By Jesse Johnson

There are two songs that are still in rotation throughout the airwaves today; “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova,” both by the English rock band Oasis. While both of these songs will go down in history as iconic hits in modern music, Oasis has other, more-underplayed songs in their catalog that are left to sit in the shadow of their collection of hit singles.

If you’re like me and are getting tired of seeing the same lyrics from either of those two songs posted on Twitter with a picture of a bridge or some stars accompanying it, then you will thank me for opening your mind up to some of their more under-appreciated songs. Whether you tweet the lyrics after listening like I do is your decision.  

“Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova” both appear on Oasis’ second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, so I tried my best to steer away from that album. However, a B-side from that album, “Step Out,” is the only song I will mention due to Stevie Wonder scoring a writing credit on it. Let’s begin with their first album, Definitely Maybe.

The first song on their first record, “Rock and Roll Star,” sets the tone for the album, and also for the rest of the band’s career. The song itself is about being at the top of the world, somewhere everybody wishes to be. You wake up, and you just want to be a star, no matter what your career is. “Digsy’s Dinner,” another song off of this record, is not about being a star. Instead, this song makes you hungry for lasagna, which is actually what the song is about.

Skipping to the band’s third album, Be Here Now, comes a song that can feed an ego until it’s full. “My Big Mouth” was not released as a single but is considered one of the favorites off the record by lead songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher. With the multi-layered guitars creating a sonic wall and vocalist Liam Gallagher snarling lyrics like “I’ll put on my shoes while they’re walking slowly down the hall of fame,” the attitude can be felt nonetheless.

While the next few songs are included on the album The Masterplan, they are all actually B-sides from the first three records. “Fade Away” and “Listen Up” are both from the Definitely Maybe album, while “Stay Young” was excluded from Be Here Now. The latter was included on the soundtrack to Robert Rodriguez’s film “The Faculty,” which starred a young Jordana Brewster and Elijah Wood. The song fits the movie’s high school setting very well. The movie, on the other hand, is a head-scratcher.

Now transitioning to the 2000’s, where Oasis had just gone through a line-up change right before recording their fourth studio record, Standing On the Shoulder of Giants. The album is more reflective of a psychedelic influence, harkening back to early-Rolling Stones and late- Beatles material. “Gas Panic!” is a song about the consequences of drug use, and takes the listener on a strange ride from serenity to darkness and ends in a frenzy.

This next song comes from Don’t Believe the Truth and is personally my favorite that I will talk about. “Keep The Dream Alive” caught my ear the first time I listened to it and it is in so many of my playlists, and is one of the first songs I recommend for someone to listen to. The song is about the death of a dream and coming to realize how real you want it to be. I found this to be super relatable, seeing as myself and other people are always promising to make a dream a reality, no matter how big or small, obtainable or impossible, to achieve.

The final song I will bring up is off Oasis’ final studio album, Dig Out Your Soul. The title of the album actually came from this song, so there is a little bit of trivia for you. “To Be Where There’s Life” sounds like a trip, literally. It has enough psychedelic elements in it for someone to say “that song is from another generation.” From delayed vocals, sitar emulations, and a repetitive bassline that will stick with you, I’m sure you will think you’re going for a ride when you listen to this song.

While Oasis has since disbanded, both Liam and Noel Gallagher have embarked on fairly successful solo ventures, with each playing a handful of Oasis hits and rarities. The band’s entire catalog is available for streaming, so go explore it. However, I bet you’ll go back to listening to “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova” after listening to the songs I’ve singled out in this article, and I don’t blame you. 

Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of Oasis’s Facebook page.

Jesse Johnson is a sophomore letters and sciences major and can be reached at rockerjj17@yahoo.com.