Oasis B-sides Best Jun 2026
Tracklist Overview of 'The Masterplan' (1998) ├── 1. Acquiesce ├── 2. Underneath the Sky ├── 3. Talk Tonight ├── 4. Going Nowhere ├── 5. Fade Away ├── 6. The Swamp Song ├── 7. I Am the Walrus (Live) ├── 8. Listen Up ├── 9. Rockin' Chair ├── 10. Half the World Away ├── 11. It's Good to Be Free ├── 12. Stay Young ├── 13. Headshrinker └── 14. The Masterplan
) [9, 12]. It is widely regarded as one of the best B-side collections ever released, with many fans arguing it is superior to several of the band's proper studio albums [3, 12, 13].
One of the greatest casualties of the Be Here Now sessions. In an alternate timeline, "Stay Young" is the lead single instead of "D’You Know What I Mean?" It is lean, mean, and ferocious. The lyric "If you're leaving / Will you take me with you?" sung by a snarling Liam, captures the desperation of aging in the fast lane. It’s lightning in a bottle. Why it was left off the bloated LP is a mystery for the ages.
Released as the B-side to "Whatever," this acoustic melancholy track became legendary not just for its beauty, but for its longevity. It served as the theme song for the hit BBC sitcom The Royle Family for years, embedding itself into British culture without ever appearing on a proper studio album. Its melody was famously inspired by Burt Bacharach’s "This Guy's in Love with You," showcasing Noel’s knack for classic pop songwriting. oasis b-sides
An acoustic, vulnerable track written by Noel after he briefly walked out on the band during an chaotic 1994 American tour. It offers a stark, beautiful contrast to the wall-of-sound electric guitars that dominated their studio albums. 4. "Half the World Away" (B-side to "Whatever", 1994)
Arguably the most famous B-side of all time. Unique in the Oasis catalog, it features Liam on the verses and Noel on the chorus, rarely singing together but about each other. "Because we need each other, we believe in one another" became a poignant in-joke given their fractious relationship. It is a rocking, stadium-filling anthem that later became the sole single pulled from The Masterplan .
The pinnacle of this era was officially codified in 1998 with the release of The Masterplan , a compilation album consisting entirely of B-sides. It remains a rare feat in rock history: a B-side compilation that many critics and fans argue is superior to the band's actual third studio album, Be Here Now (1997). Tracklist Overview of 'The Masterplan' (1998) ├── 1
If you want a curated entry point into this material, the 14-track compilation The Masterplan is the industry standard. Track Number Song Title Original Single Association Some Might Say Underneath the Sky Don't Look Back in Anger Talk Tonight Some Might Say Going Nowhere Stand By Me Cigarettes & Alcohol The Swamp Song Wonderwall I Am the Walrus (Live) Cigarettes & Alcohol Cigarettes & Alcohol Rockin' Chair Roll With It Half the World Away (It's Good) To Be Free Stay Young D'You Know What I Mean? Headshrinker Some Might Say The Masterplan Wonderwall Hidden Gems from the Later Years
On streaming platforms and social media, younger listeners who praise Oasis for being "authentic, distinct, and abrasive" eventually exhaust the hits like "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger." When they dig into the catalog, they find an entire second layer of elite guitar pop. Finding these tracks feels like discovering a secret club, keeping the myth of the band alive for a completely new generation of listeners.
Noel Gallagher was so prolific during the Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? era that tracks relegated to the back of CD singles could have topped the charts on their own. This "quality and quantity" mentality—inspired by bands like The Smiths—meant that even secondary cuts were "biblical". Talk Tonight ├── 4
The sheer volume of high-quality material Noel Gallagher produced during the Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? eras remains unprecedented in modern rock.
Another acoustic gem sung by Noel, capturing the claustrophobia of wanting to escape a stagnant hometown. Its understated beauty made it a cultural touchstone in the UK, later becoming widely known as the theme song for the beloved BBC comedy series The Royle Family .
For new listeners, the Masterplan album is often the best place to start, followed by delving into the classic 12-inch singles. The era of the CD single may have passed, but the legacy of the lives on as a testament to one of the most productive periods in rock music history. If you’re interested, I can: Compare the best live versions of these songs Rank the best Oasis covers on their B-sides
For Oasis, the B-side served a crucial purpose: it kept the fans fed. Between the release of Definitely Maybe (1994) and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), the band released a string of non-album singles like "Whatever" and "Some Might Say" that bridged the gap and kept them in the public consciousness.
