The larger-than-life apex of ’90s British pop? Anyway, here’s “Wonderwall.”
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Oasis
58
Noel Gallagher had a novel way of overcoming Difficult Second Album Syndrome when it came to making (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?—he had it written already. While Oasis’ massive 1994 debut Definitely Maybe was an astounding introduction, these were supersized anthems made for mass sing-alongs and communal euphoria.
It soon became clear this was more than just your regular second album from an excellent rock band. This was the apex of the Britpop era, full of outsize egos and attitude and ambition, yet none bigger than theirs. How could it be allowed for so many classics to be next to each other on the same album? As well as “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” there’s the melancholy uplift of “Cast No Shadow,” the cosmic opus of “Champagne Supernova,” the thrilling crackle of the title track. It’s the story of the decade, unfurled in 50 minutes.
There was no stopping Oasis at that point; that was something that could only be done by the band themselves. But Morning Glory harnessed the chaos and turned it into something magical.