This Day in 1996, Oasis’ ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ Was No. 1 in U.K. Charts, Later in Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Albums'
One of the rare bands that has managed to make headlines in multiple decades, Oasis has enjoyed a stunning amount of success since it formed in 1991. On this day in music history, the act, which is led by the Gallagher brothers, continued to dominate as it stood atop the charts.
Oasis Sits at Number 1 on the Charts This Day in 1996 With ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’
Photo by James Fry/Getty Images
First released on October 2nd, 1995, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" became an immediate hit by debuting at #1 on the UK album sales chart. Thirty years ago today, it remained on the top of the heap. According to Official Charts, Oasis's sophomore effort was sold more units than any of its competitors for 10 weeks, and it maintained a presence on the chart for 143 weeks between October 1995 and April 1998. The record featured Liam Gallagher on lead vocals, Noel Gallagher on guitar and vocals, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs on rhythm guitar, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan on bass, and Alan "Whitey" White.
Decades later, Oasis made a major comeback. On July 12th, 2025, Billboard reported that the band was #1 again with their compilation album, "Time Flies… 1994-2009," which felt like a big deal for fans of Noel, 53, Liam, 58, Arthurs, 60, McGuigan, 54, and White, 53. "Time Flies… 1994-2009." features several of the most notable songs from "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," including "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Champagne Supernova," and "Some Might Say."
Oasis’ '(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?' Has Been Celebrated Since Its Release
Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" was quickly celebrated by music industry powerbrokers during the 1996 Brits when the band won Best British Album, Best British Video, and Best British Group.
Much more recently, Oasis received an accolade that celebrated the record's legacy. In December 2023, Rolling Stonenamed "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" as the 157th best album of all time. The respected outlet ranked it higher than seminal works like The Who's "Tommy," Etta James' "At Last," the Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill," and Michael Jackson's "Bad," among others.
The most notable thing Oasis achieved with "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" has to be how much it has meant to fans. In April 2019, Official Charts named the album as the 5th best selling of all time on the UK chart.
The Top 10 Best Selling Albums in UK History as of January 2026
- Queen “Greatest Hits II” – 10
- Michael Jackson “Bad” – 9
- Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms” – 8
- Pink Floyd “The Dark Side of the Moon” – 7
- Michael Jackson “Thriller” – 6
- Oasis "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" – 5
- Adele “21” – 4
- The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – 3
- ABBA "Gold - Greatest Hits" – 2
- Queen “Greatest Hits” – 1