30 Years of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

Oasis introduced the world to (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? in April 1995 with the song Some Might Say. The band’s classic guitar sound signalled to the world that Oasis were back. Noel Gallagher has often mused that it is his favourite Oasis song; the British public agreed, and Some Might Say was launched to the top of the charts making it the band’s first number one single. It was clear from this moment that the Manchester band were on the brink of becoming cultural icons both at home and abroad. The Mic's Charlie Gadd reflects on the seminal Britpop album 30 years after its release.

“I don’t feel as if I know you / you take up all my time,” Liam Gallagher sneers, ushering in one of the greatest British albums ever made.

It wasn’t without setbacks though. The brothers’ now-famous feud with Blur came to a head on the 14th of August 1995, when Oasis’ second single Roll With It was released alongside Blur’s Country House. This war of words had climaxed by the time the two singles dropped, with both bands taking shots at each other during interviews. However, Blur quietened Oasis when Country House outsold Roll With It by more than 50,000 copies. This is unsurprising in my view, as Roll With It stands out as the most uninteresting song on the album. While not bad by any means, Roll With It’s lyrics are repetitive and lack the storytelling of some of the other tracks on the album. Paired with music that lacks the flair of Oasis’ best songs, the result is a tune that, 30 years later, is outshone by all that the band released subsequently.

Oasis got their own back when (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? vastly outsold Blur’s The Great Escape and had huge appeal both in the UK and the USA, with many of the songs not only being considered the best of the Britpop era but some of the best of British music as a whole.

The album, released on the 2nd of October 1995, was a smash hit. It starts with Hello — a loud and boisterous opening track that proudly proclaims, “Hello, hello, it’s good to be back.” A line that was pertinent back in 1995 has become even more so now, as the brothers proudly proclaim it at the start of each show on their long-awaited reunion tour. The loud guitars and Liam’s sneering vocals say one thing: take notice, world, or you’ll be left behind.

The now mega-famous Wonderwall takes the album in a slower direction. The famed guitar opening bleeds into a softer vocal performance by Liam. This was an Oasis the USA liked, as Wonderwall became the band’s only top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Track 4 is where Noel takes centre stage. His legendary lyrics on Don’t Look Back in Anger are backed up by incredible guitar riffs and punchy drums to create what could claim to be the best song on this album — one that still echoes around clubs, pubs, and karaoke bars 30 years later.

The middle section of the album is mostly your standard Oasis fare, including songs such as Some Might Say, Hey Now! and She’s Electric. While not as new and exciting as songs like Don’t Look Back in Anger, these tracks now define the sound you think of when you think Oasis — and are still crowd-pleasers 30 years later.

However, the haunting ballad Cast No Shadow shows a more philosophical side to Noel’s writing. The moving lyrics pair with a more understated melody to create an effective tribute to The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft. The contrast with the rest of the album ensures that Cast No Shadow has become a standout for the band even 30 years later.

Then comes Morning Glory — a barnstorming, boisterous song about cocaine. The sound of helicopters opens a five-minute, four-second display of why Oasis could be considered the best to ever do it. The energy of this song oozes from every guitar riff, and Liam’s rowdy vocals display with great swagger why few frontmen have ever been as iconic as him.

Finally, closing off the album is Noel Gallagher’s self-proclaimed epic Champagne Supernova — a psychedelic seven-and-a-half-minute rock song that feels like a goodbye not only to the album but to a part of Oasis history. Liam’s vocals (which are some of the best of his career) guide us through the song — from the slow and soft start to the high-energy rock of the middle, and through to the bittersweet ending. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? saves its best song until last and produces the perfect ending for an album that, 30 years later, holds up as one of the best British albums of all time.

The cultural impact of this album is hard to overstate. It started a revolution in Britpop and defined the music we associate with 1990s Britain. The album and the band have become synonymous with Manchester — a city that has seen its fair share of hardship over the years, and one that, in 2017, sang Don’t Look Back in Anger as a hymn of defiance after terror attacks rocked the city.

In 2025, Oasis put the album front and centre again by choosing it to make up more of the setlist for their record-breaking reunion tour than any other album. With sold-out UK dates, a whole new generation of people got to see these tracks live and enjoy them alongside thousands of fans, both young and old.

Oasis’ second album is as inspiring as it is thoughtful and offers a great sense of musical escapism whilst also feeling rooted in the class and culture of the band. It shows Oasis at their very peak. As Liam softly asks, “Where were you when we were getting high?” at the album’s close, it is impossible not to feel some connection to the record and its place in British culture.

by Charlie Gadd

Edited by Max Durno

Photos courtesy of Oasis