Few bands in rock history are as proudly devoted to the classics as Oasis. With every song they wrote, brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher made their love for British icons like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones crystal clear. While Oasis carried the torch for classic rock, they couldn’t resist stirring the pot, even going so far as to cover a Rolling Stones track to get under Keith Richards’ skin.
Of course, Keith Richards has never been one to hold back when dishing out critiques. Known for his brash opinions, Richards famously dismissed heavyweights like Metallica and Black Sabbath as “jokes” compared to his own effortless blues swagger. By the 1980s, his focus shifted away from The Rolling Stones as he began dabbling in solo projects and collaborating with artists like Tom Waits, sometimes taking swipes at his longtime bandmate, Mick Jagger.
Yet, as the 1990s rolled in, something surprising happened. Grunge’s influence faded, and a new wave of British rock bands, led by Oasis, embraced the golden age of rock. Oasis’s debut, Definitely Maybe, and the follow-up, What’s the Story Morning Glory?, brought a resurgence of interest in British legends like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
But while the Gallaghers were reaching new heights, they didn’t find the admiration they hoped for from Richards. After seeing a documentary where Richards dismissed Oasis as “crap,” they hit Radio 1 to vent, with Liam even daring Richards to a fight.
While Liam was ready to confront Richards head-on, Noel channeled his frustration in the studio. Instead of a war of words, he responded musically with a cover of The Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” for Oasis’s single “All Around the World.” Reflecting on the incident, Noel said, “At the time, Keith Richards was having a go at us in the papers, so we thought we’d record one of his songs just to piss him off. He talks about how bad Oasis are, but when he gets the check for about $50,000 in royalties…”
Richards never took back his criticisms, but he and the Gallaghers managed to keep things relatively civil over time. In later conversations, Richards even compared notes with Noel, debating the challenges of dealing with difficult frontmen like Jagger and Liam. Although Richards rarely missed an opportunity to voice his opinions, his match with the Gallaghers proved that the Brit-rockers of the ’90s could hold their own in the battle of rock and roll egos.
