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Rock 'n' Roll Star

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For the REO Speedwagon song, see Wheels Are Turnin'.

"Rock 'n' Roll Star"
Promotional single by Oasis
from the album Definitely Maybe
Released1995
RecordedSpring 1994
GenreGarage rock revival[1]
Length5:23
LabelCreation
Songwriter(s)Noel Gallagher
Producer(s)
Oasis singles chronology
"Whatever"
(1994) 		"Rock 'n' Roll Star"
(1995) 		"Some Might Say"
(1995)
Definitely Maybe track listing
11 tracks
  1. "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
  2. "Shakermaker"
  3. "Live Forever"
  4. "Up in the Sky"
  5. "Columbia"
  6. "Supersonic"
  7. "Bring It on Down"
  8. "Cigarettes & Alcohol"
  9. "Digsy's Dinner"
  10. "Slide Away"
  11. "Married with Children"
Music video
"Rock 'n' Roll Star" on YouTube

"Rock 'n' Roll Star" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is the opening track from their debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994). Like the majority of the band's songs from this era, it was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who said that "Rock 'n' Roll Star" was one of only three songs in which he wanted to say something: "I've pretty much summed up everything I wanted to say in "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Live Forever" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol", after that I'm repeating myself, but in a different way".[2]

It was released as a radio single in America. The song's video, directed by Nigel Dick, consists of clips of the band performing the song from their Live by the Sea gig at Southend-on-Sea, interspersed with clips of them, filming each other, on Southend Pier, in and around the amusement park, 'Adventure Island' then named 'Peter Pan's Playground' and in the bowling alley, which subsequently burnt down.[3]

The song was featured on the band's 2000 live album and DVD, Familiar to Millions; another live version was recorded at a 2 July 2005 concert at the City of Manchester Stadium and released on the band's single "Let There Be Love" in late 2005.

Liam Gallagher performed the song as part of the One Love Manchester charity concert on 4 June 2017 in aid of those affected by the Manchester Arena bombing.[4]

British indie electropop band Kero Kero Bonito released a cover of the song in September 2017, reinterpreting the song as a dance-pop track.

Critical reception

[edit]

Steve Baltin from Cash Box picked the song as Pick of the Week, writing, "If any one song from their debut CD, Definitely Maybe, shows why Oasis have received the warm response they have from American audiences, this is the track. Against a wild but infectious backbeat, singer Liam Gallagher captures the fantasy of adolescents everywhere. Yet, this is more than a dream, it's a statement we will make the fantasy come true. With their dazzling updating of the great pop hooks of the '60s, Oasis are well on their way to reaching the stardom they sing about. Look for this one to be a tremendously effective follow-up to “Live Forever” on Modern Rock outlets everywhere, with selected AOR stations realizing the joy of this track as well. This is what pop music should be."[5]

In 2024, Paste and Rolling Stone ranked "Rock 'n' Roll Star" number twelve and number nine, respectively, on their lists of the greatest Oasis songs.[6][7]

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
1995 chart performance for "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[8] 36
2024 chart performance for "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[9] 19

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Puckett, Jeffrey Lee (25 September 2004). "Definitively 'maybe'". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. 4.
  2. ^ "Oasis Definitely Maybe Album Review". Time. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Nigel Dick on directing the music videos | Oasis Recording Information". Oasis-recordinginfo.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Ariana Grande leads powerful display of unity for One Love Manchester". The Independent. 4 June 2017.
  5. ^ Baltin, Steve (6 May 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 11. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Matt (25 August 2024). "The 15 Greatest Oasis Songs Ranked". Paste. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  7. ^ "The 40 Best Oasis Songs". Rolling Stone. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of September 4, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  10. ^ "British single certifications – Oasis – Rock 'n' Roll Star". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
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