Given his role as lead songwriter and guitarist for Oasis and his accomplishments with the High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher is unquestionably a rock ‘n’ roll authority. Gallagher is more than qualified to comment on the ten bands that have altered the course of musical history, since his band defined an entire era in the 1990s.
Even though Gallagher has never been one to hold back when it comes to self-promotion, Oasis did not make the cut. Rather, the singer-songwriters drew a lot of inspiration from their musical ancestors who cleared the path in the 1960s and established the conditions that made Britpop possible.
It’s hard to throw too many curveballs into a definitive list of the best bands of all time, and Gallagher’s carefully chosen choices don’t really surprise much. However, it would be sacrilegious to leave out bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, who Gallagher ranks in the top two positions.
Even though Gallagher and those two acts had their own issues back in the 1990s, it’s all history now, and he has gained their respect for his artistic abilities.
In 2022, Gallagher gave an explanation of The Beatles’ uniqueness during an appearance on Apple Music. He said, “If people ask, ‘So what is it about the Beatles?'” They’ve just done it more often. They recorded more of their songs, which have greater cultural significance, and they’re just, yeah, they’re a level above. McCartney and John Lennon also feature on the list. After that, you’re kind of like, you know, everyone’s probably on the same level.
When Oasis was nearing the end of their legendary career in 2008, Gallagher kept himself busy while travelling by compiling a list of the greatest bands ever. He wrote, “In the dressing room, the traditional debate about ‘The Top 10’ has started.” in order to clarify the criteria. That is, the all-time top ten bands. Solo performers are not permitted. Women artists are not permitted. Collectives such as Public Enemy are prohibited. We’ve come to this point 1,000 times with this. For me, it never becomes any less fascinating. For the record, this is THE FINAL TOP TEN.
Notably, Gallagher ranked The Who, whom he had previously described as “unquestionably the greatest singles band of all time,” third. It’s absurd how many genuinely outstanding youth anthems Pete Townshend composed. Nevertheless, their shortcomings with studio albums force them to settle for third place on his list.
Next up are the Sex Pistols, who, despite having only one album out, managed to capture Gallagher’s adolescent mind, body, and soul. The Manchester icon firmly believes that no one will ever replicate Never Mind The Bollocks’s societal impact. “Never Mind The Bollocks is the most influential record of all time,” Gallagher stated in a 2019 interview with Q. He claimed that people in the music industry who still have their assholes tightened because of that record.. It is a complete left turn. There’s no disagreement. It can’t be improved upon. It’s factual in science,” he continued.
The Kinks, Who, like The Beatles, contributed to the sound that Gallagher’s band would later add their swaggering spin to, round out his top five. The Kinks inspired a generation in the same way that their heroes had done decades earlier.
Noel Gallagher has always given the Davies brothers their flowers whenever he gets the chance throughout his career. The Kinks never achieved the same level of commercial success as other performers on this list. However, they left a flawless legacy that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, still influences bands today.
Gallagher considers The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society to be his favourite album in the canon. Published during a time when all of their peers were looking to America for inspiration, Davies chose to write about English people they could relate to and investigate influences closer to home.
Gallagher described The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society as “probably the most underappreciated album of all time” in a 2015 iTunes list of his favourite albums. The unsung hero of the 1960s was Ray Davies. Narration of the highest calibre.
Gallagher also counts The Specials, The La’s, and The Bee Gees as three of the most iconic bands that have ever formed. Notably, all ten of the bands in his list are British. So, there’s no room for cherished names such as Nirvana or The Beach Boys.”
Noel Gallagher’s favourite bands:
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Sex Pistols
The Kinks
The La’s
Pink Floyd
The Bee Gees
The Specials
Fleetwood Mac
1 comment
I’ll go along with that and I’m seventy