The Resurgence of Nineties Bands
Let’s travel back to the year 2009. Oasis, a Britpop band formed in the early ‘90s, is performing at the Rock en Seine Festival in Paris. Their show starts in five minutes. Backstage, Liam Gallagher throws a plum at the wall in anger, and is now wielding a guitar like an axe. Everyone in the room turns a blind eye to what is happening in front of them, and his brother Noel Gallagher makes his final decision. He walks out of the room right as five minutes to show is called, effectively canceling the performance that night and initiating his resignation from the band the day after.
Noel finally spoke out about the band’s demise in July of 2011, holding a press conference to explain his quick exit. In the conference, he said he regretted not finishing the tour, but he knew he couldn’t stand being around his brother anymore. He claimed Liam was “out of his mind” and he “always said he would bring down Armageddon in the end.” He also touched on his brother’s need for power and issues with Noel being the main songwriter. The conference solidified what fans had already known: Oasis was gone, and they were not coming back any time soon.
The Gallagher brothers went on to have successful independent careers, both staying in the music industry but separated nonetheless. Liam formed his band, The Beady Eye, an English rock band, in 2009. The band achieved a decent level of success and would eventually go on to play at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012. He then branched out on his own in 2017, winning the first rock icon award at the 2019 Europe MTV Music Awards. He made two individual albums and one album with a former Stone Roses guitarist. He also formed a close relationship with Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters, singing at the tribute concert for their former drummer and vocalist Taylor Hawkins, accompanied by the remaining members of the band. Noel also formed a band High Flying Birds in 2011, making four albums with them, the last of which released in 2023. He also contributed to “We Got the Power,” a song by Gorillaz, a virtual band created by Damon Alburn, a former member of Oasis’ enemy Britpop band Blur. He also co-wrote three songs for the Black Keys’ new album Ohio Players, and he contributed to other writing projects throughout his career.
The Oasis Instagram page has remained active throughout the years and in August of this year a post was put up with the date Aug. 27. Fans begin to speculate about a future project, but most are still skeptical and discouraged. Then Aug. 27 rolls around, and fans are left in shock. A tour announcement is posted with the caption, “This is it, this is happening.” A video montage is posted and dates are listed for the UK and Ireland tour in the summer of 2025. Another post appears on the same day: a picture of the two brothers with the caption, “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.” It’s official, Oasis is back.
While Oasis is one of the most interesting reunions, they are not the first ‘90s band to reunite. This recent trend in the return of popular ‘90s bands has been exciting for many, as their favorite artists are returning to the live stage. Linkin Park has also returned from their hiatus, with Emily Armstrong joining as the new lead singer following the death of previous lead Chester Bennington in 2017. Armstrong was the previous lead singer of hard rock band Dead Sara and has faced controversy in her new role due to her possible ties to Danny Masterson and The Church of Scientology. She has proven herself on the recent From Zero World Tour in 2024, and the group has made promises of releasing an eighth album.
NSYNC is another ‘90s band known for their reunions, having come together multiple times to perform their top hits. Only at the 2023 VMAs did they reunite and announce the release of their new song “Better Place” for the movie “Trolls Band Together,” the first new song they have released since 2001. Green Day has once again returned to the scene as well. While they never really broke up, they are currently on tour as the popularity of rock is back on the rise.
The other most surprising reunion came from Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, when Stefani announced that her 2024 Coachella set would bring back the iconic ska-inspired rock band instead of highlighting her solo career. The group has not performed together since 2012, and there is no bad blood between members. Stefani rocked the stage in a funky patterned outfit full of color, mesh and shapes. She brought back her knotted hair, bright red lips and face gems to pay tribute to her No Doubt style and its ‘90s influence. The band performed all of their hits, bringing out Olivia Rodrigo to sing Bathwater, who wore an outfit to pay homage to Stefani’s popular 1990s clothing.
All of these bands made it big in the 1990s, and they’ve all now returned on the scene once again to welcoming and excited fans. This resurgence of bands plays well into the resurgence of ‘90s culture, whether in fashion, movies or lifestyle trends. People want the grunge and craze of that decade back, and the popularity these bands have seen as they have come back is a testament to this new, or old, wave of music. The people want their bands, their rock and their Britpop, and so far they have not been disappointed.