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Oasis is famous for having B-sides that were often better than other bands' biggest hits. During their 1990s peak, Noel Gallagher was so prolific that he "threw away" future classics as extra tracks on CD singles. The Heavy Hitters (The Masterplan Era)
Most of the band's legendary B-sides from 1994–1997 were collected on the 1998 compilation album, The Masterplan. Every Oasis B-Side Ranked! - Mojo Magazine
The phrase "on paper" is often used to describe Oasis b-sides
because their quality was so high that they were famously "better than most bands' A-sides"
. Many of these tracks, originally released as secondary songs on singles, eventually formed the 1998 compilation album The Masterplan
, which is widely considered one of the best b-side collections in music history. Key Oasis B-Sides
: Often cited as the definitive Oasis b-side, featuring both Liam and Noel on vocals. The Masterplan
: The title track of their compilation, noted for its orchestral arrangement. Talk Tonight
: An intimate acoustic track written by Noel Gallagher after he briefly left the band during a 1994 tour. Half the World Away : Famous as the theme tune for the UK sitcom The Royle Family oasis b-sides
: A fast-paced punk-inspired track that "shouldn't have worked on paper" due to its mix of influences like Wham! and The Sex Pistols. Stay Young : Recorded during the Be Here Now sessions and considered a "lost" classic by many fans. Mojo Magazine The Masterplan Compilation Every Oasis B-Side Ranked! - Mojo Magazine
For most bands, B-sides are the songs that weren't good enough for the album. For Oasis in the mid-90s, they were often the best songs they ever wrote.
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".
Here’s why Oasis B-sides are essentially a "secret" greatest hits collection: The Heavy Hitters
"Acquiesce": Originally the B-side to "Cigarettes & Alcohol," this track features both Liam and Noel on vocals. It’s widely considered one of their most powerful anthems and is a staple of their live sets.
"The Masterplan": This orchestral masterpiece was tucked away as a B-side to "Wonderwall". Noel has famously admitted he was "too young" to realize it should have been on an album or even a lead single.
"Talk Tonight": A raw, unvarnished acoustic track recorded during a period of band turmoil. It showcases Noel’s vulnerability and remains a fan favorite for its intimacy. Essential Listening
If you want to dive deeper than the radio hits, look for these tracks (most of which were compiled on the 1998 album The Masterplan): Oasis is famous for having B-sides that were
"Half The World Away": The B-side to "Whatever" and the iconic theme for The Royle Family.
"Listen Up": A sprawling rock track that many fans argue is superior to most of the songs on their debut album.
"Rockin' Chair": Another example of Noel’s peak songwriting that somehow missed the cut for Morning Glory.
Whether it's the raw energy of "Acquiesce" or the acoustic beauty of "Half The World Away," these songs prove that at their peak, Oasis didn't just have hits—they had a bottomless well of anthems. In Defense of Oasis | Yale Daily News
If you only have ten minutes, start here. These three tracks are the reason Oasis B-sides have a cult following.
To understand Oasis’s B-sides, you have to understand the 1990s music economy. In the CD single era, the B-side wasn’t a digital afterthought; it was a weapon. Labels charged £3.99 for a two-track CD single, and fans bought it for the exclusive flip. Most bands treated this as a dumping ground for demos or rotten acoustic versions.
Oasis did the opposite.
Noel Gallagher, the band’s de facto leader and songwriter, grew up on The Smiths, The Jam, and The Beatles—bands that treated B-sides as a canvas for experimental genius. Noel had a problem: he wrote too fast. In 1994-95, he was churning out classic rock riffs in his sleep. The standard LP could only hold 11 songs. So, the rest went to the B-sides. The Holy Trinity: The Must-Hear Tracks If you
What emerged was a parallel universe. The A-sides were the stadium rockers—brazen, loud, immediate. The B-sides were where Oasis got weird, fragile, acoustic, psychedelic, and vicious.
Oasis B-sides often orbited specific themes. During the Morning Glory sessions, Noel was obsessed with the passage of time and lost youth.
Here is the ultimate test of an Oasis fan. If you walk into a room and hear "Little by Little," you nod. If you hear "Champagne Supernova," you raise a lighter. But if you hear the opening acoustic strum of "Half the World Away" (a B-side to "Whatever"), you don’t just listen. You feel it.
"Half the World Away" is a perfect example of the B-side paradox. It was the flip to the Christmas hit "Whatever." It later became the theme song to the BBC sitcom The Royle Family. It is now streamed hundreds of millions of times. Yet, in 1994, it was considered the "throwaway."
The Oasis B-side mentality taught a generation of listeners that value is not determined by the marketing budget. The greatest art is often the stuff that didn't fit the mold.
The band released over 50 original B-sides during their 1994-2009 run. That is approximately four full studio albums of material. While albums like Dig Out Your Soul had their moments, nothing compares to the run from 1994 to 1997. To make a list of the top 10 Oasis B-sides is to omit 15 other songs that would be any other band's career highlight.
The Ultimate Ten (If you only have 45 minutes):