Decades after The Beatles had split up they were still very much involved in the music industry. And by the time the 1990s rolled around the UK was ruled by Britpop. But the likes of Paul McCartney and George Harrison had a fight on their hands.
As Oasis exploded into the mainstream comparisons were naturally made between them and the Fab Four.
Because they were a young British band hailing from a northern city (Manchester), the press figured this could be the second coming of The Beatles.
But Harrison disagreed. He said of Oasis: “The music lacks depth, and the singer Liam [Gallagher] is a pain, the rest of the band don’t need him.”
And McCartney agreed with the star. He said: “They’re derivative and they think too much of themselves. They mean nothing to me.”
Things then got worse for Oasis.
As if it wasn’t bad enough to have two members of The Beatles slamming their band, The Rolling Stones joined in.
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was quizzed over the most popular band in the country at the time. And he wasn’t going to sugarcoat his opinions.
He replied: “You can’t dance to it, the new album’s impossible.”
Guitarist Keith Richards had a similar opinion of Oasis. He simply branded the band: “They’re crap.”
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Liam continued: “If any of them old farts have got a problem with me, then they should leave their Zimmer frames at home and I’ll hold them up with a good right hook. They’re jealous and they’re senile.”
He added: “If they want to fight, I’ll beat them up.”
These criticisms no doubt cut deep for Liam, who was a self-confessed fan of The Beatles since childhood.
He even named his biggest song, Wonderwall, after Harrison’s debut solo album.
Eventually, McCartney went back on his opinion.
In 2016 McCartney said of Liam and his band: “Oasis were young, fresh and writing good tunes.
“I thought the biggest mistake they made was when they said: ‘We’re going to be bigger than The Beatles’. I thought: ‘So many people have said that, and it’s the kiss of death.’
He added: “Be bigger than The Beatles, but don’t say it. The minute you say it, everything you do from then on is going to be looked at in the light of that statement.”
Liam later supported The Rolling Stones in 2018, so their feud is likely over.
