Definitely Maybe

The debut album that entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and became the fastest-selling debut in British music history.

Definitely Maybe is the debut studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released on 29 August 1994 by Creation Records. The album features Noel Gallagher on lead guitar, backing vocals and as chief songwriter, Liam Gallagher on lead vocals, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs on rhythm guitar, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan on bass guitar and Tony McCarroll on drums. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number one on 4 September 1994 and became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history at the time.

Quick Facts

Artist

Oasis

Released

29 August 1994

Genre

Britpop; rock

Label

Creation

Producer

Owen Morris
Oasis
Mark Coyle
David Batchelor

Lore & Background

The album's recording was a struggle. The band booked Monnow Valley Studio near Rockfield in January 1994 with producer Dave Batchelor, whom Noel Gallagher knew from his time working as a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets. Sessions were unsatisfactory, and Batchelor was fired. In February 1994, the group began re-recording at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, where Noel produced alongside Mark Coyle.

The results were still deemed unsatisfactory. In desperation, Creation's Marcus Russell contacted engineer and producer Owen Morris, who eventually worked on mixing the album at Johnny Marr's studio in Manchester. Morris added eighth-note tape delays on the drums, inspired by Phil Spector's use of tape delay on John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" and Tony Visconti's use of the Eventide Harmonizer on David Bowie's album 'Heroes'. He completed his final mix on the vintage Neve console during the bank holiday weekend in May in Studio 5 at Matrix Recording Studios in London's Fulham district.

Reader's Guide

Definitely Maybe was an immediate commercial success in the United Kingdom, having followed on the heels of the singles "Supersonic", "Shakermaker", and the UK top-ten hit "Live Forever", which was also a success on US modern rock radio. It went straight to number one in the UK Albums Chart and became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history at the time; it went on to be certified 10× platinum by the BPI for sales of over 3 million units. It was also successful in the United States, being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album went on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide. It is the only Oasis album to feature all five original members completely; drummer Tony McCarroll was ejected from the band in early 1995, but he would still partially appear on their second album on the track "Some Might Say".

Track listing

Definitely Maybe track listing

No.	Title	Length
1	Rock 'n' Roll Star	5:23
2	Shakermaker	5:08
3	Live Forever	4:36
4	Up in the Sky	4:28
5	Columbia	6:17
6	Supersonic	4:43
7	Bring It On Down	4:17
8	Cigarettes & Alcohol	4:49
9	Digsy's Dinner	2:32
10	Slide Away	6:32
11	Married with Children	3:11
Total length		51:56

Songs not included on most releases

No.	Title	Length
4	Cloudburst (Japanese edition only)	5:22
6	Sad Song (Japanese edition only)	4:27

Did You Know?

The wine glass on the cover was filled with diluted Ribena, not wine.
The cover photo was shot in guitarist Bonehead's house in Didsbury, Manchester.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Definitely Maybe released and by which label?

Oasis released this debut studio album on August 29, 1994, via Creation Records. It served as the introduction of their signature sound to the wider public.

What are the most famous singles from Definitely Maybe?

Three key tracks were promoted as singles, including Supersonic, Live Forever, and Cigarettes & Alcohol. These songs remain staples of the band's live sets to this day.