The Hindu Times

Not to be confused with Hindustan Times or The Hindu.

"The Hindu Times"
Single by Oasis
from the album Heathen Chemistry
B-side
  • "Just Getting Older"
  • "Idler's Dream"
Released15 April 2002 (2002-04-15)
StudioMonnow Valley, Monmouth
Genre
Length3:53
LabelBig Brother
SongwriterNoel Gallagher
ProducerOasis
Oasis singles chronology
"Sunday Morning Call"
(2000) 		"The Hindu Times"
(2002) 		"Stop Crying Your Heart Out"
(2002)
Music video
"Oasis - The Hindu Times (Official Video)" on YouTube

"The Hindu Times" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, and was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Heathen Chemistry, on 15 April 2002.[3] On the album, it segues directly into the next track, "Force of Nature", which also segues into "Hung in a Bad Place".

The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's sixth number-one single in their native country, remaining on top for one week before being dislodged by the Sugababes' "Freak Like Me".[4] The song also topped the charts in Canada, Italy and Scotland, and reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Spain. This was the first Oasis single to feature former Heavy Stereo frontman Gem Archer on rhythm guitar and former Ride frontman Andy Bell on bass.

Background and composition

According to Oasis' official single page, "The Hindu Times" was recorded at Monnow Valley in Monmouth.[3] Oasis were already performing the song live by autumn 2001 during their Noise and Confusion Tour.[5] In that interview, Noel described the track's sound simply as "Fuckin' loud!", while Liam called it "punk rock" and "the Pistols and The Beatles".[5]

The song was originally expected to be issued in October 2001, but was held back while Noel reworked it. In May 2002, Q reported that the single had been ready the previous October and then pulled because "it wasn't good enough".[6]

Gallagher gave several explanations for the title in interviews. In September 2001, NME reported that he had seen "The Hindu Times" on a T-shirt and that "it stuck".[5] In July 2002, he said that names such as "The Hindu Times" often "come off the cuff" and that he then spent "nine months trying to come up with wacky stories to keep people entertained when really they don't mean anything".[7] The following month, he joked that he had considered using the phrase as the album title before deciding to apply it to the single instead.[8]

The title has little direct connection to the lyric, which is closer in spirit to Definitely Maybe's "Rock 'n' Roll Star".[7] In 2011, NME described the song's "well-worn riff" as being "cribbed from Stereophonics' 'Same Size Feet'".[2] The B-side "Just Getting Older" was already among the songs Noel was discussing publicly by late 2001.[5] According to Oasis' official release page, "Idler's Dream" is the only Oasis song not to include drums or guitar.[3] The song has also been reported as having been written in Thailand in January 1999.

Critical reception

"The Hindu Times" was one of the first Oasis singles since the singles from (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) to receive almost unanimously positive reviews from critics.[9][10] In 2008, NME listed the song as one of the greatest indie anthems of the 2000s. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 143 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[2] In 2010, XFM listed it in their "1000 greatest songs of all time" list.[11]

"The Hindu Times" was scheduled to be played during the Parade of Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony as an example of British music,[12] but the Parade took much less time than expected, so the song was not used.

Music video

The official video was directed by W.I.Z.[13] The original video was set to be filmed in New Delhi, but this did not work out, and the finished clip was filmed at Abbey Road Studios in London.[14]

Track listings

  • UK CD single (RKIDSCD 23)[15]
  1. "The Hindu Times"
  2. "Just Getting Older"
  3. "Idler's Dream"
  • UK 7-inch single (RKID 23)[16]
  1. "The Hindu Times"
  2. "Just Getting Older"
  • UK 12-inch single (RKID 23T)[17]
  1. "The Hindu Times"
  2. "Just Getting Older"
  3. "Idler's Dream"
  • UK DVD single (RKIDSDVD 23)[18]
  1. "The Hindu Times"
  2. "The Hindu Times" (demo)
  3. "10 Minutes of Noise and Confusion Pt One" (North America, June 2001)
  • The demo version of "The Hindu Times" is radically different from the finished album version. Most of the lyrics (sung by Noel) are different, and the slower sound of the song is much more "grungy", with a heavy drum loop running throughout the song. It is also a semitone higher in the demo.
  • The "10 Minutes..." documentary is the first part of a unique feature covering 48 hours on the road with Oasis during the Tour of Brotherly Love which took place in the US with the Black Crowes during May and June 2001.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "The Hindu Times"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Hindu Times"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 15 April 2002
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 Big Brother [47]
22 April 2002 12-inch vinyl [48]
Australia CD Helter Skelter [49]
Japan 24 April 2002 Epic [50]
United States 7 May 2002 Alternative radio [51]

References

  1. ^ "Noel Gallagher – NME – 16th February 2002". Oasis Interviews Archive. 16 February 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". NME. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "The Hindu Times". Oasis. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 672. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ a b c d "Noel & Liam Gallagher – NME – 29th September 2001". Oasis Interviews Archive. 29 September 2001. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Noel & Liam Gallagher – Q – May 2002". Oasis Interviews Archive. May 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Noel Gallagher – CNN – 19th July 2002". Oasis Interviews Archive. 19 July 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  8. ^ "Noel Gallagher – Toronto Sun – 11th August 2002". Oasis Interviews Archive. 11 August 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". musicOMH. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Have Oasis run dry?". BBC News. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  11. ^ "The Top 1000 Songs Ever". XFM. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  12. ^ Heath, Sophia (19 June 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: the full musical playlist for the Olympic opening ceremony". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Oasis - The Hindu Times (Official Video)". YouTube. Oasis. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Oasis: The Hindu Times [MV]". MUBI. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  15. ^ The Hindu Times (UK CD single liner notes). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2002. RKIDSCD 23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ The Hindu Times (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2002. RKID 23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ The Hindu Times (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2002. RKID 23T.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ The Hindu Times (UK DVD single liner notes). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2002. RKIDSDVD 23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Tracklisten. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 19. 4 May 2002. p. 15. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  26. ^ "Oasis: The Hindu Times" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  29. ^ "Top 50 Singles" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2020. See Best column.
  30. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  31. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Hindu Times". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  32. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  33. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 19, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  34. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  35. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  36. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 27/4/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  38. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Canciones Top 50.
  39. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  40. ^ "Oasis – The Hindu Times". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 27/4/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  42. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002". Jam!. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  43. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 2002". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  44. ^ "Top of the Music – Mix e Singoli" (PDF) (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  45. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  46. ^ "British single certifications – Oasis – The Hindu Times". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 September 2020. Select singles in the Formats field. Type The Hindu Times Oasis in the "Search:" field.
  47. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 15 April 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 April 2002. p. 31. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  48. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 22 April 2002: Singles". Music Week. 20 April 2002. p. 35.
  49. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 22/04/2002" (PDF). ARIA. 22 April 2002. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  50. ^ "Oasis | Artist Information". Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 7 April 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  51. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1451. 3 May 2002. p. 30. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
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