Noel Gallagher profile: the songwriter behind Oasis, from the Rain to Live '27

Noel Gallagher is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter and co-lead vocalist of Oasis. He was born Noel Thomas David Gallagher on 29 May 1967 in Manchester, England. For Live '27, he is confirmed as a performer alongside his brother Liam Gallagher, with Richard Ashcroft as special guest.

The songwriter's job

Noel took creative control of Oasis as the condition for joining the band. He became its sole songwriter and lead guitarist, and he was the sole credited writer for the first three studio albums. That control shaped every early Oasis record.

He began playing guitar at the age of 12. At 21, he worked as a roadie and technician for Inspiral Carpets. That road work gave him a close view of touring life before Oasis, and it also brought him back to Manchester at the right moment.

Noel first heard Liam's band at the Boardwalk in Manchester and was unimpressed by the act. He then agreed to join only if he wrote the songs and led the band. That bargain, reported in several accounts, explains why Oasis sounded so focused from the start.

Oasis years

Creation Records signed Oasis after a Glasgow show at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in 1993. Definitely Maybe arrived in August 1994 and reached number one in the United Kingdom. Morning Glory followed in October 1995 and became one of the best-selling albums in British chart history.

Be Here Now followed in August 1997 and became the fastest-selling album in United Kingdom chart history at that time. Later Oasis albums all reached number one in the United Kingdom.

• Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, released in 2000.
• Heathen Chemistry, released in 2002.
• Don't Believe the Truth, released in 2005.
• Dig Out Your Soul, released in 2008.

Oasis played Knebworth on 10 and 11 August 1996, with 125,000 people at each show. Noel's songs carried those nights, from Supersonic to Champagne Supernova. The weekend marked the peak of Britpop, and it remains the reference point for every later Oasis tour.

Noel left Oasis in August 2009, before a scheduled Paris show at Rock en Seine on 28 August 2009. He said that he could not go on working with Liam a day longer. That statement ended the band's first run, and it opened two separate solo careers.

Songs and singing trades

Noel wrote Supersonic, Live Forever, Some Might Say, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova. Some Might Say became Oasis's first United Kingdom number-one single in April 1995. Wonderwall reached number two, while Don't Look Back in Anger reached number one.

Liam sang Wonderwall, even though Noel had wanted to sing it himself. Noel then sang Don't Look Back in Anger, as compensation for that trade. That exchange shows how the brothers shared the vocal spotlight, even when Noel wrote the song.

The Masterplan, a B-side compilation, arrived in 1998 and showed Noel's depth beyond singles. Later Oasis hits under Noel included The Importance of Being Idle. His songwriting record includes eight United Kingdom number-one singles with Oasis, as reported in his career record.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Noel formed Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds after leaving Oasis, with the project taking shape in 2010. Its self-titled debut album arrived on 17 October 2011 and reached number one in the United Kingdom. Its singles included The Death of You and Me, If I Had a Gun and AKA What a Life.

Chasing Yesterday followed in 2015 and also reached number one in the United Kingdom. Who Built the Moon followed on 24 November 2017 and also reached number one. That album made Noel the first artist with ten consecutive United Kingdom number-one studio albums, across Oasis and High Flying Birds.

Council Skies followed on 2 June 2023 and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom. That result ended the run of consecutive number-one studio albums, and it should not be described as another number one. A retrospective collection, Back the Way We Came, arrived in June 2021 and reached number one.

The High Flying Birds touring band has included former Oasis members Gem Archer, Mike Rowe and Chris Sharrock, plus Russell Pritchard on bass. That lineup is a touring band for Noel's project, and it is not a Live '27 lineup claim. Live '27 confirms only Liam and Noel by name, plus Ashcroft as guest.

Live '25, Live '27 and new music

Noel returned to the Oasis stage for Live '25, opening in Cardiff on 4 July 2025. He told talkSPORT, as reported by NME, that the Live '27 plan was set in motion after the second Wembley show on 26 July 2025. He also said that the band had always planned shows in Italy, France, Germany and Spain.

For Live '27, Noel is confirmed as a performer with Liam Gallagher. Richard Ashcroft opens every show as special guest. Noel has said that the 2027 shows will feel more relaxed than the 2025 shows.

That remark is a promise about feel, not a confirmed setlist or stage plan. No 2027 running order follows from it, and no song list should be read into it.

On new music, Noel said in September 2026 that there would be no new music. Liam's later hint is treated as speculation in a separate post. No new Oasis album, title or release date is confirmed by either statement.

Noel as a live guitarist

Noel played a customised Sheraton guitar with Union Jack paintwork in late 1995. That guitar became a visual shorthand for Oasis at their peak. It was later sold commercially as the Supernova model, named after Champagne Supernova.

His live role is lead guitar plus second vocals, not frontman in Liam's sense. He steps forward to sing Don't Look Back in Anger and other Noel-sung songs. That trade gives Oasis two lead voices, even though Liam carries most songs.

What to listen to first

New listeners should start with Live Forever, Don't Look Back in Anger and The Masterplan. Live Forever shows Noel's early defiance, while Don't Look Back in Anger shows his singing voice. The Masterplan shows his range beyond hit singles.

If I Had a Gun shows his High Flying Birds songwriting at its most direct. AKA What a Life shows a lighter and more rhythmic side. Together, those songs cover Oasis and his solo project without repeating the same hit twice.

• Live Forever, from Definitely Maybe in 1994.
• Don't Look Back in Anger, sung by Noel, from Morning Glory in 1995.
• The Masterplan, the title track of the 1998 B-side collection.
• If I Had a Gun, from the High Flying Birds debut in 2011.
• AKA What a Life, also from the High Flying Birds debut in 2011.

Awards and chart record

Noel won seven Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting while in Oasis. Those awards recognise his songwriting, not only Oasis sales. They place him among the most awarded British songwriters of his generation.

Who Built the Moon was nominated for the 2018 Mercury Prize. That was Noel's first Mercury shortlist place since Morning Glory in 1995. It showed that his later work still earned critical attention, beyond chart peaks alone.

FAQ

Who is Noel Gallagher?

Noel Gallagher is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter and co-lead vocalist of Oasis, born on 29 May 1967 in Manchester.

What songs did Noel write for Oasis?

Noel wrote Supersonic, Live Forever, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova and Some Might Say, among many others.

What are Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds albums?

The albums are the self-titled debut in 2011, Chasing Yesterday in 2015, Who Built the Moon in 2017 and Council Skies in 2023.

Is Noel confirmed for Live '27?

Yes, Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher are the only members confirmed by name for Live '27, with Richard Ashcroft as special guest.

Is a new Oasis album confirmed?

No, no new Oasis album is confirmed, and Noel's September 2026 statement said there would be no new music, while Liam's later hint remains speculation.