Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. Led by lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist and songwriter Liam Gallagher, Oasis are one of the most successful groups to emerge during the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. In 2005, The Guinness Book Of Hit Singles And Albums declared Oasis the "Most Successful Act of the Last Decade in the UK." Oasis have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and have had eight UK number one singles. Liam and Noel Gallagher are the only original band members, the present lineup is completed by rhythm/lead guitarist Gem Archer, bass guitarist Andy Bell and drummer Zak Starkey.

With the success of their critically acclaimed debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994), and its even more successful follow-up, the 19 million selling (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), coupled with a rivalry with their contemporary Blur, Oasis attained fame in the mid-1990s, and became one of the leaders of the Britpop movement. The Gallagher brothers featured regularly in tabloid newspaper stories, and cultivated a reputation as both bad boys and a band of the people.

At the height of their fame, Oasis' third album, Be Here Now (1997), reached #1 in the UK charts, #2 in the U.S. and also became the fastest-selling album in chart history, with almost half a million copies sold on the first day alone and just under 700,000 copies in its first week. However, as the decade ended, the initial praise the album received on its release vanished, and the band suffered a notable drop in popularity in America. In 2005, their sixth album Don't Believe the Truth was released becoming their best-selling and best-received album in a decade. In November 2006, the band released a "best-of" album entitled Stop the Clocks, which received great attention, especially in the UK, selling more than 1 million records in 3 months.