Recommendations of the Editorial team
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the Oasis members of the Class of 2026, two names were conspicuously missing: Bassist Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan and drummer Alan “Whitey” White.
Both had strong arguments for inclusion. Guigsy is the original Oasis bassist, whose time with the band spanned from its founding in 1991 to 1999 – the entire golden age of the group. Whitey wasn’t there from the start, but joined early enough to play on “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” in 1995 and stayed until 2004. He is the drummer on four of their seven albums, including the most successful.
We addressed this earlier this week in an article with eight burning questions about the Rock Hall Class of 2026. “If [Tony] “McCarroll is inducted because he played drums for the band from 1991 to 1995, Guigsy should also be inducted for his bass job from 1991 to 1999,” we wrote. “It’s not complicated. The Rock Hall just screwed this up. They need to fix it. #JusticeForGuigsy.”
Campaign is having an impact
Our #JusticeForGuigsy campaign has borne fruit faster than we could have imagined: his name now appears on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website as an inductee. We didn’t start a #JusticeForWhitey movement – apparently that wasn’t necessary. He is now listed too.
What exactly happened behind the scenes remains unclear. It may simply have been an oversight that was quickly remedied. It is also conceivable that the Oasis camp intervened. Either way: They are the right decisions. Now we’re eagerly awaiting the ceremony on November 14th – and who from the band will actually show up. Guigsy is extremely withdrawn; the Gallaghers and the rest of the current lineup may have no interest in taking part in any of this. In the end, only Whitey and McCarroll might end up on the podium. They could then deliver a “Champagne Supernova” drumoff.
(While we’re on the subject of correcting Hall of Fame mistakes: Ronnie James Dio should be inducted with Black Sabbath, Dave Abbruzzese with Pearl Jam, and Mark Evans with AC/DC. It’s never too late to do the right thing.)
