Why Liam Gallagher Is The Last True Rock’n’Roll Frontman

“I did exactly what it said on the tin: rock’n’roll star”: fame and infamy

Following the release of their second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis’ apotheosis was their appearance at Knebworth Park, held across two nights in August 1996. “This is history!” Noel Gallagher famously shouted on the night. With 2.5 million people applying for tickets, Liam sang in front of a combined audience of 250,000 fans and broke the record for the UK’s largest outdoor concert, fully establishing Oasis as the biggest British band of the decade. “I did exactly what it said on the tin,” Liam later said. “Rock’n’roll star, that’s me, boom.”

Yet Oasis’ popularity wasn’t without its share of animosity or disagreements, both outside and inside the band. That said, Liam’s rebellious off-stage antics – his public tantrums, his foul language, his spats with his brother Noel – only added to his legend as a bona fide rock’n’roller. Quickly becoming the biggest tabloid celebrity of his day, particularly after the media manufactured an Oasis versus Blur “Battle Of Britpop”, what counted most was Liam’s unflinching ability to work a crowd into a frenzy. His star power was undeniable, and Liam always had a way of making every concert feel like a life-changing event.

Oasis split up in 2009, but even then Liam Gallagher stuck to his guns and continued to abide by his rock’n’roll credo with the short-lived group Beady Eye. Undaunted by their dissolution, when Liam embarked on a solo career with his debut album, As You Were, his fans were reminded of just what made him so iconic in the first place. Grabbing listeners by the lapels, the storming rocker Wall Of Glass peaked at No.21 in the UK in the summer of 2017.

“I class myself as a rock’n’roll singer who writes the odd tune now and again”: solo career

Now striking out as an acclaimed solo artist in his own right, Liam Gallagher has won a whole new generation of young fans who have latched onto his reputation as the last of a dying breed of rock singers. In an age dominated by trap rappers and manufactured pop, Liam continues to be a breath of much-needed fresh air on the music scene, with each of his solo albums (As You Were was followed in 2019 by Why Me? Why Not., with C’mon You Know landing in 2022) going to No.1 in the UK. With live shows that see him perform a mix of classic Oasis hits and solo material, Liam is well and truly back at his best.

By working with songwriters Andrew Wyatt and Greg Kurstin, Liam Gallagher’s solo albums offer ballsy rock’n’roll in the great British tradition of raucous guitar music. As a songwriter himself, Liam still writes his own material, but he has gone on record as comparing himself to Elvis Presley in that he is more comfortable making other people’s songs his own. “I know my strengths and I know my limitations,” Liam has said. “I class myself as a rock’n’roll singer who writes the odd tune now and again.” This openness to collaboration has undoubtedly worked in his favour, generating memorable singles such as the UK Top 30 hit Shockwave.

If there was any doubt of Liam’s resurgence in popularity as a solo act, the former Oasis singer achieved the remarkable feat of making history repeat itself by selling out two nights at Knebworth Park in June 2022, describing it as “history part two”. Playing in front of a total of 160,000 people, Liam invited The Stone Roses’ guitarist, John Squire, to perform Champagne Supernova on stage with him – more than 25 years after they played the same song together at the historic Oasis shows. Far from being a nostalgia trip, the young fans at Knebworth proved that Liam’s style of life-affirming rock’n’roll is more inspirational than ever.

“He is one of the few last remaining rock stars”: Influence and legacy

With Liam’s status as a British rock legend well beyond doubt, his 2022 single Everything’s Electric featured none other than Dave Grohl on drums. One of the best drummers in history, the Nirvana sticksman and Foo Fighters frontman acknowledged his respect for Liam. “Obviously, he’s an amazing singer and he’s a fucking rock star,” Grohl told NME. “He is one of the few last remaining rock stars.” The song – yet another blast of unbridled rock’n’roll – was performed by Liam at the 2022 BRIT Awards and became his highest-charting solo hit, peaking at No.18 in the UK.

Unsurprisingly, Liam’s former Oasis bandmate Bonehead, who has occasionally joined Liam on stage during recent solo tours, wholeheartedly agrees with Dave Grohl. “He’s the last great rock and roll singer,” Bonehead asserted. “You can see from the comeback that he was needed.”

Despite all the praise, it could be argued that Liam – now older and wiser – has soaked up this new-found adulation with far more maturity than he might have done in his Britpop youth. In fact, Liam remains refreshingly down-to-earth in his willingness to pose for selfies with fans. “I’m just a rock’n’roll singer in a band,” he has said, with a touch of humility. “And that’s all I ever want to be.”

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