Heathen Chemistry

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Heathen Chemistry is the fifth studio album by Oasis, released on 1 July 2002. It was the first Oasis album with guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, and the last to include longtime drummer Alan White. The record marks a shift to a more straightforward rock sound after their earlier psychedelic albums.

For the first time, members besides Noel Gallagher contributed significantly to the songs. Liam Gallagher wrote three tracks, while Andy Bell and Gem Archer each wrote one. Recording took place in 2001–2002 at Wheeler End Studios and Olympic Studios in London.

The title came from a T‑shirt Noel bought that read “The Society of Heathen Chemists,” and the first single, The Hindu Times, was named after a T‑shirt seen during a photo shoot. The cover photo shows the band waiting for a subway in Paris.

Heathen Chemistry spawned four UK top-five singles: The Hindu Times (which reached No. 1), Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Little by Little / She Is Love (a double A-side), and Songbird (the first Oasis single written by Liam). The album went to No. 1 in the UK and sold well worldwide, earning four times platinum in Britain (about 1.2 million copies) and around 154,000 copies in the US.

Critical reception was mixed. Some praised it as a return to a more direct rock sound, while others were less impressed. Metacritic scored it 55/100. In later years, Liam said it’s his least favorite Oasis album. There was also an internet leak of all the songs before release, and in some versions one track includes a long hidden segment after a silence.