Every Oasis Album - Ranked From Worst To Best

Following two relatively disappointing albums (Be Here Now, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants) that seemed to mark the start of Oasis' flagging appeal, Heathen Chemistry faced the mammoth task of proving Oasis could continue to be relevant years after the Britpop battles had ended.

After developing the sparse Giants with a skeleton crew of three full-time band members, Oasis were joined by Gem Archer of Heavy Stereo and Andy Bell of Ride, injecting new life and vitality into the band.

Although it received a lukewarm reception upon its release in 2002, in hindsight Heathen Chemistry is one of Oasis' most enduring albums. Reviving the rock that had been largely sidelined by Giants, 'Force of Nature' and 'Hung In A Bad Place' proved Oasis could still sound big, while 'The Hindu Times' and 'Born on a Different Cloud' were pseudo-psychedelic masterpieces that perfected the experimentation the band had begun on their previous record.

Meanwhile, back-to-back ballads 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out', 'Songbird' and 'Little By Little' edged the band closer to pop music than they'd ever dared tread before, feeling at times more like a boyband than the brash boys of Britpop. These melodic experimentations worked surprisingly well, harkening back to the expansive palate of What's the Story (Morning Glory?) while saving the record from the clutches of repetition that plagued their previous two albums.

Heathen Chemistry might not be typically seen as a classic Oasis album, but it has proven one of their most imminently listenable offerings, still feeling fresh and earnest nineteen years after its release.

Heathen Chemistry would have even been Oasis' best record, had they not penned a true masterpiece seven years earlier...