Oasis: Time Flies
For Record Store Day 2025, Oasis are marking not only their long-awaited reunion but also the 15th anniversary of their singles collection 'Time Flies... 1994–2009'.
Originally released on June 14th, 2010, the album compiles all 27 of the band's UK singles from their explosive debut in 1994 to their swan song in 2009. It even includes 'Whatever' and 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down,' which never appeared on any of their studio albums.
This is a release I’ve been wanting on vinyl for a long time. My collection already includes all the albums from what I consider Oasis’s ‘Golden Era'. From 'Definitley Maybe' in 1994 to 'The Masterplan' in 1998. The Knebworth 1996 vinyl released in 2021 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of those legendary shows also finds itself at home in my collection.
Moving into the 2000s, I’ve always felt Oasis’s output became more of a mixed bag. There are moments of brilliance, but also a few tracks that don't quite hit the mark. 'Time Flies'does a solid job of spotlighting many of the gems from that later period. Including 'Lyla' and 'Stop Crying your Heart Out'.
The tracklist isn't chronological, which creates a unique blend of the early anthems and the more overlooked later material.
One of the most striking things the album showcases is just how much Oasis evolved over time. Play their debut single 'Supersonic"' back to back with their final releases: 'I'm Outta Time' and 'Falling Down' and it’s almost like listening to two different bands.
The classics still hold up. So many of the songs on this album have become cultural staples, especially in the UK. 'Don't Look Back in Anger' in particular has taken on new meaning in recent years, becoming an anthem of defiance and unity following the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, a song a city, and a country, rallied around.
'Live Forever' isn’t just one of Oasis’s greatest songs. It’s one of the greatest songs ever recorded, full stop. Released in the aftermath of Kurt Cobain’s death, its message couldn’t have been more powerful or timely. At a moment when grunge had embraced despair, Oasis came roaring in with defiant optimism. 'Live Forever' was a declaration of intent: against all odds, with self-belief and raw conviction, you can rise above. Three singles in, and already the band had struck what may be their defining moment.
Then came 'Cigarettes & Alcohol', a snarling, swaggering anthem for a generation sick of broken promises. It’s as political as Oasis ever got. A working-class manifesto wrapped in distorted guitars and spitfire vocals. A song about escapism, for the brothers Gallagher, it was escaping Manchester, but for their fans it was about escaping mundanity of working class life. Even into the later days of Oasis it was one of the songs that riled up the crowd.
Noel Gallagher's lyric, "Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there’s nothing worth working for?" still hits with the same weight over 30 years later. It remains anthemic, raw, and incredibly relevant.
As the band’s career progressed, the scale got bigger, the sounds bolder. 'D’You Know What I Mean?' is the sound of Oasis at their peak, unkillable confidence layered over helicopters, Morse code, and gritty production. It’s a wall of sound that commands your attention. And then there's 'All Around the World' a nine-minute, Beatles-drenched odyssey that throws in everything from full orchestras to children’s choirs. It's bombastic, ridiculous, and the sound of a band who knew they were the biggest band in the world.
'Time Flies...' does a fantastic job of capturing these high points. But it doesn’t gloss over the band’s more polarising moments either. 'Sunday Morning Call', which Noel himself has expressed distaste for, trudges along as a sort of hidden track. 'Who Feels Love?', though ambitious in its psychedelic textures, doesn’t quite hit the mark. But for every dip, there’s redemption. Tracks like 'Go Let It Out' and Little by Little' show that even as the band evolved, they never lost their ability to craft something emotionally resonant and sonically massive.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a conventional “greatest hits” album—it’s a singles collection. And in the story of Oasis, that matters. Because, if anything, one of the biggest criticisms of the band is that they often buried their best material as B-sides. 'Acquiesce', 'Half the World Away', 'Talk Tonight', and 'The Masterplan' weren’t even singles. Yet they’re considered some of the finest songs the band ever recorded.
Even deep into their later years, gems like 'Let’s All Make Believe' and 'Stay Young' were tucked away as B-sides. And then there are the album tracks, beloved classics like 'Slide Away', 'Champagne Supernova', and 'Cast No Shadow' none of which make the album due to never being released as singles.
Still, for all its omissions, 'Time Flies...' remains a compelling listen for any Oasis fan. It captures the sheer scale and scope of the band—from the raw ambition of their early years to the more experimental sounds of their final phase. It’s got the anthems that shook stadiums and the introspective moments from the bands later days.
For me, this album was the gateway. As a teenager, it was 'Time Flies...' that opened the door to Oasis.In more recent years, I’d found myself revisiting only the earlier material, neglecting the later singles. But spinning this record again reminded me just how good some of that “forgotten” stuff really is. Songs like 'The Importance of Being Idle', 'Lyla', and 'Falling Down' stand tall alongside the early greats, showing a band that refused to fade quietly.
Oasis didn’t just write songs, they wrote soundtracks to people’s lives. 'Time Flies...' is more than a compilation. It’s a celebration of a band that helped define generations and who, even now, still have something to say.
Thank you for reading
Jack