Oasis

Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. The band were formed by Liam Gallagher (vocals), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass) and Tony McCarroll (drums), who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar). Oasis have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and have had eight UK number one singles. Liam and Noel Gallagher are the only continual band members. The present lineup is completed by songwriters rhythm/lead guitarist Gem Archer and bass guitarist Andy Bell, rounded by as-yet unofficial drummer Zak Starkey.

The band initially gained prominence performing on the Manchester club circuit. They were signed to independent record label Creation Records and afterwards released their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994, leading the Britpop movement. The following year, the band recorded (What's the Story) Morning Glory? with their new drummer Alan White, while rivaling with Britpop peers Blur. The Gallagher brothers were featured regularly in tabloid newspapers for their sibling rivalry and wild lifestyles, cultivating a reputation as both bad boys and a band of the people. At the height of their fame, Oasis' third album, Be Here Now, reached number one in the UK charts, number two in the U.S. and also became the fastest-selling album in UK chart history, with almost half a million copies sold on the first day alone and just under 700,000 copies in its first week. The album, however, was critically lambasted for its "cocaine" sound and the extensive length of the songs.

In 2000, while recording their fourth album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, Oasis lost two founding members and suffered a notable drop in popularity in America. The band added replacements Gem Archer and Andy Bell for Heathen Chemistry in 2002, which was commercially successful and well-received among fans. In 2005, their sixth album Don't Believe the Truth, despite turbulent recording, became their best-selling and best-received album in a decade. The following year, the band released a "best-of" album entitled Stop the Clocks. In February 2007, Oasis received the BRIT Award for outstanding contribution to music. The band is currently recording their seventh studio album.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License