Oasis, led by the infamously arrogant Gallagher brothers, became the defining face of Britpop—a movement that dominated Britain and much of Europe throughout the mid-1990s. Their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe, is still considered one of the greatest rock debuts of all time: bold, brash, and unashamedly working-class. More than 30 years later, its swagger and energy continue to resonate, standing as both a snapshot of a cultural moment and a timeless expression of youthful ambition.
From the opening notes of Rock ’n’ Roll Star to the raw vulnerability of Slide Away, the album distilled the contradictions of youth—ambitious yet uncertain, cocky yet heartfelt. It didn’t just launch Oasis. It helped define an era.
Rock ’n’ Roll Starters
The album opens with “Rock ’n’ Roll Star,” a track that encapsulates the Gallagher brothers’ ethos and ambition. With blaring guitars, pounding drums, and Liam’s sneering vocals, it’s a mission statement in song form: Oasis weren’t just playing at being stars—they already were. Long before mainstream success arrived, Noel Gallagher was writing lyrics about fame and destiny, blending punk-like rebellion with Beatles-inspired melody. It’s loud, cocky, and unapologetic—a celebration of ego and excess that set the tone for everything that followed.
“Shakermaker” comes next, a curious blend of nursery-rhyme cadence and druggy swagger. Liam delivers the lyrics in his distinctive Manchester drawl, giving even the most nonsensical lines a strange charm. The song quickly became infamous for lifting lines from Coca-Cola’s “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” leading to a lawsuit that cost Oasis half a million dollars. Noel later admitted he scribbled down some of the words on the way to the studio, but that off-the-cuff approach was part of Oasis’s chaotic magic—akin to a DJ sampling a familiar beat to make something fresh and audacious.
Anthems That Defined Britpop
Then comes “Live Forever,” the track that elevated Oasis from promising newcomers to generational icons. It’s often ranked among the greatest rock songs ever written, and it’s easy to see why. While grunge acts like Nirvana sang about despair, Oasis answered back with defiance and hope. Noel’s lyrics—“Maybe you’re the same as me / We see things they’ll never see / You and I are gonna live forever”—resonated as a statement of belief, a refusal to bow to cynicism.
Musically, “Live Forever” is soaring, with Noel’s songwriting craft at its peak and Liam delivering one of his most iconic vocal performances. It became the unofficial anthem of the Britpop movement and remains a high point of the band’s catalogue, a song that captured both the optimism and alienation of youth.
“Up in the Sky” keeps the momentum, powered by jangly guitars and a playful vocal from Liam. It’s deceptively upbeat, even as Noel’s lyrics cut with wit and scepticism. “Hey you, up in the sky, learning to fly, tell me how high do you think you’ll go before you start falling?” It’s both a taunt and a warning—a grounded take on ambition from a band who knew all about shooting for the stars.
When it came time to record Definitely Maybe, Oasis transformed their early demo “Columbia” into a full-fledged track. The song is hypnotic, layering shoegaze-style guitar textures over Noel’s enigmatic lyrics: “I can’t tell you the way I feel, because the way I feel is oh so new to me.” It’s a song about transition and discovery, wrapped in a pulsating wall of sound. Liam’s laid-back delivery floats over the guitars, letting the atmosphere take centre stage. Dreamlike yet driving, “Columbia” captured Oasis’s early raw energy and hinted at the band’s more experimental leanings.
Supersonic Breakthrough
“Supersonic” was Oasis’s first single, released in April 1994, and the song that propelled them from local heroes to national contenders. Its signature guitar riff, pounding rhythm, and swaggering lyrics made it an instant anthem. Noel claimed he wrote it in a single afternoon, and its nonsense lines (“I know a girl called Elsa / She’s into Alka Seltzer”) somehow fit perfectly with the band’s larger-than-life attitude.
Lyrically, it’s part nonsense, part manifesto, with the unforgettable declaration: “I need to be myself / I can’t be no one else.” That line alone distilled the band’s entire ethos—rebellious, unapologetic, and proud of their individuality.
The single reached only number 31 on the UK charts, but it didn’t matter. “Supersonic” became a calling card. The accompanying video, directed by Nigel Dick, showcased the band’s raw energy and chaotic charisma. For fans, it was love at first listen. For Oasis, it was the beginning of everything.
Nights Out and Mancunian Anthems
“Bring It on Down” follows—a snarling, punk-inspired outburst that feels less like a polished single and more like a brawl set to music. Its aggressive guitars and defiant tone made it a favourite among hardcore fans and live crowds. While not as memorable as the album’s big anthems, it adds grit, capturing the chaos of Manchester nights and the rough edges of Oasis’s early sound.
Then comes “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” one of Oasis’s defining tracks and arguably the moment where they most clearly connected with their audience. The song opens with a dirty, bluesy riff borrowed in spirit from T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” immediately grounding Oasis in the lineage of British rock while pushing it into the ’90s.
Noel’s lyrics are a blunt reflection of working-class disillusionment: “Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there’s nothing worth working for?” Rather than offering hope, the song embraces escapism—smoking, drinking, and living for the moment. The chorus, “You could wait for a lifetime to spend your days in the sunshine / You might as well do the white line,” captured a generation’s desire for escape, even through self-destructive means.
