NME reports that Andy Burnham has taken part in a blind-ranking of British bands, placing Oasis first ahead of Elbow, Courteeners, Wolf Alice and The Smiths. The piece matters mainly as a light culture-and-politics story, highlighting Burnham’s long-running association with Manchester’s music scene while also linking it to his growing national political profile. It presents his choices as part of a broader image of a politician who is publicly engaged with popular music and the creative industries.

According to the article, Burnham ranked Oasis at number one, followed by Elbow, Courteeners, Wolf Alice and then The Smiths, while noting he might have changed the order had he known the full list in advance. NME also ties the feature to wider context around Burnham’s use of Oasis music in campaigning, his previous praise for Courteeners, and the band’s recent support for his Labour leadership bid. The article adds that he is due to take part in Manchester’s Beyond The Music 2026 event from 6 to 9 October, where he will convene the ‘All Content Global AI Summit’ and continue speaking on issues affecting the music industry.