Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher has said in a new interview that he doesn’t consider himself “a genius” like artists such as Sir Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan while admitting much of his music has been influenced from other artists.

Speaking in a track-by-track interview in celebration of Oasis’ seminal 1995 album, What’s the Story (Morning Glory?) – which turned 25 last week – Noel revealed that the track ‘Some Might Say’ was actually influenced by US rock band Grant Lee Buffalo and their 1993 tune ‘Fuzzy’.

“Do you remember a band called Grant Lee Buffalo? Nobody does. So they were like an American indie band after Grunge … I’m not a fan right, but they had this tune called ‘Fuzzy’,” Noel began.

“You can see that it’s been a big influence on ‘Some Might Say’. I will obsess about a song for years and I will rip it off 12 times.”

He added: “Fucking 12 different tunes out of it.”

“Everything that I do is a nod to something or other. I am not a genius. I’m a fan of music, do you know what I mean?” Noel continued.

While Noel Gallagher and his estranged brother Liam have given us a slew of hits such as ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, ‘Live Forever’, ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’, and ‘Champagne Supernova’ – Noel revealed that he doesn’t consider himself to be a musical genius like Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan, while adding that much of his music is influenced from other artists because “nothing is original.”

Love The Beatles?

Get the latest The Beatles news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

Noel said: “[Sir] Paul McCartney’s a genius and Morrissey, and Bob Dylan. I am just fans of theirs. I’ve got a good knack for putting shit together. But I am not a snob about where it comes from, I’ll tell you. Nothing is original, there’s only 12 notes, anyway.”

Check out ‘Don’t Stop…’ by Oasis:

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine