Oasis beats Beatles in best album poll Thu Jun 1, 6:52 AM ET



The debut album by Oasis, the band that best spread the Britpop craze of the 1990s, has been voted the greatest album of all time in a major music poll published.

"Definitely Maybe," which featured chart-topping hits such as "Live Forever" and "Supersonic," beat "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the much-loved Beatles into second place in the survey of more than 40,000 music fans.

Another Beatles album, "Revolver," came third, followed by Radiohead's "OK Computer" and a second Oasis title, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?."

The poll to find the top 100 albums was organised by the book of "British Hit Singles and Albums" and music website NME.com, with votes coming from as far afield as New Zealand, Croatia and Colombia.

Fans were given no pre-ordained list to chose from in the survey, drawn up to celebrate 50 years of Britain's official albums chart.

David Roberts, editor of "British Hit Singles and Albums," said: "Usually these polls are full of records that people have only just bought because they are freshest in the mind.

"But this poll shows that the truly great albums always have longevity."

Only two albums in the top 20 were released in the past five years.

"Up the Bracket," the 2002 debut by drug-troubled bad boy Pete Doherty's former band The Libertines, is the newest album in 15th place.

Only two bands from the United States had an album in the best 20. Nirvana came sixth with "Nevermind" and The Strokes were 20th with "Is This It."

In seventh place was the Stone Roses' self-titled album, followed by Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" and The Smiths' "The Queen Is Dead."

"Definitely Maybe," which cost just 85,000 pounds (158,000 dollars, 124,000 euros) to produce, was released on August 30, 1994 and debuted at the top of the British chart a week later, with seven million copies selling worldwide

there goes sketch again, always trying to refute these cold hard facts. this poll reminds me of other stupid polls though, like, "if the 1930's Yankees played the 1990s Yankees, who would win?"

Who's being polled? 20-to-35-year-olds?

the fact that the Beatles have so many great albums splits the vote in an album poll. Oasis really only have their first two.

Not everyone buys 100's of albums a year or spends all day surfing the net for MP3's and message board reccommendations. In fact virtually no one does that apart from complete saddo no lives like us. So bare that in mind before you slag it off as being a really crappy list.

you do realize we're criticizing them for putting oasis at #1 and not for never hearing johnny taint and the cans of piss right? I hardly think you need to surf the net for mp3's all day to get exposed to the stones and the who and the beatles.

To an 18 year old, The Who, The Stones and The Beatles are obscure bands way back in the mists of time. Where exactly is an 18 year old going to hear The Who? On the radio? Nope. On TV? Nope. From their older brothers or even parents? Probably not.

To an 18 year old, The Who, The Stones and The Beatles are obscure bands way back in the mists of time. Where exactly is an 18 year old going to hear The Who? On the radio? Nope. On TV? Nope. From their older brothers or even parents? Probably not.

Also 'Definately Maybe' is a better album than at least 50% of music critics would pick as their number one.

Also, the fact that the Beatles have so many great albums splits the vote in an album poll. Oasis really only have their first two.

correct.

That's a pretty bold statement...problem with most lists is that they generally always pull fromthe same albums as #1...Exile, Revolver, Pet Sounds, London Calling, Blonde on Blonde, Sergeant Peppers being the most common choices.

Is Definately Maybe really better than half of those in your opinion?...and which ones?

They haven't been relevant here for years and haven't charted anything this millenium.

define relevant?

and the fact that they haven't charted anything in America means nothing. in fact, that might be a plus.