A few months after the highest-selling number one single of all time, a slightly different chart record falls. Oasis were planning to release the penultimate track from ‘Be Here Now’ as that album’s final single, a track that ran to well over nine minutes (long even by that bloated album’s standards). Surely, people assumed, there would be a single edit? But of course not. For this was Oasis, the biggest, boldest band in the land, and nobody could tell them what to do.
All Around the World, by Oasis (their 4th of eight #1s)
1 week, from 18th – 25th January 1998
In fact, the single version of ‘All Around the World’ drags things out even further than the album version, meaning that it runs to a staggering nine minutes thirty-eight seconds. You wonder why they didn’t just keep it going to the ten-minute mark… Still, it stands as the longest number one single ever, almost two minutes ahead of Meat Loaf in second place. But what gets overlooked in all the chat about how long it is, and how OTT ‘Be Here Now’ is, is the fact that this is a pretty good song.
It’s one of the album’s clearer, more instant moments. It’s a simple enough concept, with slightly jazzy, slightly Beatlesy (duh!) chord progressions. The simple concept is built upon, with layers of overdub and na-na-na-ing, until it grows into a thumping gospel track, with Liam chanting his mantra: I know what I know, It’s gonna be okay… We all know now that by 1998 Oasis were a coked-up mess; but this is Oasis at their coked-up best. I’ve always thought it very underrated.
Perhaps ‘All Around the World’ stands out as different to the rest of ‘Be Here Now’ because it was actually one of Noel’s earliest song writing efforts, with live performances dating back to 1992. I don’t imagine those early versions of the song sounded as gigantic as this, but it does have that early-Oasis theme of everyone getting along, making better days. Plus it has Liam chewing the life out of the word sheeeiiiiinnnneeee, which is a real Oasis 101.
Added to this early-nineties seed of a song were seven whole minutes of coda. Lots of key changes, lots of subtle rearranging of the na-na-nas. I particularly like the seismic shift around 5:30, before Liam comes back bellowing through a loudspeaker. Of course it’s too long – it’s a preposterous length for a pop song – and of course it’s self-indulgent. Plus, of course the Beatles’ references are way too obvious (‘Hey Jude’, for one, and ‘Yellow Submarine’ in the mesmerising animated video).
But as with ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’, and as with ‘Be Here Now’ on the whole, you do just have to sit back and admire the sheer bravado of releasing this beautiful, overblown nonsense, and then lament the passing of rock music that is this big. It’s a shame that a track of ‘All Around the World’s size is relatively forgotten among the Oasis back-catalogue, and that it sneaked a January number one when competition was scarce. By now, a backlash had begun against Oasis, as always happens when acts become that popular. It will be over two years before their next chart hit, as the band take a much needed breather after the wild ride of the Britpop years.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I actually love this song despite it’s length. Maybe it’s because of the blatantly strong Beatles-influence (pretty obvious what songs Noel was trying to go for with this one), but it works for me. I also tend to like my rock and roll coked out and excessive and extravagant. This is almost a last gasp for that type of rock.
I’ve enjoyed all 4 of Oasis’ chart-toppers quite a bit, but I don’t think I’ll be as kind to their songs after this. Their drop-off in the 2000s is not as bad as people say, but there is still a noticeable decline. Ah well, it’s not like anyone even thinks of their 2000s output when they acclaim Oasis.
Yes there’s a strong case for Oasis being the last great rock n roll band, and songs like this among the main evidence. It’s not even about it being particularly good, more the sheer size and arrogance of it.
The biggest rock group of the ’00s are probably Coldplay, which says it all. (While they’re easy to mock I have grown to appreciate them over the years…)
Even Oasis’s 2000s #1s are all decent. Especially the final one. The worst you could say about some of them is that they’re Oasis-by-numbers, but that’s not a necessarily a bad thing in my book.
I’m actually a huge Coldplay fan. I like them more than Oasis. They’re first four albums when they were a genuine rock band are genuinely fantastic. But they’re aren’t rock and roll. They’re aren’t many of those type of bands in the mainstream unfournately.
I’d say it’s between Coldplay and Linkin Park to hold the title of the biggest rock band of the 2000s. Though Coldplay have sold more overall.
When I was younger it was fashionable (and easy) to mock Coldplay and similar bands (Travis, Snow Patrol, Embrace… ‘bed wetter indie’ I think some called it…) for their love of stadium ballads, and that same plodding piano and drums combo that was very early-mid 2000s. It was just quite dull after Britpop, and Chris Martin was so bloody earnest and uncool. Yes Liam Gallagher’s a twat, but rock stars are supposed to be twats… Anyway…
I’ve grown to admit that some Coldplay was very good (‘The Scientist’ – even though it basically invented that piano-drums plod I just mentioned – ‘Viva La Vida’ and so on). I can’t stand their more recent stuff, though, like the duets with Chainsmokers and BTS. Not that I’m against bands branching out and trying new genres, but it just smacks of a desperate attempt to stay relevant, and the songs aren’t very good. Oh, and ‘Fix You’ can piss off too!
not heard this since the 90’s I think, very Beatles of course. And a bit Whatever, which is very Beatles. And Tears For Fears did it first and better with Sowing The Seeds Of Love, in terms of video and song, a much greater record than this self-indulgence. Not that I don’t like it (I do) and the build crescendo works. Just a bit shorter wouldve been better, and some bridges along the way, maybe. Still among their better tracks though.
Thank you! Finally….I was wondering where all these number 1 Oasis songs were hiding. So far I have liked every one you posted…and even a future song that I reccomended to Christian…it’s called “The Importance of Being Idle”…I don’t know if it was number 1 but I loved it.
Yes that’s their final number one. Very Kinksy, appropriately enough for your next project!