Oasis

Oasis shot from obscurity to stardom in 1994, becoming one of Britain's most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the decade; along with Blur and Suede, they are responsible for returning British guitar pop to the top of the charts. Led by guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher, the Manchester quintet adopts the rough, thuggish image of The Stones and The Who, crosses it with "Beatlesque" melodies and hooks, distinctly British lyrical themes and song structures like The Jam and The Kinks, and ties it all together with a massive, loud guitar roar, as well as a defiant sneer that draws equally from The Sex Pistols' rebelliousness and The Stone Roses' cocksure arrogance. Gallagher's songs frequently rework previous hits from T. Rex ("Cigarettes and Alcohol" borrows the riff from "Bang a Gong") to Wham! ("Fade Away" takes the melody from "Freedom"), yet the group always puts the hooks in different settings, updating past hits for a new era.

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