The music video, shot in stark black and white, reinforced Oasis’s image as authentic and unfiltered—no glamour, no polish, just lads in pubs and smoky flats. It perfectly aligned with the band’s identity as the anti-pop act, the voice of real people living real lives.
Commercially, “Cigarettes & Alcohol” reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it one of Oasis’s first major hits. Culturally, it was even bigger—an anthem for disillusioned youth and a snapshot of Britain’s restless ’90s generation. More than 30 years later, it remains a Mancunian anthem, one of the songs most closely tied to Oasis’s enduring legacy.
Deep Cuts and Hidden Charms
Not every track on Definitely Maybe aimed for anthemic grandeur. Some of its charm lies in its lighter, more offbeat moments.
“Digsy’s Dinner” is one of the quirkiest songs in the Oasis catalogue. Named after a friend of the band, musician Peter “Digsy” Deary, it’s essentially an ode to lasagna, friendship, and simple pleasures. With its upbeat tempo and playful lyrics, it offered a glimpse of Oasis’s humour and willingness to poke fun at themselves amidst all the swagger. It’s hardly a masterpiece, but it gives the album breathing space, showing the band weren’t afraid to step back from the posturing.
The album closes with “Married with Children,” a sharp, acoustic track written by Noel. Stripped of the big guitars and bravado, it delivers biting humour about a failing relationship: “Your music’s shite, it keeps me up all night… up all night!” The sarcasm is obvious, but beneath it lies a relaxed, almost tender honesty. It’s a fitting conclusion—brash yet intimate, as if the rock ’n’ roll dream has given way to the reality of domestic frustrations.
Slide Away: The Heart of the Album
Between those two lighter tracks sits “Slide Away,” widely regarded by fans as the Oasis song. It’s one of the most emotionally charged moments on the album, showcasing Noel Gallagher’s gift for writing both soaring rock anthems and deeply personal lyrics.
Built on a rich wall of guitars and an anthemic rhythm, the song is a powerhouse—urgent, yearning, and drenched in emotion. Noel’s lyrics explore themes of love and longing: “Slide away and give it all you’ve got / My today fell in from the top.” The chorus, “Don’t know, don’t care, all I know is you can take me there,” captures the consuming rush of a relationship that feels both overwhelming and liberating.
Liam delivers one of his finest vocal performances, balancing his trademark sneer with surprising vulnerability. His voice carries the desperation of the lyrics, making “Slide Away” feel like a confession shouted into the void.
The song’s legacy has only grown over time. Many Oasis fans consider it the band’s greatest track, a pure distillation of passion and intensity. A particularly memorable performance came during the iTunes Festival in 2009, shortly before Oasis split for good. With Liam’s voice faltering, Noel took over the outro, leaving Liam visibly frustrated on stage—a poignant moment that, in hindsight, symbolised the band’s impending end.
More Than Noise: A Working-Class Diary
Taken as a whole, Definitely Maybe can be read almost like an accidental concept album. The first act (Rock ’n’ Roll Star through Columbia) represents youthful dreams and ambition; the middle (Supersonic through Cigarettes & Alcohol) embodies indulgence and hedonism; and the final act (Digsy’s Dinner, Slide Away, Married with Children) turns inward, exploring relationships and emotional vulnerability.
Noel Gallagher himself has often described the album as a snapshot of working-class life in Manchester. In interviews, he explained that the songs reflect the glory and frustration of being young in the early ’90s: partying, drinking, dreaming, and trying to escape a dead-end existence. Some tracks may appear nonsensical on the surface, but together they form a coherent narrative about ambition, escape, and the realities of love and life.
Alongside (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now, the album forms a loose trilogy. Definitely Maybe captures the hunger and ambition, Morning Glory the triumph and chaos of fame, and Be Here Now the bloated excess that followed. Even their titles map the arc of Oasis’s rise: aspiring, arriving, and burning out.
Cultural Impact
More than 30 years later, the influence of Definitely Maybe is still felt. It resonated with working-class youth across Britain who saw their own struggles, boredom, and dreams reflected in its songs. Tracks like “Supersonic,” “Live Forever,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” and “Slide Away” became not just hits but generational anthems.
The album’s impact extended far beyond music. It helped shape the attitude, fashion, and language of the ’90s. Oasis’s mix of arrogance and authenticity struck a chord at a time when British pop culture was searching for something to call its own after the American dominance of grunge. Britpop became that answer, and Oasis were its loudest voice.
A Chaotic Masterpiece
Looking back now, Definitely Maybe is more than just a debut album—it’s a cultural landmark. It gave voice to a generation, redefined British rock, and captured the chaotic brilliance of the Gallagher brothers at their hungriest. More than 30 years later, its songs still resonate with the same urgency and swagger that first shook the UK in 1994.
And fittingly, the story has come full circle. After years of bitter feuds and failed rumours, Oasis reunited in 2024/2025 to mark the anniversary of Definitely Maybe. For fans who grew up with these songs—and for a new generation discovering them—the reunion proved the album’s enduring power. Oasis’s chaotic masterpiece is not just alive in memory, but once again alive on stage.
