British Musician Called 'the Finest Songwriter of His Generation' Turns 59

Formed in Manchester in 1991, the English rock band Oasis was (originally) comprised of four members, including Liam Gallagher. A few months into forming the band, Liam asked his older brother, Noel Gallagher, to join and finalize their line up. Noel did, under the condition that he become the leader of the group. The band would go on to be a pioneer of the Britpop era and considered one of the "greatest rocks bands of all time."

Noel Thomas David Gallagher was born on May 29th, 1967 to Irish Catholic parents in an area right outside of Manchester. The three boys in the Gallagher family are eldest Paul, followed by Noel, and then Liam. Youngest brother Liam described Noel as "the weirdo in the family." In 1972, their mother obtained a legal separation from their alcoholic, abusive father, officially leaving him in 1982 and raised the boys as a single parent.

In 1991, Liam had joined a local band called the Rain as their lead singer. Noel agreed to join after rejecting the suggestion of becoming their manager. Noel also demanded full creative control telling the other members, "Let me write your songs and I'll take you to superstardom, or else you'll rot here in Manchester." At that point he also renamed the band to Oasis.

For the first three studio albums, Noel was the solely credited writer. Their first single, "Supersonic," was released in 1994. Their debut album, Definitely, Maybe, followed and became the fastest-selling debut album in UK history at the time and entered charts at number one. Their 1995 single "Wonderwall" would go on to be their only top 10 hit in the US.

Noel and his brother, Liam, had a famously tense and often even volatile relationship. On top of being known for their "rock and roll" lifestyle of heavy drinking and drug use, the brothers frequently clashed over creative decisions. In 2009 their tensions reached such a point that Noel chose to permanently leave Oasis saying, "[I] simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."

As of 2024, the brothers have seemingly reconciled and have even mentioned they would consider an Oasis reunion tour.

Known for being a prolific songwriter, Noel won seven Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting during his time with Oasis. Producer George Martin, famous for his work with The Beatles, even went so far as to call him "the finest songwriter of his generation."

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 12:55 PM.