Noel Gallagher: 'Oasis were better than The Stone Roses, Blur and Pulp'

They were in a league of their own in the 90s, he insists

Oasis in 1996
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 29th Sep 2023

Noel Gallagher has claimed that Oasis were head and shoulders above bands including The Stone Roses, blur, Pulp, Suede and The La’s.

In a fresh interview with MOJO to celebrate the magazine’s 30th birthday, Noel spoke candidly about Oasis’ mid-nineties glory days.

Looking back at the band’s legendary career almost three decades on from their debut single ‘Supersonic’, Noel spoke about Oasis’s self-belief and he insisted they were in a league of their own.

“We always had unshakable self-belief in Oasis,” Noel said. “Going into the start of 1994 we didn’t have ‘Supersonic’, but everything else was already written.

“Everybody who heard the demos of what would become ‘Definitely Maybe’ were freaking out, so we just wanted to seize the moment.

Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher in 1995

“We’d been talking the talk amongst ourselves for a couple of years and when it came down to it, we were ready. Every minute I spent awake, I just knew it was going to happen.”

He continued: “Back then, I’d hear blur or Pulp or Suede on the radio and think – f--- these idiots. But looking back at it now, it was an amazing time for indie music, or whatever you want to call it. But we were ready to take over. We were ready to wipe everybody out.

“I thought Blur, Pulp, The Stone Roses, The La’s, whoever, they were great people and they had one or two great tunes, but we had twelve. However loud they were, we were louder. However fast they were, we were faster.

“However good they were, we would trump it. They were all great bands, but we were better. It was as simple as that.”

It was announced earlier this month that Oasis’ B-sides album ‘The Masterplan’ is getting a remastered reissue on Friday 3rd November to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

You can watch highlights from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ very special show for Absolute Radio at O2 Academy Bournemouth in July right here:

Both Noel and Liam Gallagher songs featured in Absolute Radio’s recent listener-voted countdown of The 50 Greatest Songs of the Past 15 Years. Check out the full list below.

The 50 Greatest Songs of the Past 15 Years:

50. Foster The People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

49. Adele – ‘Skyfall’ (2014)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

48. The Vaccines – ‘If You Wanna’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

47. Snow Patrol – ‘Just Say Yes’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

46. Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Cold Little Heart’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

45. George Ezra – ‘Shotgun’ (2018)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

44. Doves – ‘Kingdom of Rust’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

43. Paramore – ‘Still Into You’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

42. Manic Street Preachers – ‘International Blue’ (2018)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

41. Jake Bugg – ‘Lightning Bolt’ (2012)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

40. Imagine Dragons – ‘Radioactive’ (2012)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

39. Green Day – ‘Know Your Enemy’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

38. Stereophonics – ‘C'est La Vie’ (2015)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

37. Kings Of Leon – ‘Use Somebody’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

36. Gotye ft. Kimbra – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

35. Black Keys – ‘Lonely Boy’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

34. Adele – ‘Rolling In the Deep’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

33. Royal Blood – ‘Figure It Out’ (2014)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

32. Lana Del Rey – ‘Video Games’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

31. Biffy Clyro – ‘Mountains’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

30. Temper Trap – ‘Sweet Disposition’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

29. MGMT – ‘Kids’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

28. Arcade Fire – ‘Everything Now’ (2017)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

27. Stereophonics – ‘Indian Summer’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

26. Foo Fighters – ‘Under You’ (2023)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

25. Wet Leg – ‘Wet Dream’ (2022)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

24. Rag'n'Bone Man – ‘Human’ (2017)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

23. Paolo Nutini – ‘Iron Sky’ (2014)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

22. The Killers – ‘The Man’ (2017)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

21. Bastille – ‘Pompeii’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

20. Liam Gallagher – ‘Once’ (2019)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

19. Keane – ‘Sovereign Light Café’ (2012)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

18. Arctic Monkeys – ‘R U Mine?’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

17. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – ‘AKA...What a Life!’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

16. Coldplay – ‘Viva La Vida’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

15. Disturbed – ‘The Sound of Silence’ (2015)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

14. Kasabian – ‘Fire’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

13. Biffy Clyro – ‘Many of Horror’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

12. The Killers – ‘Human’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

11. Blur – ‘The Narcissist’ (2023)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

10. Wolf Alice – ‘Don't Delete The Kisses’ (2017)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

9. Hozier – ‘Take Me To Church’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

8. Florence and the Machine – ‘Dog Days are Over’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

7. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ (2013)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

6. Courteeners – ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

5. Kings Of Leon – ‘Sex On Fire’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

4. Foo Fighters – ‘Walk’ (2011)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

3. Muse – ‘Uprising’ (2009)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

2. Elbow – ‘One Day Like This’ (2008)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

1. Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’ (2021)

Absolute Radio's 15th birthday - The 50 greatest songs of 2008 to 2023

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