How a disused railway station and a sink full of fish defined Britpop's peak
In short: Released in April 1995, Some Might Say became Oasis's first number-one single in the United Kingdom. More than just a chart-topping anthem, the track serves as the definitive archetype of the band's sound, capturing a cultural turning point that resonated far beyond the music charts of the mid-nineties.
Written by Noel Gallagher, Some Might Say was the first track composed for the band's second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. The song holds a unique place in the group's history, as it was the final single to feature all five original members. Just one week after its release on 24 April 1995, the band publicly announced the departure of drummer Tony McCarroll. The song's transition period was captured on television, with McCarroll performing it on Top of the Pops for the last time, followed by his replacement, Alan White, making his debut on the same program.
The single's visual identity was as idiosyncratic as its production. Brian Cannon of Microdot designed the sleeve, shooting the imagery at a defunct railway station in Derbyshire. The artwork was a literal interpretation of the song's lyrics, featuring a sink filled with fish and a man with silverware on his head. Noel Gallagher later remarked that the song defined the essence of Oasis, though he personally preferred the original 1994 demo, which he described as having a rawer, less polished quality than the final studio version.
The song's cultural impact has proven remarkably durable. In 2003, journalist Jon Savage noted that the band's performance of the track felt like a significant shift in British society, coinciding with a period of political change. Decades later, the song remains a staple of the band's legacy, appearing in video games and even serving as a political anthem. With over 1.3 million copies sold in the UK as of April 2026, it remains a cornerstone of the Britpop era, celebrated by critics and fans alike for its soaring, climactic energy.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Some Might Say
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