Oasis and Blur were almost as well known for their epic Britpop battles and ongoing war of words as they were for their mega hits at the height of their fame.
In the mid 90s, the two bands were major players in the scene thanks to the popularity of records Definitely Maybe and Parklife.
But despite their own success the two groups soon became pitched against each other in the all important battle for sales and chart success.
Recalling how the feud was born, former NME editor Steve Sutherland said: “Although Liam and Noel liked to fight each other, what they really liked doing was picking a fight with somebody else.
“These were the days when the NME Awards had only just started. Blur and Oasis had both won a number of awards, and there was a coming together backstage between Liam and, I think, Alex from Blur, where Liam had a go at him and called him all sorts of parts of the female anatomy.
“And Graham, bless him, who was very drunk, walked up and kissed Liam on the cheek. Alex was the one they really didn’t like, because he was Little Lord Fauntleroy, foppish Alex.
Liam Gallagher and Damon Albarn in May 1996 (Image: Daily Mirror)
“He really wound them up. Oasis didn’t think that Blur were proper rock stars, and Blur didn’t really give two figs what Oasis thought of anything.”
Speaking in 1995, Blur Singer Damon Albarn tried to play down the rivalry.
The musician said: “No-one was having a go at Oasis on our side. I mean, I did that thing on Chris Evans’ show when I said, ‘It sounds a bit like Status Quo’, but that was the only thing. It was all on their side.”
Less controlled, Albarn’s bandmate Stephen Street hit out: “Liam [Gallagher] was really mouthy and arrogant, and was even rude about Justine at one point. Damon thought, ‘If you want a battle, we’ll give you one’.”
But while there is no denying both bands gave as good as they got, many industry execs claim that the “Britpop machine” helped encourage the competitiveness.
Insiders claim it became a “class war” between the northern Oasis lads and the posh Blur boys.
In a nail-biting clash to end all clashes, both bands ended up releasing singles Country House and Roll With It on the same day on August 14, 1995.
Oasis lost out on the single battle but their second album dominated around the world (Image: Getty Images)
In what is reported to be the best week for UK sales in a decade, Blur took home the crown by shifting 270,000 sales against Oasis’ 220,000.
Recalling how he broke the news to Liam and Noel, Creation boss and manager Alan McGee said: “I used to get the charts results before anyone else, about 12 o’clock.
“I got told that we were Number Two, phoned up the boys, and then I just got on with the day. Knowing the band, they probably got f****** wasted.
“Having said that, they would have got wasted, whether they won or lost.”
Despite the win, Blur musician Graham Coxon admitted he wasn’t comfortable with the clash.
In September 1995, he said: “I would have liked to have had a Number One quietly, but there’s probably no such thing as that. I wanted our band to be Number One just because Number One is a special thing, but it’s become not special.
Blur became one of the biggest bands in the UK during the Britpop explosion (Image: Getty Images)
“I wish the releases had been staggered because then Oasis would have got to Number One as well.
“We don’t need this fake war, this preposterous chart war.”
However, despite the doubts from the bands about the public clash it did wonders for sales.
Oasis’ second album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? shattered records.
The album went to sell a staggering 21 million units world-wide.
Creation Records’ big-wig Alan McGee credits the public feud in part to helping to bring in the sales for Oasis.
He told NME magazine: “Morning Glory definitely sold because we got the coverage, we were on the fucking national news. We went on and sold 21 million worldwide with Morning Glory.
“Oasis were building in their own way, but whether we would have got the national exposure, without that Blur/Oasis moment… I’ve got my doubts.
“Did I think it was stupid? Yes. Do I think that it worked? Unbelievably. Am I glad that it happened? Completely.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
