The Masterplan is a compilation album by the English rock band Oasis. It was released on 2 November 1998 by Creation Records and was the band's final release through the label. The album comprises B-sides that the band had not previously included on an album. Initially intended for release only in regions such as the United States and Japan where the tracks were previously available only on expensive European-import singles, The Masterplan reached number 2 in the UK, where it initially went platinum, and number 51 in the United States. However, it reached the Top 20 in various charts worldwide, selling 3 million copies. It has since been certified triple platinum in the UK. Four songs from the album appear on the 2006 compilation album Stop the Clocks.

Reception

The Masterplan received mixed reviews from music critics upon its release. In Rolling Stone, Barney Hoskyns criticised the collection as containing unimaginative songs, with the exceptions of "Half the World Away" and "Headshrinker". In 2017, Henry Yates of NME ranked The Masterplan as Oasis' third best album, writing, "by the time this compilation arrived in '98, it came laced with forehead-slapping frustration that Noel didn't hold [these tracks] for a great third album".

Legacy

In 2016, Noel Gallagher, while discussing his disappointment in Be Here Now, expressed regret that the songs included on The Masterplan had been used as B-sides, rather than saved for Oasis studio albums:

In 2023, The Masterplan marked its 25th anniversary with a reissue, reaching #2 on the UK Albums Chart. Later in 2023, two songs from the album, "The Masterplan" and "Going Nowhere", were re-recorded by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Abbey Road Studios.

Track listing

Personnel

Oasis

  • Liam Gallagher – lead vocals (1, 2, 5, 7–9, 11–13), tambourine
  • Noel Gallagher – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 10, 14), bass (4, 6, 14), piano (2), drums (10), strings and horn arrangements (4, 14), production
  • Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards (2, 3, 8–11, 14), accordion (11)
  • Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan – bass (1, 2, 5, 7–9, 11–13)
  • Alan "Whitey" White – drums, percussion (2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14)
  • Tony McCarroll – drums (1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13)

Additional personnel

  • Mike Rowe – keyboards (4, 12)
  • Paul Weller – harmonica, lead guitar (6)
  • Nick Ingman – strings and horn arrangements (4, 14)
  • Owen Morris – bass (10), production, mixing
  • Mike Marsh – mastering at The Exchange

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+1998 weekly chart performance for The Masterplan

!scope="col"|Chart (1998)

!scope="col"|Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

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!scope="row"|Irish Albums (IRMA)

| style="text-align:center";| 3

|-

! scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)

| style="text-align:center";| 5

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (AFYVE)

|align="center"|34

|-

|-

|-

|-

|}

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+2023 weekly chart performance for The Masterplan

!scope="col"|Chart (2023)

!scope="col"|Peak<br />position

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Italian Albums (FIMI)

| 71

|-

|-

|}

Certifications

References

<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->

  • The Masterplan at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)