What’s the Story (Morning Glory) was released in 1995 as Oasis’ second studio album and quickly became one of the defining records of the decade. Recorded in just fifteen days between Rockfield and Ridge Farm Studios, it went on to sell over 22 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of the 1990s in the UK. It debuted at number one in Britain and reached the top five in the United States, an unusual achievement for a britpop band at the time. The iconic cover was shot at dawn on Berwick Street in Soho, featuring two men who were not members of the band. Songs like Wonderwall, originally meant for Noel but eventually sung by Liam, and Don’t Look Back in Anger, the only Oasis single sung by Noel, became global anthems. The piano intro of Don’t Look Back in Anger openly references John Lennon’s Imagine, while Champagne Supernova, running over seven minutes, featured Paul Weller on lead guitar. The album’s dense, loud sound came from intentional heavy compression, aiming to feel larger than life. Its title, taken from Liam’s slang, hinted at drug-induced effects with no poetic filter. Tracks from the album were later sung by 250,000 people at Knebworth in 1996, while Wonderwall became one of the most covered songs ever recorded. Behind the success, tensions within the band grew, with fame amplifying existing conflicts. Even the track order changed during production, with Some Might Say once planned as the opener. Today, Morning Glory stands as the definitive britpop statement and a cultural landmark of the 1990s.
The Meaning Of by Giuseppe “Gippa” Fortunato