By 1998, the accumulation of these classics was too substantial to ignore. To remedy the fact that many of these tracks were never released in the US, the band dropped The Masterplan . Despite being a "compilation," it is universally considered a studio album in spirit. It reached number two on the UK charts, selling nearly 122,000 copies in its first week alone. It remains the gold standard for rarities collections.
By the 2008 album Dig Out Your Soul , B-sides had largely been replaced by "bonus tracks" or demos, as CD singles declined.
Because Noel viewed his supply of melodies as infinite, he didn’t hoard his best work for future albums. If a song was finished, it went out immediately. This led to a bizarre reality where songs that would have been the undisputed lead single for any other contemporary British band were tucked away behind hits like "Some Might Say," "Roll With It," and "Wonderwall."
Most of the legendary B-sides come from the first three album cycles: Definitely Maybe (1994), (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), and Be Here Now (1997).
(Don't Look Back In Anger) – A Slade cover that became a staple of their stadium live sets.