Oasis B-sides Online

By 2000, Britpop was dead, and Oasis was in the wilderness. This B-side to "Go Let It Out" is a masterpiece of resignation. It’s a ballad that explores the collapse of the band’s original idealism. The production is sparse, the melody is minor-key, and Liam delivers his most mature vocal performance to date. "Let's all make believe / That we're still friends." It’s the sound of a band waving goodbye to its own youth.

By 1998, the demand for these tracks had reached a fever pitch. Fans were tired of hunting down expensive import CD singles. The band relented, releasing The Masterplan, a compilation of B-sides.

The fact that a compilation of "rejects" charted at number two in the UK and is frequently voted one of the greatest albums of all time by fans is a testament to the band's strength in depth. Tracks like "Fade Away" (a frantic, punky energy burst), "Listen Up" (a rewrite of "Wonderwall" that stands on its own), and the drunken singalong "Cum On Feel the Noize" cover showed a band having fun, experimenting, and succeeding. oasis b-sides

If you have 10 minutes: Listen to Acquiesce, The Masterplan, Listen Up. If you have 30 minutes: Listen to The Masterplan album. If you want to be sad: Half the World Away, Talk Tonight, Let's All Make Believe. If you want to fight someone: Headshrinker, Fade Away, Stay Young.

“The Masterplan” (1995)
The ultimate proof of Noel’s embarrassment of riches. Rumor has it he wrote this one and thought, “Nah, not good enough for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” Are you mad? With its psychedelic piano, cosmic lyrics (“Dance if you wanna dance… because we think that life is a journey”), and a chorus that soars higher than a 747, The Masterplan became the unofficial anthem of B-side obsessives. It’s so beloved that Oasis later named a compilation after it. By 2000, Britpop was dead, and Oasis was in the wilderness

“Acquiesce” (1995)
The holy grail of Liam-and-Noel duets. “We need each other, we believe in one another” – sung separately by the battling brothers. It’s the closest we’ll ever get to a truce. The riff is pure electricity, and the “Because we need each other” bridge still gives chills. How this was left off Morning Glory is rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest mystery.

“Talk Tonight” (1995)
Noel’s most vulnerable moment, recorded alone in a hotel room in San Francisco after a near-band-breakup. A quiet, acoustic gem about a mysterious woman (Melissa Lim) who talked him off the ledge. “I’m not supposed to be here, but it’s okay.” Proof that under the bravado, Noel could break your heart. If you are a casual fan who only

“Fade Away” (1994)
Before it got a second life on the Help charity album, this was a Definitely Maybe–era B-side. A punk-rock cry of frustration (“We don’t see as we think we should, and we don’t say as we know we could”) that barrels along like a train with no brakes. It’s Some Might Say’s angrier cousin.

Before diving in, understand the rules:

If you are a casual fan who only knows "Don't Look Back in Anger," do not start with "Little James." Start here: