(What's The Story) Morning Glory?/Comments - Legacy

Legacy

As of today the tide of critical opinion has generally turned, and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is considered to be a seminal record of the Britpop era and as one of the best albums of the nineties, and it appears in several charts as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2010, Rolling Stone commented that "the album is a triumph, full of bluster, bravado and surprising tenderness. Morning Glory capped a true golden age for Britpop." The magazine ranked the album at 378 on its 2012 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The album's enduring popularity within the UK was reflected when it won the BRITs Album of 30 years at the 2010 BRIT Awards. The award was voted by the public to decide the greatest 'Best Album' winner in the history of the BRIT Awards.

What's the Story went on to become the second best selling album of 1995 and 1996 in the UK, as well being the best selling album of the decade. Its fourteen platinum certifications from the British Phonographic Industry were the highest ever awarded to a single record until Adele's 21 equalled the feat in December 2011. The success of the album resulted in Oasis becoming one of the biggest bands in the United Kingdom, with substantial and considerable press coverage in the mainstream music press and frequent comparisons to The Beatles in the media. Liam and Noel Gallagher both featured prominently in gossip columns and daily tabloids throughout 1996–97, their celebrity wives in Patsy Kensit and Meg Matthews only heightening their popularity with British paparazzi.

What's the Story propelled Oasis from being a crossover indie act to a worldwide rock phenomenon after the momentum gained by the critically acclaimed Definitely Maybe. It has been pinpointed by music critics as a significant record in the timeline of British indie music, demonstrating just how far into the mainstream independent music had ventured. In 2005, John Harris noted the significance of the album and "Wonderwall" in particular to Britpop's legacy. "When (Oasis) released Wonderwall, the rules of British music were decisively changed. From hereon in, the lighter-than-air ballad became obligatory, and the leather-trousers era of rock'n'roll was over." The success of the album in Britain resulted in Oasis becoming a cultural ubiquity for a brief period, featuring in tabloid newspapers on an almost daily basis and breaking sales records for live concerts.