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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lauren Del Fabbro

Don’t Look Back In Anger named UK’s most played Oasis song of the 21st century

Liam Gallagher as Oasis takes to the stage at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, for the band’s long-awaited reunion tour kicks off in Wales (Jordan Pettitt/PA) - (PA Wire)

Oasis hit Don’t Look Back In Anger takes the crown as the band’s most-played song on UK radio and TV in the 21st century according to the music licensing company, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).

Following the band’s highly anticipated reunion tour, which began last week in Cardiff, the licensing company compiled a list of the top 10 most played songs by the band from the past 25 years.

PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, used airplay data from radio and TV stations across the UK to put the list together.

Oasis takes to the stage at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, for the band’s long-awaited reunion tour kicks off in Wales (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

It revealed that Wonderwall was the second most-played recording on UK radio and TV, followed by She’s Electric at number three, Roll With It at number four and Little By Little taking fifth place.

The Importance Of Being Idle, Whatever, Some Might Say and Live Forever followed.

The top 10 list ends with Champagne Supernova, the closing track to their second studio album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?.

Released in 1995, the album became the fifth bestselling album in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company, and contributed six tracks to the top 10 list.

The data also found that Oasis have built up more than seven years of cumulative airplay on UK radio and TV stations since 2000, with their songs being played, on average, 120 times per day across the country.

Noel Gallagher as Oasis takes to the stage at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, for the band’s long-awaited reunion tour kicks off in Wales (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Peter Leathem, chief executive of PPL, said: “Oasis are one of the most iconic, era-defining bands we have ever seen.

“They dominated the 1990s and 2000s, and for many, they personified those decades, but their timeless songs continue to resonate with audiences even long after their release.”

This comes after the band performed together at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday for the first time in almost 16 years after their dramatic split in 2009, which was prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in France.

Mr Leathem added: “With their reunion tour underway, this chart provides the perfect opportunity to look back in admiration at the enduring impact of their music throughout this century, and to celebrate one of the greatest British bands of all time.”

After tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on sale last year, there was outrage as some standard tickets appeared to have jumped from £148 to £355.

The controversy prompted the Government and the UK’s competition watchdog to pledge that they would look at the use of dynamic pricing.

The crowd waits for Oasis to take to the stage at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, as the band’s long-awaited reunion tour kicks off in Wales (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

The band’s world tour, Oasis Live ’25, will see the band perform at Manchester’s Heaton Park, London’s Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin’s Croke Park throughout July, August and September before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America.

  1. Don't Look Back In Anger
  2. Wonderwall
  3. She’s Electric
  4. Roll With It
  5. Little By Little
  6. The Importance Of Being Idle
  7. Whatever
  8. Some Might Say
  9. Live Forever
  10. Champagne Supernova
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