Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Developed from an earlier group, the Rain, the band originally consisted of Liam Gallagher (lead vocals, tambourine), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass guitar), and Tony McCarroll (drums). Upon returning to Manchester, Liam's older brother, Noel Gallagher (lead guitar, vocals) joined as a fifth member, which formed the band's core and settled line-up. During the course of their existence, they had various line-up changes, though the Gallagher brothers remained as the staple members until the group's dissolution.
Oasis signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993 and released their record-setting debut album Definitely Maybe (1994). The following year the band recorded (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) with drummer Alan White, in the midst of a chart rivalry with Britpop peers Blur. (What's the Story) Morning Glory? became one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling over 22 million copies worldwide, and the Gallagher brothers were featured regularly in tabloid newspapers for their sibling disputes and wild lifestyles. In 1996, Oasis performed two nights at Knebworth for an audience of 125,000 each night, which were at the time the largest outdoor concerts in UK history. 2.5 million people applied for tickets, which remains the highest demand for a show in British history. In 1997, Oasis released their third album, Be Here Now (1997); although it was the fastest-selling album in UK chart history, and went on to sell 8 million copies, its popularity tapered off quickly.
McGuigan and Arthurs left Oasis in 1999 as the band released Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000). They were replaced by former Heavy Stereo guitarist/frontman Gem Archer and former Ride guitarist/frontman Andy Bell, with White also later departing in 2004, replaced by Zak Starkey and later Chris Sharrock as touring members. The band subsequently released 3 more studio albums; Heathen Chemistry (2002), Don't Believe The Truth (2005) and Dig Out Your Soul (2008) to moderate critical and commercial success. However, in August 2009 the band abruptly split up after the departure of Noel. Following the departure of Noel, Liam and the rest of the band decided to continue under the name Beady Eye and Noel formed a solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Following the disbandment of Beady Eye in 2014, Liam began a solo career with Arthurs occasionally joining him on tour, Bell reunited with former band Ride, while Archer and Sharrock became members of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Oasis are among the most successful acts on the UK Singles Chart and Albums Chart. They have had eight UK number-one singles and eight UK number-one albums. They have won 17 NME Awards, nine Q Awards, four MTV Europe Music Awards and six Brit Awards, including one in 2007 for Outstanding Contribution to Music and one for the Best Album of the Last 30 Years (for (What's the Story) Morning Glory?), and been nominated for two Grammy Awards.[5] (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is the UK's fifth best-selling album, and was the UK's biggest-selling album of the 1990s. As of 2009, Oasis have sold over 75 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.