Oasis All Around The World Song Guide: The 1998 Number One

All Around The World reached number one in the UK in January 1998, as a single lasting nine minutes and 38 seconds. The track became the longest song by duration to reach number one, and it closed the singles run from Be Here Now.

For context, our Be Here Now album guide covers the record that produced this ambitious single. The album reached shops on 21 August 1997, and All Around The World followed as its third single.

A song built on a grand scale

First, Noel Gallagher wrote All Around The World, and the band recorded it as a closing statement for the album. The song builds slowly, adds layers of guitars and brass, and then lifts into a chorus built for a stadium crowd.

Next, the single version stretched to nine minutes and 38 seconds, and that length set it apart at once. Radio singles rarely run that long, yet the chart result proved that fans would follow Oasis wherever the song went.

Meanwhile, the album version ran for nine minutes and 20 seconds, and a shorter reprise closed the album itself. That reprise gave the record a bookend, and it let the song frame the whole Be Here Now listening experience.

Our Oasis members guide covers the band behind that large scale sound. The 1997 lineup played with total confidence, and the recording shows a band unafraid to go big.

Chart success in January 1998

Then All Around The World reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, and it became the fourth Oasis single to top the chart. Official Charts lists first week sales of 112,000 copies, and that figure put the single among the fastest selling Oasis singles.

In addition, the single also reached number one in Ireland, and it peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. That spread showed Oasis still reaching audiences far beyond the UK, even with a nine minute single.

The chart win mattered because Be Here Now had already divided opinion by January 1998. A number one single gave the campaign a fresh lift, and it reminded listeners that Oasis could still command the top spot.

Meanwhile, the single became the last Oasis single released on the Creation Records label. That detail gives the release a place in label history, and it marks the end of the Creation era for the band.

The B-sides and the video

Next, the single carried B-sides called The Fame and Flashbax, plus a cover of Street Fighting Man by the Rolling Stones. Those tracks gave buyers extra value, and they kept the Oasis B-side tradition alive during the Be Here Now era.

Our Oasis B-sides guide tracks how those extra tracks became a core part of the Oasis story. Fans still debate the best Be Here Now B-sides, and the All Around The World package gives them plenty to discuss.

In addition, the song gained a bright animated video, and that video later won a BRIT Award for Best British Video in 1998. The award recognised the visual ambition behind the single, and it matched the scale of the song itself.

The video also helped the single stand out in a crowded January chart. A long song needed a strong visual hook, and the animated style gave television viewers a reason to stay watching.

Why All Around The World still matters

For fans, All Around The World marks the peak of Oasis ambition in the late 1990s. The song aimed high, reached number one, and proved that a long track could still win the singles chart.

Still, the song divides opinion, and some fans prefer the shorter singles from the same album. That debate keeps the track alive, and it gives new listeners a clear entry point into the Be Here Now era.

In short, All Around The World deserves its place beside the shorter chart toppers, and its record length earns it. Our Oasis setlist guide tracks long songs in live sets, and our Oasis lineup page covers the band today.

Only Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are confirmed by name for Live ‘27, and that fact has not changed. The Live ‘27 shows sold out in the September 2026 ballot, and no general sale took place.

Noel Gallagher on stage. Photo: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.