To use a film analogy, Citizen Kane is often referred to as the “greatest film” of all time, one of the reasons being its influence on cinema. But while I’m willing to accept an argument that claims Citizen Kane is the most important movie in cinema history because of its innovative storytelling and cinematic techniques, I don’t think I would call it the greatest film (perhaps because I wouldn’t weight its influence on the future of cinema as highly as others might, assuming that was one of the criteria.)

But based on my reading of Wade’s article on this subject (which will appear in this Wednesday’s print and online version of Creative Loafing) it’s clear that “most important band” is what he was after, and he articulates the criteria on which he’s basing his decision: listenabilty, innovativeness, influence and live prowess.

I haven’t listened to enough of the bands on Wade’s list to offer an opinion, but I have to take issue with the commenters who are quick to dismiss Oasis from the running on the basis that they are, to quote one commenter, “as far from original as you can get.”

It’s true that Oasis has proudly and loudly cited the Beatles as a chief influence, and a number of their songs (”She’s Electric,” “Wonderwall,” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” recall specific Beatles or solo-Beatles tunes, e.g., “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Imagine.”

But I think that criticism sells short what Oasis accomplished. Countless bands have worn the adjective “Beatlesque” over the years, but few have been able to live up to their legacy. That Oasis was able to produce driving, melodic songs with strong hooks and elliptical lyrics that linger as more than just ear candy was no small feat. Rather than try to defend them in my own words, allow me to pull an Oasis and quote Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide’s senior editor, in this intro to his allmusic.com bio on the band:

“Oasis shot from obscurity to stardom in 1994, becoming one of Britain’s most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the decade. … they are responsible for returning British guitar pop to the top of the charts. … the Manchester quintet adopts the rough, thuggish image of the Stones and the Who, crosses it with “Beatlesque” melodies and hooks, distinctly British lyrical themes and song structures like the Jam and the Kinks, and ties it all together with a massive, loud guitar roar, as well as a defiant sneer that draws equally from the Sex Pistols’ rebelliousness and the Stone Roses’ cocksure arrogance. Gallagher’s songs frequently rework previous hits … yet the group always puts the hooks in different settings, updating past hits for a new era.”

So is Oasis’ clear indebtedness to their British forefathers so easy to dismiss as nothing more than egregious pilfering, or can we at least acknowledge that, much like Bob Dylan, Oasis’ Liam Gallagher had the good sense to steal from the best while crafting a huge pop sound. He’s no Dylan, to be sure, but within the pop/rock context, he doesn’t need to be. Again, this from Erlewine:

“This is where his genius lies: He’s a thief and doesn’t have many original thoughts, but as a pop/rock melodicist he’s pretty much without peer. Likewise, as musicians, Oasis are hardly innovators, yet they have a majestic grandeur in their sound that makes ballads like “Wonderwall” or rockers like “Some Might Say” positively transcendent.”

I’m not ready to sell Oasis short on being innovators, but I suppose that depends on how you value their ability to meld the disparate styles of their progenitors. Perhaps they can be held somewhat responsible for the rise of guitar-oriented rock since they arrived on the scene in the mid-90s. But above all, I do think they’re a compulsively listenable, great rock ‘n’ roll band, and their inclusion on Wade’s list is no embarrassment to it or the other, more esteemed groups included therein.

On a side note, I have to respectfully disagree with Joe’s statement that Wade might have left Phish off the list in order to not offend the “cool kids” of rock criticism. In light of our stereotypically lefty CL readership, I think putting Phish on would have been the obviously hip move. That is, if Wade cared about being hip, which I’m pretty sure he doesn’t.

The Violent Femmes

The White Stripes

Arcade Fire

I also agree that the Unplugged album by Nirvana is the best thing they ever put out.