Wibbling Rivalry: how an argument between Liam and Noel Gallagher ended up on the official singles chart

• As Oasis’ reunion shows continue to dominate headlines, some have speculated if the band will last until their 2025 concerts.
• With a history of in-fighting, some think that both Liam and Noel Gallagher “might” fight leading to a cancellation of shows.
• But as Benjamin Jackson writes, one such argument led to a surprise appearance on the UK single charts.

As many fans are still having trouble picking up tickets to Oasis’ long awaited reunion shows in 2025, others are trying to take solace that the shows “might” not happen.

That’s due to the volatile nature of Noel and Liam Gallagher that has been catalogued across news archives since the band blew up with the release of “Definitely Maybe” in 1995, and their subsequent smash hit “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” a year later.

It was one such argument that took place backstage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 that famously led to Noel's departure from the band and the eventual breakup of Oasis. 

But before then, we had the pair brawl on a ferry to Amsterdam in 1995, leading to the cancellation of several European tour dates and the classic “Oasis: Unplugged” performance that saw Noel Gallagher take centre stage due to Liam having vocal issues, only for Liam to appear in the stalls later during the show heckling Noel.

But not all of their arguments have led to disastrous consequences; in fact, one such heated argument that was captured during a 1994 interview went on to become not only a UK single chart success, but was acknowledged and approved of by the brothers themselves.

This is the unusual tale of “Wibbling Rivalry,” the Oasis release that they never intended to see the light of day.

What is “Wibbling Rivalry?”

"Wibbling Rivalry" is a spoken-word vinyl recording that captures an infamous argument between Liam and Noel Gallagher, the brothers and frontmen of the British rock band Oasis. The recording took place during an interview conducted by John Harris in 1994 for the music magazine NME. 

The 14-minute track is essentially an unfiltered, heated exchange between the Gallagher brothers, showcasing their notoriously volatile relationship, with Noel many times admonishing Liam for what the older brother perceived as a “rock star” attitude unwarranted during the interview. 

How did “Wibbling Rivalry” end up being released? 

There was some trepidation in releasing the argument - UK record label Fierce Panda were reluctant at first to release the recording owing to Oasis being part of Creation Records at the time, however the nature of the argument and the growing interest in the brother’s sibling rivalry (hence the pun used for the release’s title) led Fierce Panda to bit the bullet and release the recording in November 1995.

Fierce Panda co-founder and former NME journalist Simon Williams recounted the moment he received a phone call from Oasis’ representatives after the single release: “ "We were quite worried. Then I got a call from Sony's lawyers and I thought, 'Uh-oh, this is it!' But they just said they loved it and asked me to send them a copy. And Noel was great about it."

Despite the aggressive nature of the release and the nature of the Gallagher brothers, it turns out that both were happy with the release of the record as they admitted as much during a 1996 article for Q Magazine. 

Was “Wibbling Rivalry” a success in the UK singles charts?

Yes, "Wibbling Rivalry" was a success on the UK singles charts, particularly for a spoken-word recording. It reached number 52 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting interview recording in UK history - so far. 

How much are vinyl copies of “Wibbling Rivalry” worth in 2024?

Such a record must be worth a lot of money currently on the vinyl market, right? Well, not so much according to Discogs, the online reseller market for used and rare physical music items. 

An original pressing of the vinyl (with the catalogue number “NING 12”) has currently had an average selling price since copies were being sold on Discogs of only £7.25 as of August 2024, with the highest copy of the record selling for only £22.79. 

Whether, much like dynamic pricing has increased the price of Oasis tickets for their reunion due to huge public interest, perhaps the same may happen with copies of “Wibbling Rivalry” in the months to come? 

Did you own a copy of “Wibbling Rivalry” when it was first released or have you listened to the record and argument between Noel and Liam? Leave a comment about your thoughts on the brothers and their previous quarrels by leaving a comment down below.