The Britpop band Oasis rose from obscurity to become the most popular U.K.-based rock band of the mid-1990s. Formed in Manchester in 1991 as the Rain by Liam Gallagher (vocals), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Paul "Guigs" McGuigan (bass) and Tony McCaroll (drums), the group soon fell under the leadership of Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher (vocals/songwriting), a former roadie for the Inspiral Carpets, who renamed the band Oasis. After extensive private rehearsals, Oasis recorded a demo, which Noel Gallagher passed on to contacts at Creation Records, who quickly signed the group. Oasis' first few U.K. singles, released in spring/summer 1994, were increasingly successful; by the time the group's debut album, Definitely Maybe, came out in the fall of 1994, it debuted at No. 1 in Britain, selling millions of copies. In the U.S. Definitely Maybe went gold over the next year, reaching the charts on the strength of MTV singles such as "Live Forever" and "Supersonic."