At Sotheby’s Pop Culture auction last week, fans of Oasis and rock history were treated to a memorable event. One of the highlights was Noel Gallagher’s iconic Epiphone Les Paul Standard, which fetched an impressive $174,000, surpassing its estimate of $105,000. This guitar was featured on the cover of Oasis’s debut single, “Supersonic,” and in the band’s first music video, marking its significance in both music history and Gallagher’s rise to fame.
Gallagher, who chose the Epiphone because of its connection to the Beatles, reflected on his early days with the guitar, saying it “looked good, felt good, and I could make them sound good.” The sale coincided with the 30th anniversary of Oasis’s debut album Definitely Maybe and came with the news that the band is planning its first tour since 2009, set for 2025.
More Guitars from the Britpop Era
Two other guitars from Gallagher’s collection were also up for sale, both surpassing their presale estimates. A 1980 Gibson Flying V, played on the track “Cigarettes and Alcohol,” sold for $47,000. Interestingly, this guitar had once been owned by Johnny Marr of The Smiths. Additionally, an Epiphone EA-250, played by Gallagher on stage, fetched $63,000, highlighting the deep connection fans and collectors feel toward Oasis memorabilia.
Katherine Schofield, Sotheby’s head of popular culture, said, “It’s a fitting tribute to celebrate the long-awaited Oasis reunion,” in reference to the sale and Oasis’s upcoming tour.
The Star of the Auction: Abbey Road’s Steinway Grand Piano
While Gallagher’s guitars attracted significant attention, the top-selling item at the auction was an illustrious Steinway grand piano from Abbey Road Studios, which sold for $252,000. This piano, housed in Studio Three for over four decades, had been played by an array of music legends, including Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, and Amy Winehouse. Studio Three is renowned as the best-equipped studio at Abbey Road, adding to the piano’s allure.
Rock History Memorabilia Draws Attention
Other notable items included a leather jacket worn by Freddie Mercury at his final singing concert in London in 1988. Designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, the jacket sold for $95,000, more than double its presale estimate. A collection of 325 signed Polaroids by UK-based photojournalist Ilpo Musto, featuring an array of musicians and actors, also sold for $142,000, underscoring the value of personal items tied to music legends.
Looking Ahead: Oasis Reunion and More
The auction not only celebrated 30 years of Oasis’s landmark album Definitely Maybe but also fueled excitement for the band’s reunion tour set for 2025. The high sale prices of Noel Gallagher’s guitars are a testament to the lasting impact of the Britpop movement and Oasis’s indelible mark on music history.
