Oasis is widely considered one of the greatest "B-side bands" in music history. During their mid-90s peak, songwriter Noel Gallagher frequently relegated world-class anthems to the flip sides of singles to ensure fans received maximum value. This practice created a "shadow discography" that many critics argue is as strong as their multi-platinum studio albums. 💿 The "Masterplan" Era (1994–1996)
It opens with A thundering rock anthem, it features one of the band's most iconic riffs and a call-and-response vocal dynamic between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. The song is an ode to brotherhood and survival. That this song was relegated to a B-side is a testament to the absurd quality control Noel possessed at the time. It is a stadium rocker that remained a staple of their live setlist for decades, despite never gracing an album.
You might know this as the theme tune to the BBC sitcom The Royle Family . But before that, it was a melancholic organ-driven dirge about isolation. "I would like to leave this city / This old town don't smell too pretty." It’s the sound of a man surrounded by screaming fans who feels utterly alone. oasis b-sides
For the uninitiated, the concept of a B-side might seem archaic. In the age of streaming, where every interstitial noise a band makes is uploaded to a "Singles" playlist, the idea of a "flip side" holds little weight. But for a generation of Britpop fans, the B-side was a sacred space. It was the dark alley behind the glittering high street of the charts. And no band weaponized that space quite like Oasis.
In the history of rock and roll, only a few bands have treated the B-side with such reverence. The Smiths had their Hatful of Hollow . The Beatles had Magical Mystery Tour . But nobody—nobody—had the sheer arrogance and talent to bury songs like The Masterplan and Acquiesce on the flip side of a plastic disc just because they had too many hits. Oasis is widely considered one of the greatest
By 1998, the demand for these "hidden" gems was so high that the band released , a compilation album specifically for b-sides.
Take Released as a B-side to "Roll With It," this track is a melancholic, acoustic-driven song that proves Noel’s ability to write heartbreakingly vulnerable lyrics beneath the bravado. It features a harmonica solo and a weary vocal performance that contrasts sharply with the "lad rock" image the band projected in the tabloids. 💿 The "Masterplan" Era (1994–1996) It opens with
Then, maybe you’ll know what the fuss is about.