
The scale of that success created intense expectations for *Be Here Now* (1997). Although the album sold rapidly and topped the British chart, its excessive production and lengthy arrangements received mixed critical reactions. Oasis continued through several lineup changes, moving into a more varied and sometimes less immediate style on *Standing on the Shoulder of Giants* (2000) and *Heathen Chemistry* (2002). With *Don't Believe the Truth* (2005) and *Dig Out Your Soul* (2008), the band regained much of its earlier focus while allowing greater songwriting contributions from members such as Gem Archer and Andy Bell.
Oasis ended in 2009 after Noel Gallagher left the band following a backstage dispute with Liam at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. Noel later pursued a solo career with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, while Liam formed Beady Eye and subsequently launched a successful solo career. Despite the brothers' long-running public disagreements, Oasis remained influential, particularly through the continuing popularity of its first two albums and its anthem-driven catalog.
In August 2024, Oasis announced a reunion featuring Liam and Noel Gallagher. The resulting Live '25 tour began in Cardiff on July 4, 2025, ending the band's 16-year live absence and renewing interest in its classic material. The reunion reaffirmed Oasis' unusual place in rock history: a band whose musical legacy rests not only on its tumultuous mythology, but on a compact body of songs that continue to connect with audiences on an enormous scale.