All the Britpop fans, this one’s for you. Blur and Oasis have long been compared to each other as two of the U.K.’s indie-rock darlings. However, 1994 marked the start of something bigger: the Battle of Britpop. The battle came to a head in 1995 with same-day single releases from the two bands, but it heated up the year before with the release of Oasis’ debut Definitely Maybe within four months of Blur’s third album Parklife.
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Comparatively, Blur and Oasis are wildly different. Sure, at first listen maybe they could be the same band. But with time comes wisdom—Blur has more of a funky edge while Oasis relies heavily on a straight indie rock and roll sound. Could Oasis have pulled some inspiration from previous Blur albums while making Definitely Maybe? That’s a definite maybe. We’ll never really know, unless Liam Gallagher decides to be forthcoming on Twitter. Still, their intense rivalry is a thing of legend all the same.
Parklife was released in April 1994, while Definitely Maybe was released in August 1994. This was fine for a while, as albums have to be released sometime. Blur and Oasis hadn’t yet ignited their rivalry, and were relatively cordial with each other. Both bands were awash with confidence after the successes of their albums, according to recollections from Blur producer Stephen Street and Oasis press officer Johnny Hopkins.
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Things Heat Up Between Blur and Oasis After a Year of Supposedly Friendly Competition
Things changed when Oasis landed a No. 1 hit with “Some Might Say” in April 1995. According to Blur frontman Damon Albarn in 1995, Liam and Noel Gallagher were the usual instigators of whatever rift was forming between the two bands. “When Oasis got to Number One with ‘Some Might Say’, I went to their celebration party, y’know, just to say ‘Well done,’” said Albarn at the time. “And Liam came over and, like he is, he goes, ‘Number f—kin’ One!’, right in my face. So I thought, ‘OK we’ll see…’”
The time for good-natured ribbing was over, it seemed. Gone were the days of Blur and Oasis playfully sharing the pages of NME and Albarn saying, “This [Best Group award] should be shared with Oasis” at the Brit Awards. According to Steve Sutherland, NME editor in the early 90s, Liam and Noel were the ones who usually stirred the pot. “Oasis didn’t think that Blur were proper rock stars, and Blur didn’t really give two figs what Oasis thought of anything,” said Sutherland.
Britpop Essentially Pigeonholed the Two Bands into Rivalry
On August 14, 1995, Blur and Oasis released the lead singles from their next respective albums. Blur released “Country House” and Oasis dropped “Roll With It.” Various critics considered both offerings lacking at the time, and not truly indicative of their work.
Blur executive Andy Ross recalled that there was a plan in place before the singles were released. The idea was, allegedly, to stagger releases so that each band had a chance to earn a No. 1 single. Things were rock solid on that front. “But, then for some unexpected reason from our point of view, [Oasis] brought forward their single by something like six weeks, weeks and weeks ahead of schedule,” sad Rodd. “That threw us into complete confusion. All of a sudden, they’re going to put their record out before ours.”
Damon Albarn was allegedly all-in with moving the release date of “Country House.” Ross recalled speaking with Albarn, saying, “So we looked at each other, Damon seemed up for it, and we thought, ‘Well, let’s go head-to-head, go for broke’. We perceived that we were picking up the gauntlet that [Oasis would] cast down.”
Blur vs. Oasis: In the End, Who Won?
Everything was in an uproar in the world of Britpop. With the singles coming out on the same day, both bands were fighting for the coveted No. 1. NME had two different covers ready to proclaim the winner. It was akin to a presidential election. People thought Oasis would win, and even Albarn wasn’t quite 100 percent confident Blur would do it.
However, Blur won out over Oasis in the end, scoring a No. 1 with “Country House.” It was the best week for U.K. record sales in 10 years. Blur earned 270,000 sales to Oasis’ 220,000. Still, the mood was sour when Blur celebrated their win.
“I would have liked to have had a Number One quietly, but there’s probably no such thing as that,” said Graham Coxon in 1995. He added, “I wanted our band to be Number One just because Number One is a special thing, but it’s become not special… I wish the releases has been staggered because then Oasis would have got to Number One as well. We don’t need this fake war, this preposterous chart war.”
Featured Images by Dave Benett/Getty Images/Fiona Hanson, PA Images/PA Images
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