The Who's guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend is not only known for being one of the greatest musicians of all time but for also being quite sincere when talking about other bands and artists, even bandmates like Roger Daltrey. He already criticized groups like Led Zeppelin and explained why he didn't like their music, so you can really be sure that he is telling the truth when he criticizes or praises a group. He saw the evolution of British Rock and Roll up-close, including the rise of Brit-Pop with Oasis and gave his opinion on the band formed by the Gallagher brothers. What is Pete Townshend’s opinion on Oasis Pete Townshend is a huge fan of Oasis and has always been enthusiastic about them. He was just not that happy with their reunion in 2025 because he liked a lot of what the brothers Liam and Noel were doing on their solo careers. "I'm a big time fan, huge fan. They've taken something very, very simple and made it magnificent I love both of their solo albums as well. So I'm kind of disappointed that they get together because I'm hoping that they will continue to do solo albums, I'm sure they will. But I like both of their solo albums a lot and I'm friendly with both of them," Pete Townshend told Associated Press in 2025 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). He has been a fan since the beginning, when Oasis released their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994. As he said in the VH1 documentary "Oasis: Behind the Music" (2000), he knew they had something special as soon as he listened to their first record. "The first time I listen (their debut album), I just suddenly got how important that record was. How hypnotic it was, how infectious it was". He continued: "(...) (Oasis is) not pretending to not to be stealing something (from other bands). They're making it obvious that they're borrowing, so then it becomes a homage. (...) Noel and Liam together are Oasis actually, it's up to them. They could last forever, they just got to keep doing it," he said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage. He has been friends with the Gallagher brothers for decades and has had the chance to play with them a few times. Noel, for example, joined The Who on stage to perform "Won't Get Fooled Again," while Liam sang "My Generation," a track Oasis used to cover during their live shows. The Oasis frontman also opened for The Who on selected dates during the last decade. It was Townshend who presented the Best British Band category at the 1996 BRIT Awards, which Oasis won. The Oasis song Pete Townshend said made him cry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiqxn3iOmxY&list=RDTiqxn3iOmxY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUTaGFsZiB0aGUgd29ybGQgYXdheaAHAQ%3D%3D Townshend knows their discography quite well and listened to everything the Gallagher brothers have ever recorded. He once revealed that a particular song, "Half the World Away", is one of his favorite ones by them and that it is a track that made him cry. "The thing that got me about Oasis was Liam’s voice, not so much the attitude. It took me a while to get used to the attitude. I felt Noel was the one with the most edge." "Liam used to come to Who gigs with his girlfriend and he was always charming. Despite the fact that it was intended to be threatening and to have no emotion, it was loaded with emotion. The songs were inspired not just by the Beatles, the Who and the Kinks, but also had this feeling of coming from an entirely new place and I don’t really know where it is. I feel a bit exposed, talking about it now, but the song that brought me to tears is this one. I’ve heard it again and again because I’m such a fan of The Royle Family, and it moves me". "Beyond the swagger is an incredible view of normal British life they seem to tap into," Pete Townshend told The Times. The track mentioned by Townshend was released by the album as the b-side of "Whatever". Also was featured on their 1998 compilation album "The Masterplan". Another interesting connection between The Who and Oasis is Ringo Starr's son. The drummer Zak Starkey was a member of The Who from 1996 to 2025 and Oasis from 2004 to 2008. What's the difference between Liam and Noel's solo work according to Pete Townshend As he revealed many times, Pete Townshend really likes what the Gallagher brothers did on their own since Oasis came to an end in 2009. Liam released two records with the band Beady Eye, three solo albums and one collaborative one with John Squire (Stone Roses). Until their reunion in 2025, Noel had released four praised studio albums with his band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. In an interview with Radio X in 2019, Pete recalled the experience of having Liam Gallagher as their opening act. "It was good (the experience to go on the road with him). He was well behaved. (...) (During the show) he just sort of stand it with his hands behind his back, bellows into the microphone. It's interesting because of the recordings that he is doing in the moment. I think they exhibit a kind of a subtlety and a magic that is coming across on the stage." He continued: "He's got two drummers, so is a bit like The Fratellis or something. It's got that kind of double drummer thing going on. It's very powerful live. I'm looking forward to the new album, because I love the last one. I like Noel's new album as well, his latest work. I think they are interesting because they're both doing very, very different things in a way. Noel is doing soundscape stuff, it's really kind of rich and almost psychedelic. (Liam) is trying to write songs, he's learning still to write songs. It's a craft, he's developing, you know. He was thrown into it, he didn't want have to do it. But it just goes to show, I think anybody can write songs if they got the patience," he said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
