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."



Plenty of Star Power as Toronto Film Fest Opens

The Roy Thompson Hall, one of the main venues for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
The Roy Thompson Hall, one of the main venues for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
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Plenty of Star Power as Toronto Film Fest Opens

The Roy Thompson Hall, one of the main venues for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
The Roy Thompson Hall, one of the main venues for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)

Hollywood's A-list stars are convening in Toronto for North America's largest film festival -- a 10-day extravaganza of Oscar bait movies, timely documentaries and glamour that opens Thursday.

This year marks a return to form for the event, after twin strikes by actors and writers kept top talent from promoting their work here last year. Though the 2023 lineup of films was starry, the red carpets were not, in line with union protocols.

This time around, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Salma Hayek, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman are just some of the boldfaced names expected in Canada's biggest city to unveil new projects.

"Toronto is known for its audience excitement, and that excitement reaches a fever pitch when the biggest stars in the world are here," Cameron Bailey, the CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), told AFP.

"We're glad that we are having a festival without some of the constraints of last year, although I do think we were able to do the very best we could given the circumstances."

Ben Stiller kicks it off late Thursday with family dramedy "Nutcrackers," his first film in seven years, about a Chicago real estate developer who must head to Ohio to care for his four nephews when tragedy strikes his sister's family.

Ron Howard's super-secret "Eden," a survival film set in the Galapagos islands and starring Ana de Armas and Sydney Sweeney, is among the other closely awaited world premieres in Toronto. The film debuts on Saturday.

Fresh off the Venice success of her portrayal of opera legend Maria Callas in "Maria," Jolie comes to Toronto with her latest directorial effort -- "Without Blood," a tale of early 20th-century family and revenge starring Hayek.

In all, there are a whopping 278 films on the slate, and while Bailey said it was too difficult to name his favorites, he did say it was a "particular honor" to host the world premiere of British director Mike Leigh's latest work, "Hard Truths."

John and Springsteen will be in town with new documentaries about their epic careers -- and they are just some of the recording industry royalty expected to hit the red carpet.

Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Paul Anka, and singer, producer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams are also due to appear at screenings of new films about their personal and professional lives.

Bailey said the music-heavy programming started as a "crazy accident" and then "just began to kind of gather its own momentum."

"We couldn't turn one way or another without finding another movie that was really infused with music. And we decided, 'We're going to give in'." he told AFP.

Among other documentaries on tap are "The Last Republican," about former US congressman Adam Kinzinger and his break with his own party, and "Men of War," about a wild 2020 attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

TIFF is part of a fall flurry of film festivals, along with Venice and Telluride, that preview the movies pundits and producers believe will vie for Oscars glory.

But the Toronto event -- where screenings are open to paying customers, not just media and industry insiders -- also showcases feel-good crowd pleasers such as "Nutcrackers" and "The Wild Robot," the latest from DreamWorks Animation.

And there is a crop of inspirational true-story sports dramas on the schedule, including "Unstoppable," about a college wrestler (Jharrel Jerome) without a right leg who dreamed of going pro. Lopez co-stars as the boy's mother.

Also making its world premiere is "The Fire Inside," about boxer Claressa Shields's journey to Olympic gold.

TIFF runs from Thursday through September 15.

On the event's final day, the People's Choice Award -- voted for by audiences -- is handed out.

It has become something of an early Oscars bellwether, predicting eventual Academy Award best picture winners such as "Nomadland" and "Green Book."

Last year's winner was "American Fiction," which went on to earn five Oscar nominations, and win the statuette for best adapted screenplay.