Oasis’s ‘Definitely, Maybe’ Tops Charts Again, 30 Years after Release

A fan photographs a mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher of British band Oasis near Sifters Records in Manchester, Britain, 29 August 2024. (EPA)
A fan photographs a mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher of British band Oasis near Sifters Records in Manchester, Britain, 29 August 2024. (EPA)
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Oasis’s ‘Definitely, Maybe’ Tops Charts Again, 30 Years after Release

A fan photographs a mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher of British band Oasis near Sifters Records in Manchester, Britain, 29 August 2024. (EPA)
A fan photographs a mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher of British band Oasis near Sifters Records in Manchester, Britain, 29 August 2024. (EPA)

Oasis's debut album "Definitely, Maybe" returned to the top of the UK charts on Friday 30 years after its release, amid fan excitement over the British band's reunion concerts next year.

"Definitely, Maybe" went straight to No.1 when it came out in 1994, and the record went back to the top spot, boosted by the release of a 30th anniversary deluxe edition.

The Official Charts Company said "Definitely, Maybe" enjoyed a "408% week-on-week uplift" and topped the vinyl albums charts, with more than half of its weekly total coming from vinyl sales.

Oasis also took the No. 3 and 4 spots in the albums chart with compilation album "Time Flies... (1994-2009)" and 1996 record "(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?".

Oasis, who last topped the UK album chart in 2010, announced two extra concert dates on Wednesday for their comeback tour due to huge demand from fans desperate to see the band live for the first time in 15 years.

The band split in 2009 when lead guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher said he could no longer work with singer Liam, his brother, after numerous public spats.

Thousands of fans queued for hours online last Saturday to get their hands on tickets for the summer shows in Britain and Ireland, only to find that prices had jumped in a "dynamic pricing" scheme.

Many thought they would pay the advertised rate of 148.50 pounds ($194.74) but ended up paying more than double at 355.20 pounds.

Britain's competition watchdog on Thursday launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale of the tickets and whether it may have breached consumer protection law.

At Thursday's Mercury Prize music awards in London, the "dynamic pricing" was a hot topic.

"(I) love Oasis.... (I) hate dynamic pricing," Irish singer-songwriter CMAT told Reuters. "No one should be priced out of live music."

British-Liberian singer-songwriter Cat Burns said she hoped change would come from the furor. "There's been a few situations where this has happened so I think this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back."



BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
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BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)

K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country's mandatory national service amid expectations of the band's comeback from a hiatus.

Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013.

"We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21," BTS' label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement.

Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga's release because of overcrowding concerns.

The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea's mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months.

Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was "sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year", and also apologizing to his bandmates.

Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.

The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.

Entertainment group HYBE, which manages BTS, is closely monitored by securities companies.

Details of a reunion have not been released.