10 Perfect Rock Songs That Got Better Live
7. Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis
In Noel Gallagher's own words, Don't Look Back In Anger has seemed to take on a life of its own as the years go by. Whereas it used to be one of the many fantastic Oasis songs released in the '90s, the song has become almost synonymous with unbridled joy and hope, as evidenced by the thousands of people singing it in the street in the wake of the Manchester bombings. When you put the Chief in front of a crowd though, he all but disappears on the chorus.
Performing now in a different key than it used to be back in the '90s, the acoustic setting of this new version is a lot more tender than it was before, going from confrontational to almost comforting in a way. As the song washes over you though, Noel always gives up when the refrain comes around, as the sing along from the crowd is so overpowering that it all but drowns him out.
If anything though, this feels like the entire context of the song has come full circle in the world of Noel Gallagher. With Oasis being in the rearview and the days of slogging the old guard are out the window (for the most part), this song feels more like a message of hope than anything else. That angry young man may have had some anger in the early days, but once this song starts, everything starts to fade away.