The Oasis Song That Liam Gallagher Wanted To Stop Performing, Despite It Being a No. 2 Hit in the 90s: “I Want To Gag”

We all know the joke: “Anyway, here’s ‘Wonderwall’!” The line was used for years as a jab at guys with guitars who play songs that make everyone groan. After a few months of “Wonderwall” by Oasis getting relentless radio coverage in 1995, I’m not surprised that the song was turned into the butt of a joke. Even great songs can get overplayed.

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However, it was overplayed for a reason. “Wonderwall” was Oasis’ first breakthrough hit outside of the UK. It’s one of the most memorable Britpop songs of all time, if not the signature song of the whole genre. A lot of people loved it. Not Liam Gallagher, though, who said the song made him want to “gag” whenever he had to perform it.

Why Liam Gallagher Wanted To “Gag” Whenever He Had To Perform “Wonderwall”

“Wonderwall” was one of Oasis’ biggest hits in the 1990s. And yet, Liam Gallagher is on record saying that he hated performing the song. He probably still does.

“Every time I have to sing it, I want to gag,” said told MTV News in a now-lost interview. “Problem is, it was a big, big tune for us. You go to America and they’re like, ‘Are you Mr. Wonderwall?’ You want to chin someone.”

According to brother and fellow Oasis bandmate Noel Gallagher, Liam “hated” the song and “said it was trip-hop.”

The story goes that Liam was hoping that “Don’t Look Back In Anger” would be the band’s breakthrough hit. Unfortunately, “Wonderwall” ended up being the band’s first major international hit. “Wonderwall” was released first and peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No. 8 in the US, the band’s first song to not only hit the Billboard Hot 100, but to hit the Top 10. “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, while an excellent song, only made it to No. 55 in the States. The song hit No. 1 in the UK, though.

Despite Liam’s feelings about the song, the band never stopped playing it up until their inevitable breakup in 2009. After getting back together for one of the most highly anticipated reunion tours of all time in 2024, the band has picked up playing “Wonderwall” yet again. Liam will probably never be free of the song. But having an internationally beloved hit isn’t exactly a bad thing, is it?

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