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What would British culture be like if Oasis had never existed? | Dorian Lynskey
Would Britpop have happened? Would bands still dream as big? As Oasis prepare for their return gig on Friday, it’s worth asking what their cultural impact has been
If Noel had never joined Liam’s band at the end of 1991, Creation Records might well have gone bust, Manchester City would have had less pop cachet, and The Royle Family would have needed a different theme tune, but music wouldn’t have sounded significantly different. What Tracey Emin beautifully described as the “brightness of things happening” did not depend on Oasis – from club culture to the Young British Artists, Trainspotting to Kate Moss, New Labour to Euro 96, the era’s colour was turned up with or without them. Oasis’s example made possible the second acts of Manic Street Preachers, the Verve and Robbie Williams, before inspiring the formation of younger bands such as Coldplay, the Killers, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian.
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