Definitely Maybe

Definitely Maybe is the highly acclaimed debut album by Britpop band Oasis. It was released in 1994 (see 1994 in music) on Creation Records and was an immediate success, having followed on the heels of singles "Columbia" (which only saw a limited release), "Supersonic", "Shakermaker" and particularly the popular "Live Forever". In 1994 Oasis were seen as a distant echo of the moribund 'Madchester' scene which had exploded in the early 1990s; unlike other Madchester bands they eschewed experiments with funk, dance or hip-hop, and presented themselves as a relatively straightforward indie rock band. Along with bands like Blur and The Verve they seemed to encapsulate a new wave, one which did not yet have a name. The album folded in elements of jangle pop, shoegazing, New Wave, and indie; in the aftermath of their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory, the media coined the term Britpop, of which Definitely Maybe retrospectively became the source.

Definitely Maybe reached number one in the UK Album charts in June 1994. Surprisingly, the album sold over 700,000 copies in America; on the American Billboard magazine charts Definitely Maybe hit #1 on the Heatseekers chart and #58 on the Billboard 200. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.

This highly-acclaimed album was followed the next year by (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, which propelled the group to even greater fame, dominating the music press throughout 1995.

In 1997 Definitely Maybe was named the 14th greatest album of all time in a 'Music of the Millennium' poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. It achieved the same placing in a 1998 Q magazine readers' poll. In 2005 Channel 4's '100 Greatest Albums' countdown placed the album at number 6.

Track listing

1. "Rock 'N' Roll Star" (Gallagher) – 5:22
2. "Shakermaker" (Gallagher) – 5:08
3. "Live Forever" (Gallagher) – 4:36
4. "Up in the Sky" (Gallagher) – 4:28
5. "Columbia" (Gallagher) – 6:17
6. "Supersonic" (Gallagher) – 4:43
7. "Bring It on Down" (Gallagher) – 4:17
8. "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (Gallagher) – 4:49
9. "Digsy's Dinner" (Gallagher) – 2:32
10. "Slide Away" (Gallagher) – 6:32
11. "Married With Children" (Gallagher) – 3:11
12. "Sad Song" (Gallagher) – only available on limited edition vinyl editions of the album.

Personnel

• Oasis  – Producer
• David Batchelor  – Producer
• Mark Coyle  – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Anjali Dutt  – Engineer
• Owen Morris  – Producer, Mastering, Mixing, Production Concept
• David Scott  – Engineer
• Paul Arthurs  – Guitar (Rhythm)
• Liam Gallagher  – Vocals
• Noel Gallagher  – Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Tony McCaroll  – Drums
• Paul McGuigan  – Guitar (Bass)
• Anthony Griffiths  – Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Roy Sping  – Engineer
• Roy Spong  – Engineer
• Dave Scott  – Engineer
• Brian Cannon  – Art Direction, Design, Concept, Cover Design
• Michael Spencer Jones  – Photography

Charting singles

Billboard:

1994   Supersonic              Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 38
1994   Supersonic              Modern Rock Tracks                      No. 11
1995   Live Forever            Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 10
1995   Live Forever            Modern Rock Tracks                      No. 2
1995   Rock 'n' Roll Star      Modern Rock Tracks                      No. 36