It was 1995. If you weren't there, it’s hard to explain the sheer, suffocating dominance of the Gallagher brothers. Basically, they owned the airwaves. You couldn't walk into a pub or turn on a radio without hearing that crunching Wall of Sound. While "Wonderwall" became the wedding staple and "Don't Look Back in Anger" became the national anthem, there is a very strong argument that Some Might Say Oasis peaked exactly at the moment this specific track hit the shelves. It wasn't just a song; it was the hinge upon which the entire Britpop era swung.
The track dropped in April '95. It was the first single from (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, and more importantly, it was their first-ever number-one hit. Think about that for a second. They were already the biggest band in the country, yet they hadn't topped the singles chart until this fuzzy, optimistic, slightly nonsensical anthem arrived. It felt like an arrival.
The Chaos Behind the Masterpiece
Recording this thing was a nightmare. Honestly, it’s a miracle it sounds as cohesive as it does. It was the last track to feature original drummer Tony McCarroll, who was sacked shortly after the sessions. Noel Gallagher has been vocal over the years—often brutally so—about McCarroll’s technical limitations. Yet, there is a heavy, driving simplicity to the percussion on "Some Might Say" that arguably gives it that "working-class stomp" later Oasis records sometimes lacked with more polished drummers like Alan White or Zak Starkey.
They recorded it at Loco Studios in Wales. Noel wanted a big, expansive sound. What he got was a thick, muddy layer of guitars that defined the mid-90s. If you listen closely to the mix, it’s a mess. A beautiful, glorious mess. There are layers upon layers of Noel’s Les Pauls, all fighting for space.
Alan McGee, the head of Creation Records, reportedly knew the second he heard it that it was a career-defining moment. It had that "Cigarettes & Alcohol" grit but mixed with a newfound melodic maturity. It was the bridge between the raw punk energy of Definitely Maybe and the stadium-filling aspirations of their sophomore effort.
What the Lyrics Actually Mean (Or Don’t)
"Some might say they don't believe in heaven, go and tell it to the man who lives in hell."
Liam Gallagher delivers that line with a snarl that makes it sound like profound philosophy. Is it? Probably not. Noel has famously admitted that many of his lyrics from this era were just words that fit the melody. He was chasing a feeling rather than a narrative. It’s about optimism in the face of the mundane. It’s about the sink estate dreamer looking at the stars.
You’ve got references to "sinkin' in the dish" and "fishin' for a dish"—Noel’s lyrics were often criticized for being "nursery rhyme-ish." But that’s why they worked. They were easy to sing while drunk at 2:00 AM. They were universal. The song touches on a very British sense of "making do" and finding the "bright side" even when the kitchen sink is overflowing and the rain won't stop.
Why This Track Defined the Battle of Britpop
You can’t talk about Some Might Say Oasis without mentioning the war with Blur. While the infamous "Battle of Britpop" centered on "Country House" vs. "Roll With It," the groundwork was laid here. "Some Might Say" proved Oasis had the momentum. When it hit number one, it signaled that the tide had turned from the quirky, art-school observations of Damon Albarn toward the "loud-and-proud" rock of the Gallaghers.
Critics at the time were divided. NME and Melody Maker were trying to keep up with the sheer speed of the band's ascent. Some writers called it "sluggish," while others saw it as a "pre-generational anthem." Looking back through the lens of 2026, the sluggishness is exactly the point. It’s a mid-tempo plod that feels like a giant waking up.
- It stayed in the charts for weeks.
- The B-sides ("Talk Tonight," "Acquiesce," and "Headshrinker") are widely considered some of the best songs Noel ever wrote.
- It solidified the "Oasis sound": distorted guitars, Liam’s nasal whine, and a chorus that feels like a hug from a drunk friend.
The "Talk Tonight" Connection
One of the most human moments in the band's history is tied to the release of this single. The B-side, "Talk Tonight," was written after Noel walked out on the band in Los Angeles in 1994. He’d gone to San Francisco to vent, met a girl, and she talked him off the ledge.
Without that moment of crisis, we might never have gotten "Some Might Say." The single package itself represents the two sides of Oasis: the loud, arrogant stadium rockers and the sensitive, melodic songwriters. It's why people still care. It’s why the 2025 reunion tour sold out in seconds despite the ticket price scandals and the "dynamic pricing" drama.
The Technical Grit
If you’re a gear head, this song is a goldmine of 90s British tone. Noel was leaning heavily on a Marshall JCM900 stack and his trusty Epiphone Rivieras. The solo isn't complex. It’s essentially just the vocal melody played on a guitar with a bit of "slop."
Owen Morris, the producer, used a lot of compression. Like, a lot. He wanted it to jump out of the radio. This "brickwalling" effect became the standard for the rest of the decade, for better or worse. It’s a loud record. Even at low volumes, it sounds like it’s trying to blow your speakers out.
Misconceptions About the Number One Spot
Many people think "Wonderwall" was their first number one. It wasn't. It actually peaked at number two, held off the top spot by Robson & Jerome (a fact that still amuses music trivia buffs). "Some Might Say" was the breakthrough that proved Oasis could actually sell enough physical singles to dominate the mainstream, not just the indie charts.
It was a cultural shift. Suddenly, the "cool" band was also the "popular" band. That rarely happens.
How to Experience the Song Today
Listening to the remastered versions is fine, but if you want the real experience, find an original 1995 12-inch vinyl or even the CD single. The B-sides on the "Some Might Say" single are arguably the greatest collection of bonus tracks ever put on one disc. "Acquiesce" alone is better than most bands' entire careers.
- Listen for the "slop": Notice how the guitars aren't perfectly in time? That's the magic.
- Check the lyrics: Don't try to find a deep political message. Just feel the vibe.
- Watch the video: It’s a weird, grainy mess featuring a lot of shots of a train station (Matlock Bath, to be precise) because they couldn't get the whole band together for a proper shoot.
Moving Forward With the Oasis Legacy
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of this track and the band's mid-90s peak, you should start by tracking down the Lock the Box interviews or the Supersonic documentary. They provide a raw look at the ego and energy that fueled this specific era.
Don't just stop at the hits. To truly understand why Some Might Say Oasis remains a cultural touchstone, you have to listen to the live versions from Maine Road '96. That’s where the song truly lived—in a football stadium, shouted back at the band by 40,000 people who felt like the song was written specifically for them.
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Go back and listen to the "Some Might Say" B-sides in order. It functions as a mini-album that captures a band at the absolute height of their powers, before the cocaine and the stadium-sized egos began to fray the edges of their songwriting. It is the purest distillation of what Britpop was supposed to be: loud, optimistic, and unapologetically British.