Don't Look Back in Anger

"**Don't Look Back in Anger**" is a song by English rock band Oasis.  It was released in 1996 as the fourth single from their second album _(What's the Story) Morning Glory?_. The song was written by the band's former guitarist and main songwriter, Noel Gallagher. The song became the band's second single to reach #1 in the UK Singles Chart.  It also went platinum. "Don't Look Back in Anger" was also the first Oasis single to feature Noel on lead vocals instead of his brother, Liam Gallagher.

## Release

The single cover is showing respects to the incident where Ringo Starr briefly left The Beatles during the recording of The White Album.

The B-side "Step Out" was originally intended for the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? album but was taken off after Stevie Wonder requested 10% of the royalties as the chorus like his hit "Uptight (Everything's Alright)".  Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy received credit for writing the song along with Noel.

## Reception

_Don't Look Back in Anger_ was met with high critical praise and it became a commercial hit.

- _Billboard_ said "Noel Gallagher reveals a deft sense of timing and craft that turn his improprieties into masterful pop gems."

- "Don't Look Back in Anger" is Oasis's sixth biggest Billboard hit in the US, reaching the number 10 spot on the US Modern Rock Chart for the week of June 22, 1996.

- It was the 10th biggest selling single of 1996 in the UK.

- In a 2006 readers' poll conducted by _Q_ magazine, "Don't Look Back in Anger" was chosen as the 20th best song of all time.

- In May 2007, _NME_ magazine placed "Don't Look Back in Anger" at number 14 in its list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".

## Track listing

All songs were written by Noel Gallagher except where noted.

- **UK CD and cassette single**
1. "Don't Look Back in Anger"
1. "Step Out" (Gallagher, Wonder, Cosby, Moy)
1. "Underneath the Sky"
1. "Cum On Feel the Noize" (Holder, Lea)

- **UK 7-inch single**
- A. "Don't Look Back in Anger"
- B. "Step Out" (Gallagher, Wonder, Cosby, Moy)

- **UK 12-inch single**
- A1. "Don't Look Back in Anger"
- B1. "Step Out" (Gallagher, Wonder, Cosby, Moy)
- B2. "Underneath the Sky"

- **US CD and cassette single**
1. "Don't Look Back in Anger"
1. "Cum On Feel the Noize" (Holder, Lea)

## Personnel

**Oasis**
- Noel Gallagher – lead vocals, lead and acoustic guitars, Mellotron, EBow
- Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs – piano, rhythm guitar, Hammond organ
- Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan – bass guitar
- Alan White – drums, shaker, tambourine

**Additional personnel**
- Owen Morris – Kurzweil strings

### Weekly charts

|Chart (1996)|Peak position|
| --- | --- |
|8||
|8||
|8||
|4||
|33||
|8||

### Year-end charts

|Chart (1996)|Position|
| --- | --- |
|39||
|54||
|44||
|83||
|11||
|58||

## Release history

|scope="col"|Region|scope="col"|Date|scope="col"|Format(s)|scope="col"|Label(s)|scope="col"||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|19 February 1996||Creation|align="center"|||||||
|22 February 1996|CD|Epic|align="center"|||||||
|26 February 1996|12-inch vinyl|Creation|align="center"|||||||
|23 July 1996|Contemporary hit radio|Epic|align="center"|||||||

## Infobox (song)

- **name**: Don't Look Back in Anger
- **type**: single
- **artist**: Oasis (band), Oasis
- **album**: (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
- **recorded**: May 1995
- **studio**: Rockfield Studios, Rockfield (Monmouth, Wales)
- **genre**: * Britpop
* Rock music, rock
- **length**: 4:48
- **label**: Creation Records, Creation
- **writer**: Noel Gallagher
- **producer**: * Noel Gallagher
* Owen Morris
- **prev title**: Wonderwall (song), Wonderwall
- **prev year**: 1995
- **next title**: Champagne Supernova
- **next year**: 1996