“Was it actually voted the best British song all time?” “I said maybeeeee…”
As a northern British man, it’s fair to say I’m a pretty big fan of Oasis. So it was with great delight that I – like everybody else who’s had too many post-night out, 5am conversations on the various merits of the Definitely Maybe and What’s The Story without ever being able to come to a conclusion on which, definitely, is the best – welcomed the news that ‘Live Forever’ had been voted the greatest British song of all time.
The vote came as part of a poll by Radio X, the results of which were released over the weekend. Usually, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ comes out on top of these things, but it looks like it has finally been usurped.
There were a number of other Oasis songs in the top 10, including, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ (3), ‘Wonderwall’ (6), ‘Slide Away’ (7) and ‘Champagne Supernova’ (9). Though, weirdly, ‘Rocking Chair’ and ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ weren’t included in there, despite being the band’s best.
Matt Deverson, managing editor of Radio X, said: “This year, we see Oasis take the number one spot in a Top 100 that features truly great British tunes from across the decades. The release of ‘Live Forever’ in 1994 heralded the arrival of an era-defining debut album from one of the country’s greatest bands – it was a hugely exciting moment for British music. It’s a very special song and within the past year we have seen it resonate with even more poignancy as a much-loved Manchester anthem.”
And responding to the news, Noel said: “I have always tried to aim higher than I think is possible. Some people try to be bigger or better than their contemporaries or their predecessors… Me? I’m just trying to be better than myself, which as we now know is virtually impossible.”
Here’s the top 20 in full:
1. Oasis – ‘Live Forever’
2. Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
3. Oasis – ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’
4. The Stone Roses – ‘I Am the Resurrection’
5. The Verve – ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’
6. Oasis – ‘Wonderwall’
7. Oasis – ‘Slide Away’
8. The Smiths – ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’
9. Oasis – ‘Champagne Supernova’
10. Arctic Monkeys – ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’
11. The Stone Roses – ‘I Wanna Be Adored’
12. David Bowie – ‘Heroes’
13. Arctic Monkeys – ‘A Certain Romance’
14. David Bowie – ‘Life On Mars?’
15. Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’
16. Pulp – ‘Common People’
17. Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’
18. The Rolling Stones – ‘Gimme Shelter’
19. The Stone Roses – ‘She Bangs The Drums’
20. The Courteeners – ‘Not Nineteen Forever’
