Anyway, Heres Wonderwall (and 20 More of the Best Oasis Songs) The Gallagher brothers reunite for a sold-out UK tour in the latest example of the lucrative business of nostalgia. Plus: A dream set list.
By
Bryan Parys
September 24, 2024
Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher
Image has been modified. Original image courtesy of Shymanet (CC BY-NC 4.0)
First, a disclaimer: I have been a dedicated Oasis fan since I was in eighth grade, when my college-aged sister tossed a CD copy of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? at me and said, Listen to this and tell me if it's any good. (Confession: I never told her it was good so that I could hoard it for myself.) Since then, I can't tell you how many times I've had a recurring dream where the band asks the audience if anyone out there can play the guitar solo to Live Forever, only to see me jumping up and down, begging for the chance.
This all to say, I cannot be objective on this subject, and I can't believe my boss let me write this article. However, I promise the goal here is not to create Oasis stans, but rather to look at why the news of their reunion and tour has made headline news, despite the band not releasing any new music since 2008.
Oasis Was Never a Paradise A big reason the Oasis reunion tour announcement has been so popular is due to the contentious relationship between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. Their sibling rivalry has been headline fodder since the release of their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994, and has continued to make news all the way to the present.
When they released Morning Glory in 1995, their popularity grew to a global scale off the megahit singles Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, and Don't Look Back in Anger, which are still mainstays on radio and streaming (in fact, the hugely popular YouTube music critic Rick Beato recently explained why Champagne Supernova is the best Oasis song). However, the band's first North American tour was beset with fraternal spats, which led Noel to quit the band briefly at one point.
Their fraught tour should've halted their meteoric rise, as it soured many American listeners (believe me-I took constant flak for being a die-hard past the Wonderwall era). Their mythology as a swaggering rock band marked by clickbait-worthy drama kept them in the public eye, however, despite diminishing returns on their later albums, followed by what felt like a definitive breakup in 2009.
The Big Business of NostalgiaA broader explanation for the buzz around the reunion is, quite simply: nostalgia sells. Oasis is by no means the first band to recognize this, and they've been turning down highly lucrative offers to reunite basically since they split.
Berklee professor and musicologist Joe Bennett spoke with a radio program in the United Arab Emirates (Bennetts interview begins 22 minutes into the broadcast) on this topic, and pointed out that reunions on this scale have been happening for decades. He cited as notable examples the Eagles 1994 album and tour cheekily titled Hell Freezes Over and a one-off Led Zeppelin show in 2007, given that both bands had made it very clear years earlier that their breakups were definitive. ABBA kinda-sorta reunited in 2016-34 years after splitting up in 1982-when they announced a new tour . . . featuring hologram avatars rather than the actual band members.
You're very susceptible to the pop music from that formative period [of ages 12-25]. . . . The industry knows this . . . and Oasis are no more immune to those market forces than anybody else.
- Joe Bennett
Bennett explains that legacy tours like this sell so well because for their fans, it's a visceral reminder of the culture that existed as they were discovering their identities between the ages of 12 and 25. You're very susceptible to the pop music from that formative period, Bennett says, pointing out that, in psychological terms, this phenomenon is referred to as the reminiscence bump. He continues, the industry knows this, and can commercially mobilize around it, and Oasis are no more immune to those market forces than anybody else.
As someone who discovered Oasis within that reminiscence bump, it makes sense that I am absolutely ecstatic about this reunion-and the fact that somehow, in 2024, they broke Ticketmaster for their UK performances in a very similar way to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. However, if you ever indulged in the many jokes about Oasis just being Beatles rip-offs, but you're still planning to grab a ticket for this tour: As long as you let me get in that digital queue ahead of you, I won't look back in anger.
Oasis Set List Predictions and Personal PicksBefore we get to my dream set list, here are a few predictions and thoughts about how Oasis might sequence their reunion performances.
What They Will Open With Rock n Roll Star : First song off the first off album, and the line Tonight, I'm a rock n roll star is an overt and obvious mission statement. Musically, it opens with a definitive Noel guitar riff, with the rest of the band building up behind him for drama.
What They Should Open With Columbia: Also off the first album, but no one will expect it, so it'll pack a surprise punch. Also, the trancey four-on-the-floor beat allows the band to draw the crowd in, even for those unfamiliar with the song, all while building to some of Noel's most gripping lead work. Drawing more on the Stone Roses than the Beatles, it's an up-front declaration that the rock band you thought you knew can also groove.
What Will Come Next Acquiesce : What you follow your opening song with on a reunion tour is almost more important than the first song. The first song has a low bar because the moment the lights go down and the band walks out, the audience will already be losing their mind. The second song,
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
09/06/2026
FOX Sports and ReachTV, an airport media network, have announced an agreement to...
Anyway, Heres Wonderwall (and 20 More of the Best Oasis Songs) The Gallagher brothers reunite for a sold-out UK tour in the latest example of the lucrative business of nostalgia. Plus: A dream set list.
