Don't Look Back in Anger

song written and composed by Noel Gallagher, originally recorded by Oasis and released in 1995

"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was released in 1996 as the fourth single from their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. The song was written by the band's former guitarist and main songwriter, Noel Gallagher. The song became the band's second single to reach #1 in the UK Singles Chart. It also went platinum.[1] "Don't Look Back in Anger" was also the first Oasis single to feature Noel on lead vocals instead of his brother, Liam Gallagher.

"Don't Look Back in Anger"
Song by Oasis
from the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
ReleasedFebruary 19, 1996
GenreRock, Britpop
Length4:47
LabelCreation
Songwriter(s)Noel Gallagher
Producer(s)Owen Morris
Oasis singles chronology
"Wonderwall"
(1995)
"Don't Look Back in Anger"
(1996)
"Champagne Supernova"
(1996)
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? track listing
"Wonderwall"
(3)
"Don't Look Back in Anger"
(4)
"Hey Now!"
(5)
Stop the Clocks track listing
"Champagne Supernova"
(17)
"Don't Look Back in Anger"
(18)

Release change

The single cover is showing respects to the incident where Ringo Starr briefly left The Beatles during the recording of The White Album.

The B-side "Step Out" was originally intended for the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? album but was taken off after Stevie Wonder requested 10% of the royalties as the chorus like his hit "Uptight (Everything's Alright)". Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy received credit for writing the song along with Noel.

Reception change

Don't Look Back in Anger was met with high critical praise and it became a commercial hit.

  • Billboard said "Noel Gallagher reveals a deft sense of timing and craft that turn his improprieties into masterful pop gems."[2]
  • "Don't Look Back in Anger" is Oasis's sixth biggest Billboard hit in the US, reaching the number 10 spot on the US Modern Rock Chart for the week of June 22, 1996. [3]
  • It was the 10th biggest selling single of 1996 in the UK.
  • In a 2006 readers' poll conducted by Q magazine, "Don't Look Back in Anger" was chosen as the 20th best song of all time.[4]
  • In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Don't Look Back in Anger" at number 14 in its list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".[5]

Charts change

Chart (1995/1996) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Singles Chart 19
Irish Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 55
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 10

Chart procession and succession change

Preceded by
"Spaceman" by Babylon Zoo
UK Singles Chart number-one single
25 February 1996 - 2 March 1996
Succeeded by
"How Deep Is Your Love" by Take That

References change

  1. "BPI website, Search "Oasis"". Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  2. Flick, Larry (1996-06-15), "Singles: Pop". Billboard. 108 (24):74
  3. Sexton, Paul (2005-08-27), "OASIS". Billboard. 117 (35):36
  4. "100 Greatest Songs Ever". Q. 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  5. "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever". NME. 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-23.