10 Bands and Artists That Influenced the Sound and Songwriting of Oasis
Oasis didn't exactly hide their influences. Quite the opposite. Noel Gallagher was always happy to talk about the records, bands and songwriters that shaped his musical world - and if you listen closely to Oasis, you can hear those influences coming through loud and clear.
From The Beatles and T. Rex to The Stone Roses and The Sex Pistols, Oasis took inspiration from some of the biggest names in British and American music. Some influenced the band's sound, some influenced Noel's songwriting, and others helped shape the attitude that made Oasis one of the defining bands of the 1990s.
The Bee Gees
The Bee Gees might not be the first name that springs to mind when you think about the bands that influenced Oasis, but Noel Gallagher has long admired their songwriting. Their influence isn't necessarily about Oasis sounding like a disco band; it's about the Bee Gees' extraordinary understanding of melody, harmony and the art of writing an unforgettable pop song.
That approach is all over Noel's songwriting. Beneath the layers of distorted guitars, Oasis songs are usually built around simple, memorable melodies and massive choruses. The Bee Gees understood that a great song has to stick in your head, and that same obsession with melody became a crucial part of the Oasis sound.
Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach is another influence that shows there was considerably more going on in Noel Gallagher's songwriting than guitars and attitude. Bacharach was a master of melody, sophisticated chord progressions and beautifully constructed pop songs, and Noel was a big admirer of his work.
The connection becomes particularly obvious with Half the World Away
. Noel based the song around the chord progression from Bacharach's This Guy's in Love with You
, after hearing the song while working on Definitely Maybe. Bacharach's influence can also be heard in the sophisticated arrangements of some Oasis songs, proving that Noel's songwriting influences extended well beyond rock music.
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets had a much more direct influence on Oasis because Noel Gallagher actually worked as a roadie for the Manchester band before Oasis became famous. Touring with them gave Noel an insight into the professional side of being in a band and exposed him to recording, live performance and the Manchester music scene.
There's also a strong musical connection. Noel was able to borrow equipment from the Inspiral Carpets, including their distinctive Farfisa organ, which subsequently appeared on Oasis recordings. More importantly, his time with the band helped him develop from someone playing guitar into someone seriously thinking about songwriting and making music professionally.
The Real People
The Real People are one of the less obvious but hugely important names in the Oasis influence story. The Liverpool band helped Oasis during their early days, allowing them to use their studio and giving the inexperienced Manchester group valuable advice about recording and arranging songs.
This was more than simply borrowing a guitar riff or copying a sound. The Real People helped Noel and the rest of Oasis understand how to turn rough ideas into finished recordings. Chris and Tony Griffiths also had a songwriting connection with Noel, with Chris Griffiths co-writing Rockin' Chair
. Their influence was therefore practical as well as musical.
Slade
Slade's influence on Oasis can be heard in the band's love of huge choruses, loud guitars and songs designed to be shouted back by a crowd. Noel Gallagher was a major fan of the band, and Oasis even recorded Slade's Cum On Feel the Noize
for Definitely Maybe.
The two bands also shared a similar attitude towards rock music. Slade weren't interested in making things unnecessarily complicated; they wanted memorable riffs, enormous hooks and plenty of swagger. Oasis took that formula and brought it into the 1990s, creating songs like Rock 'n' Roll Star
and Some Might Say
that were practically built for thousands of people to sing along to.
T. Rex
Marc Bolan and T. Rex were another major influence on the early Oasis sound. The most obvious example is Cigarettes & Alcohol
, with its guitar riff heavily indebted to T. Rex's Get It On
. Noel has never been particularly shy about acknowledging where that riff came from.
But T. Rex's influence went beyond one song. Bolan understood the power of simplicity, combining memorable riffs, catchy melodies, glam-rock attitude and larger-than-life production. Oasis borrowed plenty of that formula, taking relatively straightforward rock songs and making them sound enormous.
The Smiths
Johnny Marr was hugely influential on Noel Gallagher's approach to guitar. Noel has spoken about seeing The Smiths and being inspired by Marr's playing, describing him as someone who taught him how to play guitar. While Oasis didn't sound much like The Smiths, Marr's influence helped Noel understand how guitars could provide melodies and hooks rather than simply backing up the singer.
That idea became central to the Oasis sound. Noel's guitar parts are often surprisingly melodic underneath all the distortion, with memorable riffs and little musical hooks running through the songs. The Smiths also connected Oasis to the wider Manchester guitar-music tradition that would eventually lead to the emergence of The Stone Roses and Oasis themselves.
The Stone Roses
If you're looking at the bands that influenced Oasis, it's impossible to leave out The Stone Roses. Noel Gallagher has spoken about how important they were to Oasis, even suggesting that without The Stone Roses there would have been no Oasis. Liam Gallagher was also a huge fan and saw the band live before Oasis existed.
The influence can be heard particularly clearly in early Oasis. The combination of jangly guitars, psychedelia, swagger, melody and huge choruses provided a blueprint for what a new Manchester guitar band could sound like. The Stone Roses helped open the door, and Oasis subsequently marched straight through it.
The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols brought something very different to Oasis: punk attitude. While Oasis were far more interested in melody and classic songwriting, they inherited the Pistols' sense of rebellion, confidence and musical directness. Noel and Liam have both spoken about their admiration for the band.
You don't have to look far to hear that influence on Definitely Maybe. Songs such as Rock 'n' Roll Star
have the same basic punk mentality of keeping things direct and explosive. Oasis weren't trying to sound like the Sex Pistols, but they took the punk belief that you didn't need permission to start a band and combined it with their love of classic British rock and pop.
The Beatles
And then there's The Beatles - probably the single most obvious answer when discussing Oasis influences. Noel Gallagher has repeatedly talked about his love of the band, and their fingerprints can be heard throughout Oasis's songwriting, from the melodies and harmonies to the chord progressions and arrangements.
The Beatles also provided Oasis with something beyond musical inspiration: the idea that a British guitar band could become enormous. Songs such as Don't Look Back in Anger
show Noel's fascination with classic Beatles-era songwriting, while the band's overall approach was rooted in the belief that a great melody and a brilliant chorus could connect with absolutely everyone.
The Sound of Oasis
Put all these influences together and the Oasis sound starts to make a lot more sense. The Beatles brought the songwriting, T. Rex and Slade brought the swagger and big riffs, The Smiths and The Stone Roses brought Manchester guitar culture, while The Sex Pistols supplied some of the attitude.
Then you've got the less obvious influences: the Bee Gees and Burt Bacharach's understanding of melody and pop songwriting, the Inspiral Carpets' influence on Noel's musical development, and The Real People's practical help during Oasis's early recording years. Oasis didn't simply copy these artists - they took pieces of all of them and turned those ingredients into something that sounded unmistakably like Oasis.
Photo Credit: Noel Gallagher, Munich, 2018 — erintheredmc / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0
