Champagne Supernova

For the astronomical event observed in 2003, named after the song, see SN 2003fg.

"Champagne Supernova"
Single by Oasis
from the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
B-side"Slide Away"
Released13 May 1996 (1996-05-13)[1]
RecordedMay 1995
Genre
Length
  • 7:27 (album version)
  • 5:08 (radio edit)
LabelHelter Skelter[a]
Songwriter(s)Noel Gallagher
Producer(s)
Oasis singles chronology
"Don't Look Back in Anger"
(1996) 		"Champagne Supernova"
(1996) 		"D'You Know What I Mean?"
(1997)
Music video
"Champagne Supernova" on YouTube
Audio sample

"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It is the closing track on the band's second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), and was released as the sixth and final single from the album in Australia and New Zealand on 13 May 1996 by Helter Skelter. Paul Weller appears as a guest guitarist and backing vocalist on the track. A music video for the song, directed by Nigel Dick, was released in 1996. The single was not released in the United Kingdom.[3]

Described by Gallagher himself as “probably as psychedelic as I'll ever get,” it features a dreamy, anthemic sound characterized by its expansive instrumentation and atmospheric production. The song begins with a gentle, arpeggiated guitar riff that sets a reflective mood, gradually building in intensity. As it progresses, layered guitars and lush strings create a rich soundscape, complemented by a steady drum beat that drives the song forward, accompanied with Liam Gallagher's vocals, conveying a sense of longing and nostalgia, with lyrics that are both evocative and somewhat abstract.[4]

Although much debate surrounds the meaning of the song, Noel Gallagher originally described how "Champagne Supernova" resonates with him depending on his mood. However, in later interviews, he has stated that he doesn't really know what the song means and how "it means something different" to everyone.[5][6]

Upon its release, the song became a radio single in the United States, becoming the band's second No. 1 single on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, becoming the band's third top 40 single on that chart.

"Champagne Supernova" is considered by fans and music journalists alike as one of the most critically-acclaimed songs of Oasis and a defining piece of the Britpop era; The Guardian's chief critic Alexis Petridis called it the band's greatest song, saying it was the "perfect epitaph for swaggering mid-90s hedonism". The song is included on the band's greatest hits album Stop the Clocks and on the US release of Time Flies... 1994–2009. "Champagne Supernova" has also topped several ranked lists of the band's best songs, including from The Guardian, NME, and Variety Magazine.[7][8] Supernova SN 2003fg was nicknamed "Champagne Supernova" after the song. The song has also been covered by several bands and artists, including OneRepublic and Machine Gun Kelly.

  1. ^ "Singles". oasisinet.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference auscd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Oasis' official YouTube channel, video for Champagne Supernova on YouTube
  4. ^ "Champagne Supernova | PDF | Guitars | Song Structure". Scribd. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Noel Gallagher doesn't know Champagne Supernova means". Radio X. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  6. ^ Cairns, Dan (8 March 2009). "Noel Gallagher on how Oasis got their groove back". The Times. London, UK. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  7. ^ Littleton, Ethan Shanfeld,William Earl,Jem Aswad,Steven J. Horowitz,Cynthia (26 August 2024). "The Top 10 Oasis Songs, Ranked". Variety. Retrieved 19 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Petridis, Alexis (5 March 2020). "Oasis's greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2024.


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